EP Processing Time April/May 2021

Shekhz wrote:

Sikander123 wrote:

Ok will wait for the update from employer

Your employer should call and check with the case officer, MoM accepts such requests and also outline the exact logic. You could be high or low, only MoM knows.

However, thumb rule, justify well what you being offered and this isn’t for you, it’s for your employer to explain to MoM. This is critical, since there isn’t a guideline (known to me atleast) on who should get paid for what job depending on what skills and experience levels and for what industry, also what company size.

Thanks for sharing the info. Today I had a call with employer and they informed me that they are going to schedule a call with MOM and discuss about the possibilities.

Applied for new EP on 5th Aug. Status is pending.
New company wants early joining in Sep. I am planning to tender resignation, so that I can join in Sep.

But what if the EP takes a long time which is probable after looking at the forum.

1. Lets say EP does not come, so if I get on to the STVP(Short Term Visit pass), will my probability of EP rejection increase or
2. Should I apply for a DP. With a pending EP, can I apply for DP or
3. Should I apply for PEP also parallely. again with a pending EP, can I apply for PEP.

Saviors please give me direction.

Suggest don't resign until you get EP , processing time varies for me it's pending from last 7 weeks . Generally you get in 2-4 weeks duration.

Processing times of 8 weeks and more are not uncommon - and there is always a chance of rejection. So don‘t resign before the new EP is approved!
1. Your chances are not affected by what pass you currently hold. But they are lower when you are no longer in Singapore (e.g. because the STVP expired).
2. & 3. Only one ongoing application at any one time! Get the DP first (which is quick: 1 - 2 weeks), then apply for EP or PEP.

Thanks both for a 100% clarity and sharing the reality.

Previous Spass holder.
New employer applied EP on 17 Aug.
Status shows on 1 Sep - We need more inputs from other agencies.

Hope EP will be approved soon. 🙏🏽

Love the ppl here to share their stories and the inspiration comes with.

A first-time applicant for EP(outside of sg);
EP application lodged on 24th Aug 2021;
MoM asked for further documents on 8th Sep 2021;
As of today, 17 Sep 2021, still pending; and
Industry: Fund Management.

Hope everyone here will get the approval rather sooner than later.

Dear Shekhz, Beppi,

You guys are doing amazing work in providing your counsel, experiences and of course guidance on important policies. Thanks a ton!. This only relieves anxiety for many who are part of this group.

Sharing my experience here:

Ep applied: 27 July 21

1st set of Additional documents sought by MOM on 3rd August
- Submitted on 9th August:
- About company profile (its a newly formed minerals company),
-  Past financials (not applicable)
- About 3 biggest clients (none so far for the legal entity but parent's clients are well established and hence details provided with a cover note)
- List of existing employees ( i am literally the first one)

2nd set of Additional documents sought by MOM on 25th August
- Submitted on 31st August
- Company's source of funding. provided with parent's details
- Educational certificates verification. Thankfully had got it done in advance in June itself from Avvanz.

Ep approved: 14th Sept 21, Duration: 1 year

My profile: residing on EP 10+ yrs with established companies. Never faced any issues in the past.

Key takeaways:
1) Keep your educational verification certs ready in advance. There is no absolutely no harm. Even if not used here, you can use it elsewhere. It's a one time activity anyway.
2) Company profile and documentation is critical. Relevant information needs to be updated in advance. e.g. financials etc
3) For additional documents, extremely important to make a good simple cover notes with relevant attachments.

Hope it helps to all here.
------------------------

Quick question to Shekhz/Beppi if you can kindly guide: is 1 year approval common now? Also, would it help to take PEP after 6 months if able to fit the salary criteria?
Many thanks.

- Chandra Rajan

Chandra_R wrote:

Quick question to Shekhz/Beppi if you can kindly guide: is 1 year approval common now? Also, would it help to take PEP after 6 months if able to fit the salary criteria?

Initial approval for one year is common, especially if the company isn't well established yet.
The PEP would of course relieve you of any such worries - if you can get it.

PEP is given once, for 3 years during your Singapore professional tenure. Apply or not, it’s your decision. 1 year is common for a lot of start-ups, nothing off. You can secure renewals 3 months in advance, if not, apply for a PEP. My suggestion.

A first-time applicant for EP:
EP application lodged on 1st Sep 2021;
As of today, 22 Sep 2021, still pending;
And my occupation: Software Engineer

Hi, I am previous SPass holder, my EP was applied 10 days ago, how much time will it take to get approved? Thanks

Hi, when did your EP get approved?

yirigi3832 wrote:

Hi, I am previous SPass holder, my EP was applied 10 days ago, how much time will it take to get approved? Thanks

Varies for every application, we don’t know anything about you, your industry, job and background- so we can’t predict. Normal course is 8 weeks, as stipulated by MoM.

