WHP still pending

Last activity 21 May 2022 by beppi

818 Views

3 replies

Post new topic

farah2296Member25 January 2019 08:55:41

Hi !
I am a Moroccan citizen studying in France. I got accepted for an internship in Singapore a month ago and applied for the Work Holiday Pass on December 26th. But it has been now more than 4 weeks that my application is still pending, whereas MoM says that it usually takes 3 weeks. All the student from my school got their IPA letter within 3 weeks so I don't understand why it is taking so long for me.
I also renewed my passport during the processing time and have transmitted my new passport data to customer service, who told me that they would send the update to officers.
I have called MoM many times and customer service officers told me they would request to expedite the process. But both my passport update and application are still pending.
My internship is supposed to start next Monday (28th January) and I already have postponed it by a week because of the visa process (at first I was supposed to start on January 21st).
Of course I told this to MoM but I still don't get any update ....
Have you ever been in a similar situation ? Or do you know what I should do ?

beppiGermany - Singapore Expert25 January 2019 10:39:31

15314

The WHP is a rare type of visa, so we don't have much experience with it on this forum.
In general, each work visa application is processed an decided about on its own merits, so you cannot (and should not) judge yours by the duration others took.
For comparison: Other types of work passes, which according to MoM's website also take 3 weeks on average, in fact usually take 1 - 2 months at the moment (and in extreme cases much longer).
MoM is a law unto itself and there is nothing you can do to speed things up - calling them is a waste of time.

Christine KiquineMember21 May 2022 09:02:36

For your information, I applied April 6th for a WHP, I left France and arrived in Singapore w/o my WHP being valid (I was confident to get it soon :-) on May 12th and... eventually my WHP has been approved on May 19th, ie after 6 weeks. My impression is that it is longer than announced. I called several times, sent several mails and had a Zoom meeting with MOM. They are not directly in charge of WHP approval, they forward the requests to other agencies (other ministries I understand) and have to wait for their feedback.

Not easy to know who can expedite the process, but it seems no one should rely on 3 weeks only.

Hope this helps.

beppiGermany - Singapore Expert21 May 2022 19:55:34

15314

Christine: Thanks for your post. We occasionally have questions on the forum about the WHP, but seldom find answers - partially because the application process is pretty opaque.

It would help, in this respect, if you could tell us which other government agencies are involved and how you contacted the officer at MoM, etc.

Articles to help you in your expat project in Singapore

Work visas for Singapore
As an expat, you must have a job to pay for your rent, bills, and leisure activities, but you can't just move ...
Work visas in Singapore
PEP applicants are assessed on the following criteria:
Driving in Singapore
Singapore has an efficient public transportation system coupled with excellent taxi services, with phone apps ...
Dating in Singapore
Moving to Singapore has been fun since you've been exploring a new country and culture. However, if you ...
Internships in Singapore
Singapore is home to many universities of international repute, as well as companies from a diverse range of ...
Marriage in Singapore
Singapore allows both foreigners or a foreigner and a local national to marry in the country. The procedures and ...
Using phones in Singapore
As in many developed countries, mobile phones have taken over the landline network in Singapore. Whether ...
Finding a job in Singapore
Singapore has a well-developed job market with numerous outlets providing information on employment opportunities, ...