How long will my work pass (EP, S-Pass, WP) application take

beppi · 2018-04-10T11:41:40+02:00

There have been numerous discussions and questions recently about the time needed to process a work pass application. For the benefit of those inquirers - and to avoid multiple threads about the same topic - I would like to explain the process in detail here: First, let me say that MoM does not disclose their actual internal processes, so the following is based on circumstantial evidence and observations by some users here (mainly Surya and me), plus what other users post about their own application process and results - so please come back here and post yours, to improve the information available on this site. Furthermore, MoM is a law unto itself - and has the right to do whatever they want, including deviating from their own rules and publications. It is their game, their court and their ball. If you don't like this, don't apply! That said, the following are guidelines that apply in most (but not all) cases. In addition, it is the status as of now (Apr.2018) and things can and do change. 1. A Singapore work pass can only be applied for by a Singapore-registered employer willing to hire you. They must submit the offer letter (accepted by you) and full job and salary details. They cannot apply before this is settled. 2. The employer has to cover all work pass application fees (and if they engage an agent to help with the formalities, also the agent's fees - Please note that an agent alone CANNOT apply for a Singapore work pass!). They are not allowed to charge the job seeker for it. Thus all Singapore work passes are free of charge for the job seeker! 3. On submission of an application, MoM first performs a rough check if the application can be entered into the process. The submission will be rejected if - the application is not complete (e.g. missing documents or information), or - the job seeker already has another work pass application running 4. If this check is positive, the application is entered into the system. This means a FIN number is issued (and the employer informed of this) or an existing FIN of the job seeker re-used and the application entered into the EPOnline system with status "pending". It may take a week or so until this is done. 5. Next, the officer in charge will check whether the employer is allowed and able to hire foreigners: - Is the industry strategically allowed to hire foreigners (e.g. due to a lack of local workforce)? - Is the company banned or had problems with foreign employees in the past? - Do they have a viable business model and can pay the offered salary? - Does the employer have space for you in their foreigner quota (S-Pass and WP only)? - Was the job posted on the jobs bank for two weeks, with no suitable local applying? During this stage, MoM may ask for additional documents from the company, and process will resume only on their submission. If MoM then decides negatively, the application is rejected without further checks. This stage may take 1 - 3 weeks, depending on the workload of the officer in charge. 6. After this, your personal credentials are checked: - Are your submitted certificates recognised and correct? MoM may (at their discretion) engage external agencies (e.g. in your home country and elsewhere) for the verifications, which by itself takes 2 - 12 weeks (the timing is out of MoM's control) and can be seen by your EPOnline status changed to "pending input from vetting agencies". - Is your background (education and work experience) suitable for the job offered? (Note: It is basically impossible to get a work pass without experience in a similar job.) - Is there a strategic interest (and benefits) for Singapore to have you working here? - And, last but not least, is the offered salary within the market norms for this job in Singapore? You will be rejected if you earn too little or too much! Again, additional documents and information may be requested during this stage (e.g. a justification why the employer wants to hire you and no other candidate). If not, this may take 1 - 3 weeks. 7. If all these checks are positive, MoM will approve your application, inform the employer of this and send an IPA (In Principle Approval) letter to them. The IPA is your visa to enter Singapore, so you should travel within its validity (usually a month). In exceptional circumstances, the IPA validity can be extended by up to a month (the employer must apply for this). If the IPA expires and you didn't travel yet, you lost your chance to work on this job! 8. After your arrival, a health check is required in most cases. This is mentioned in the IPA. 9. Then MoM will issue the actual work pass (usually on the spot or within a day) and you can start work. From submission to start of work, you should realistically plan for at least two months, but this can be shorter or longer depending on many factors nobody can foresee. Some additional notes: - MoM rarely discloses any rejection reasons, but sometimes the wording in the rejection letter gives a hint. E.g. "This candidate is not eligible for a work pass, please look for another candidate" means you have no chance of getting any work pass at all, often due to misconduct in the past (MoM has a very long memory and good databases!). - A rejection can be appealed against by the employer. For this to be successful, additional information must be included that alleviate the rejection reason. If the reason is not known, it may help for the employer to arrange a personal meeting with the officer in charge. You may come along to such a meeting. - If the appeal also has been rejected, the decision is final and you cannot work on this job in Singapore. - An appeal process can take as long or longer than the original application. - In some, rare cases where the employer has very strong reasons for you to start work before the application process is completed, they can request a temporary work pass from MoM. - In all other cases, there is nothing you can do to accelerate the process. MoM takes as long as Mom takes - and all you can do is wait. There is no point asking on this forum how long it will take (nobody here knows!), or complaining about it. - You or the employer can, however, at any time cancel the application for any reason. This of course ends your attempt to work in Singapore. Good luck! (Yes, al lot depends on this, too!)