Thank you for your response, actually on the website it is written:
If you apply online: within 3 weeks for most cases.
For overseas company without a Singapore-registered office: within 8 weeks for most cases.
Since I am already in Singapore therefore it should be 3 weeks processing time, am I correct in assuming this?

yirigi3832 wrote:

Thank you for your response, actually on the website it is written:
If you apply online: within 3 weeks for most cases.
For overseas company without a Singapore-registered office: within 8 weeks for most cases.
Since I am already in Singapore therefore it should be 3 weeks processing time, am I correct in assuming this?

I'm holding EP, apply new job with EP too, processing time exceeding 6weeks till now... lol

Hi, how do I hire/engage an agency for verification report? My postgraduate cert is from Singapore's private academy. First time I encounter rejection and long waiting time for s pass application. It may be due to changing job quite frequently this year, I changed my job in April 2021, and now I quits my current (first time I quit job for working less than a year). The current pass application was from a MNC bank company, first time joining MNC company.

Applied: 4 October 2021
Since: 9 October 2021 (... Inputs from other agencies...)

Please read up on MoM Work Pass division web page, you can identify the recognised verification agencies and reach out to them directly for an engagement.

However, looking at your status above- MoM has engaged an agency directly, you don’t have to do it (unless you want to do it as a fall back measure).

Hi Shekhz

Thank you very much for your prompt reply and clear details.

I will wait for the application result, and browse the verification agency on MOM website in case I need it for future use.

Thank you.

A first-time applicant for EP:
EP application lodged on 1st Sep 2021;
As of today, 22 Sep 2021, still pending;
And my occupation: Software Engineer
Rejected:24/09/2021
Appeal:07/10/2021
Approved:20/10/2021
So happy ^_^

Congratulations wuhang89! It's good to know that some appeals are now being considered.
Were you residing in Singapore during the EP application progress or you are based overseas?

My case:

New EP applied: 31 Aug
Rejected : 21 Sep
Rejection Reason: unable to approve application, Any appeals are unlikely to be successful
Appeal: 15 Oct
Residing overseas
Sector: Banking Finance IT

Crossing my fingers for the appeal result, with the current situation in SG I am not sure if they are considering EP processing overseas.

Ong Bob wrote:

Any appeals are unlikely to be successful

You are brave to believe that you still have a chance - despite MoM saying that you haven't!

beppi wrote:

You are brave to believe that you still have a chance - despite MoM saying that you haven't!

I agree, the chances of approval is very slim, somehow it's a "rejection" season.
But despite this, HR have spoken to MOM officer to understand the reason. Appeal was then submitted with a strong and truthful justification why the need.

1004re wrote:

Hi, how do I hire/engage an agency for verification report? My postgraduate cert is from Singapore's private academy. First time I encounter rejection and long waiting time for s pass application. It may be due to changing job quite frequently this year, I changed my job in April 2021, and now I quits my current (first time I quit job for working less than a year). The current pass application was from a MNC bank company, first time joining MNC company.

Applied: 4 October 2021
Since: 9 October 2021 (... Inputs from other agencies...)

Just quick update

Applied: 4 October 2021
Pending since 9 October 2021
Approved: 21 October 2021 (S pass)

Hello Friends,
This is such a relevant forum for me now. I used to be working in SG earlier on EP, moved overseas and looking to get back to SG now. Company will apply for EP but wanted to get a sense of my chances given the current situation. Anyone know what’s the success rate of EP application these days? I also see from other posts here it could take anywhere from 1-3 months for an outcome whether successful or not. Could there be any parameters that determine this turn-around time for EP applications? Thank you!

ab11 wrote:

Anyone know what’s the success rate of EP application these days?

Depending on your education, work experience, job description, the employer's profile and financial situation, the Singapore job market and economic situation in your industry, the chances can be anywhere between Zero and almost guaranteed approval.
A general statistics of how many EP applications are suddessfull is neither published nor useful, as individual cases differ too much from each other. But it has become steadily more difficult in recent years (and COVID did not help either).

ab11 wrote:

Could there be any parameters that determine this turn-around time for EP applications? Thank you!

A thoroughly checked application, complete with all required documents (thus avoiding additional requests by MoM) would have a shorter processing time. An big company HR department experienced with such applications has a better chance of achieving this.
In addition, you can save the (randomly chosen) "vetting" stage by having your credentials verified by one of the approved agencies (at your own cost) beforehand. Depending on your home country's speed of responding, this can save you weeks or even months.

beppi wrote:

ab11 wrote:

Anyone know what’s the success rate of EP application these days?

Depending on your education, work experience, job description, the employer's profile and financial situation, the Singapore job market and economic situation in your industry, the chances can be anywhere between Zero and almost guaranteed approval.
A general statistics of how many EP applications are suddessfull is neither published nor useful, as individual cases differ too much from each other. But it has become steadily more difficult in recent years (and COVID did not help either).

ab11 wrote:

Could there be any parameters that determine this turn-around time for EP applications? Thank you!