Last activity 22 November 2024 by avinashjha

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2116 replies

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SV123New member19 April 2023 15:28:30

#1761

@kaleeshbcomca No I haven't got approval and no up[dates on any verification. My Masters degree is from NTU, so I guess they dont need any verification for that.

Still waiting!

workhardpartyharderMember19 April 2023 15:34:01

#1762

@Niv81 sorry 28th Feb when the application was submitted

Niv81Active member20 April 2023 02:31:02

#1763

@workhardpartyharder

my application was submitted the same week as yours.

let me know if you get your approval or receive any update from the MOM.

Niv81Active member20 April 2023 05:46:50

#1764

Hi! Just wanted to check if anyone received any update from MOm regarding EP/ work pass applications submitted late Feb/ early March 2023?

thanks

Guesrposter651Guest20 April 2023 11:18:57

#1765

214245

@SV123 is this 1st time applied for you?? For me this is the 1st time .... I don't have work so for in Singapore.Pls let me know if you get any update from MOM

goldtuduMember20 April 2023 13:24:19

#1766

@kaleeshbcomca tell me about yourself

SV123New member20 April 2023 14:49:11

#1767

@kaleeshbcomca

I worked in Singapore from 2010 to 2016 in EP and left Singapore. So this my first application in last 7 years.

minzsutActive member21 April 2023 02:44:48

#1768

Hi all,

My EP has been approved today!

Applied : 24th March 2023

Approved : 21st April 2023

Processing time is exactly 4 weeks.

ShinejoeActive member21 April 2023 03:04:39

#1769

@minzsut hi how does ur permit approval mention once approve?

valid or

Approved?

minzsutActive member21 April 2023 03:05:18

#1770

@Shinejoe it will say "Valid. Your application has been approved. Check your In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter for the next steps."

ShinejoeActive member21 April 2023 03:06:00

#1771

@minzsut Thanks

Niv81Active member21 April 2023 03:37:51

#1772

@minzsut

congratualtions on receiving your Approval today!

Can I ask “during the input from external agencies” stage, did MOM disclose to your employer which agencies they are checking with?

did they request any additional documents or inputs during that time?

Did you receive the approval 21st morning or 20th evening?

how long did it take to receive the IPA after the status change.

minzsutActive member21 April 2023 03:46:25

#1773

@Niv81 As of my understanding, MOM does not disclose to any employer which agencies they are checking with. But for mine, I suspect because of the salary hike.

In my previous S-pass application, I also encountered the "input from external agencies" and I suspected because my degree cert was not issued yet, so only a letter of graduation was provided.

They did not ask for any additional documents from my end. I received information from my employer today (21/4/23), mentioning that the EP has been approved. I got the IPA through the employer right after the approval message.

Hope this answers!

Niv81Active member21 April 2023 04:16:36

#1774

@minzsut

thank you! This helps.

00DS----Member21 April 2023 06:43:53

#1775

@minzsut Congratz bro. They really are using the full 4 weeks when they say they require upto 4 weeks lol

00DS----Member21 April 2023 06:46:15

#1776

@Niv81 Did you ask your HR agent to expedite the process with MOM? If im not wrong you could request an expedition with MOM.

minzsutActive member21 April 2023 06:51:58

#1777

@00DS---- thanks! They really use it fully lol

Niv81Active member21 April 2023 07:38:04

#1778

@00DS----

the Employer requested a expedition after week 4. The MOM assigned a case number but I don’t think that helps because after 8 weeks we are still waiting.

did you receive your approval yet?

SV123New member21 April 2023 14:13:26

#1779

My application got rejected today.

Applied on 28th March, rejected on April 21 evening. Not sure the reason as only HR could see the reason and they might have gone for the day and its long weekend in Singapore, so I wont know for few days.

workhardpartyharderMember21 April 2023 22:48:53

#1780

My application got approved on Friday evening 21st April. Took exactly one month after submission of degree certificate verification report by HireRight.

Niv81Active member21 April 2023 23:17:50

#1781

@workhardpartyharder

Congratulations!!

ShinejoeActive member22 April 2023 03:14:14

#1782

my Spass got approved today

my timeline as follows

Applied date unknown

17 April- status pending

22 April- Approved

took exactly 5 days.

Hope all the others can get what they want too. All the best!

00DS----Member22 April 2023 06:32:42

#1783

@Niv81 Nope not yet. Im gonna wait for Monday to come.

Niv81Active member22 April 2023 06:36:03

#1784

@00DS----

I believe Monday is a public holiday in Singapore so we will have to wait until Tuesday.

Guesrposter651Guest23 April 2023 12:20:29

#1785

214245

@SV123 what is the reason that they have rejected ur application??? Do u have any idea... I am little scared about my application till now i didn't get any update.... As this is my 1st time i don't have FIN number to check the status...

beppiGermany - Singapore Expert23 April 2023 15:29:10

#1786

15297

@kaleeshbcomca MoM issues the FIN number around a week after the application is submitted and informs the employer of it. So ask your company!

SV123New member23 April 2023 21:40:40

#1787

@kaleeshbcomca I dont know the reason yet as it happened Friday evening and I was not able to get hold of HR. Will have to follow up with HR on Tuesday to know the reason.

vblank95Member24 April 2023 03:31:15

#1788

@minzsut

i got an update from my Employer, and they say that the status on the MOM portal become “we need inputs from other agencies to process this application. In most instances, the outcome will be available in 4 weeks time. Some cases may take longer”

Not really sure when the status exactly changed to this, but how long does the EP get approved upon getting this status?

minzsutActive member24 April 2023 03:51:02

#1789

@vblank95 I’m not too sure what’s happening in MOM, but for my case, my employer mentioned about the vetting agencies on the 17th of April. I got the approval on the 21st April.

00DS----Member24 April 2023 08:15:46

#1790

I got my "Valid" status late today.

Applied 27-march-2023

Approved 24-april-2023

I think by asking your agent to expedite the process it may help a lil bit. And yes it is exactly 4 weeks of working day.

qwertyuiop12345Member24 April 2023 08:23:13

#1791

@00DS---- is this S pass application?

00DS----Member24 April 2023 08:39:36

#1792

@qwertyuiop12345 EP application

minzsutActive member24 April 2023 08:40:04

#1793

@00DS---- Congrats bro! Finally you’ve gotten yours!

Joseph BoatengMember24 April 2023 09:05:26

#1794

@00DS----

[Removed by moderators: Religious proselytizing is not appropriate here!]

Niv81Active member24 April 2023 09:37:35

#1795

@00DS----

congratulations!

I received an update from the MOM today as well. They need more time to process my application (This is currently my 9th week)

Guesrposter651Guest25 April 2023 01:44:18

#1796

214245

@00DS---- inbetween did they ask any supporting documents

Guesrposter651Guest25 April 2023 07:22:49

#1797

214245

@SV123 Have u enquired about this??

Niv81Active member25 April 2023 07:53:39

#1798

@vblank95,

you received the Update from MOM on Monday 24th April, right? I also received a similar update yesterday.

let me know if you receive your EP this week. Assume this is your 6th week since the application? This is my 9th week.

Thanks

Guesrposter651Guest25 April 2023 08:18:45

#1799

214245

@SV123 have u checked with your employer regarding your application ?

SV123New member25 April 2023 13:11:54

#1800

@kaleeshbcomca my employer said they will go for an appeal. But I asked the HR to first provide me the reason and then I will decide if we want to go for appeal. I don't want to have the same situation next time when we go for pass renewal. so if it is a minor issue/clerical issue then it should be okay, but if it is with something major, then I will think if I need to proceed. What I understood from HR is that this happens once in a while and when they appeal it, usually they get the approval.

Any ways HR havent told me the reason, they said they will get back to me. I will update once I know that.

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