A thoroughly checked application, complete with all required documents (thus avoiding additional requests by MoM) would have a shorter processing time. An big company HR department experienced with such applications has a better chance of achieving this.
In addition, you can save the (randomly chosen) "vetting" stage by having your credentials verified by one of the approved agencies (at your own cost) beforehand. Depending on your home country's speed of responding, this can save you weeks or even months.

out if curiosity, how does one verify their credentials?
Is this for example getting an original degree certificate and transcript and having the copy certified as a true copy?
I haven’t worked overseas before so have limited experience in this, but it’s not something I’ve come across before as part of job applications in NZ.

Thanks in advance

Jvw: You know nothing about Singapore's work visa application process, do you?
This is a specific for Singapore, introduced because of too many applicants with fake certificates, and requires a verification by external, independent agencies.

beppi wrote:

Jvw: You know nothing about Singapore's work visa application process, do you?
This is a specific for Singapore, introduced because of too many applicants with fake certificates, and requires a verification by external, independent agencies.

Per my previous comment noting I haven’t worked overseas before - then clearly no I don’t know much about the Singapore work visa application process.

And why would I; given this process is largely undertaken by HR.

It’s not exactly general knowledge and is this not the purpose of such forums, to be able to share such knowledge?

Jvw: we assume that people interested in getting a Singapore work visa do read up about the types of such visas available and what the preconditions and formalities are.
Explaining everything from scratch for every new member is boring, so we avoid it.

Thank you, Beppi! This is useful guidance 👍
I’m in the tech industry and the company is a Fortune 500 MNC so hopefully they will have a competent HR team managing such EP applications 😊
I totally understand that cases vary too much and can never really be predicted but I posted the question just to see if there’s any recent trends that you’re seeing.
Regarding the vetting agencies, is there a list I can find somewhere so I can see if there’s any authorized agency out here I can engage with?

Ab11: As I already wrote above, approval chances have been continuously decreasing for years.
The four approved vetting agencies were listed in related threads about this topic.

Ong Bob wrote:

Congratulations wuhang89! It's good to know that some appeals are now being considered.
Were you residing in Singapore during the EP application progress or you are based overseas?

My case:

New EP applied: 31 Aug
Rejected : 21 Sep
Rejection Reason: unable to approve application, Any appeals are unlikely to be successful
Appeal: 15 Oct
Residing overseas
Sector: Banking Finance IT

Crossing my fingers for the appeal result, with the current situation in SG I am not sure if they are considering EP processing overseas.

Update for my case.
EP Appeal has been approved after substantiating with a strong justification.

Dear All :

Would like to seek for your advice pertaining to my EP application :

Previously Im a WP holder, and unfortunately due to certain circumstances I got retrenched by company...work for about 1 month and 2 weeks...so I was issued a STVP valid for 30 days...now I ard secured a job and my HR ard submitted my EP application...

my questions are :

1) will it be difficult for the EP application be approved for WP holder(PREVIOUSLY) who upgrade to EP?
2) will previously got retrenched scenario affect my current EP application?
3) and other option for me to check for my EP application status as a non-login user for the EPOL portal ? and also to check my EP application was submitted by my HR

thank you all for your advices

Wilber Lee:
1. & 2. The fact that you held a WP before and were laid off has no influence on EP approval chances - it depends on whether you (and the employer/job) are eligible for it.
3. You need to get the FIN from your employer and log into EPOL.

Hi, I am Malaysian, I recently have tendered the resignation letter for my first job under probation, because I have find better opportunity from another company (switch from SP to EP and salary higher, A1 company).
My new employer apply my EP IPA at 24/02/2022.
I tender my resignation letter to current company at 04/02/2022 and my SP has been cancelled at 06/02/2022 (due to one day notice)
I have cross check with all my friend here, their EP processing time all within 2 weeks.
I know I should wait my IPA approved only tender my resignation letter, I currently have little bit regret of my decision because I now can only stay in singapore for 30days, I wonder will my EP processing time affected? 
My industrial field is construction.

simply minimal wrote:

Hi, I am Malaysian, I recently have tendered the resignation letter for my first job under probation, because I have find better opportunity from another company (switch from SP to EP and salary higher, A1 company).
My new employer apply my EP IPA at 24/02/2022.
I tender my resignation letter to current company at 04/02/2022 and my SP has been cancelled at 06/02/2022 (due to one day notice)
I have cross check with all my friend here, their EP processing time all within 2 weeks.
I know I should wait my IPA approved only tender my resignation letter, I currently have little bit regret of my decision because I now can only stay in singapore for 30days, I wonder will my EP processing time affected? 
My industrial field is construction.

Are u able to request for extension for STVP?

I am facing a similar situation as yours but I am currently holding EP.

I just joined my current company in Jan and still under probation. I have accepted a new job and my new company applied for new EP for me last week. Still considering whether to quit now or wait until I get the IPA.

If you want to reduce risk, wait for the IPA!
(After all, you might be rejected.)