Employment Pass Rejected

Hi beppi,

I would like to know from your experience, what does the status change from "Pending feedback from vetting agency. Expected outcome in 2 months..." to only "Pending" mean?
The new company submitted my application on 21 June 2014.

Thanks

It means that they cannot any more predict when the outcome will arrive.

Hi Beppi,

I just got job offer on 1st of July 2014.
And they apply my S-Pass on 2nd July 2014.

after 3 days, which is since yesterday i check through the EP online the status is: from "Pending" to "Pending inputs from vetting agencies. Expected outcome is 2 months from the Date of Application."

1)I would like to know this means its usually averagely takes how long for me to know the result of the application?

2)I did not expect I would have got job so fast, I have already booked air tickets etc to go holiday with my family end of this month departing 30th July-3rd august, and there is certain period of time i need to decide if to cancel or not and which i will need to pay the 50% penalty.
Now I'm confused whether my s-pass will be approved and when its actually the result will be shown?
I afraid if I already cancel my trip with so much money loss but in the end my s-pass is rejected or still pending which means I actually still can go for the trip.
If I call the company and ask them whether I can start on August, will that be okay? Since I stated that I can start Immediately.I just wonder whether the company wont mind if I discuss about this with them or they will turned off and not willing to hire me anymore?

Can you give me some advice?

3) Last question: My company Apply for S-pass for me thats what they said and agreed on salary $2300. But I check on EP online my Pass Type is : Employment Pass.
Is that mean just the generalised name of the work passes or actually they apply E-pass for me?

I'm 24 years old, graduated under UK university in Singapore and studied full time here and worked in Singapore before for 6 months under S-Pass on 2012.

Thank you so much before..

1. "Input from vetting agencies" means they are verifying your credentials with your home country authorities/schools. In their experience, this takes on average 2 months in your home country. However, depending on how fast these agencies respond in your case, the result could come earlier or later.

2. You can only travel to Singapore and start work after the S-Pass is approved. I cannot tell you whether that will be before or after 1. Aug. If it comes before 1. Aug., you can still explain the situation to the company and ask whether it is possible to start on 4. Aug. instead.

3. You should ask the company, not me, which pass they applied for you!
Please note that with this low salary (S$2300/month, which is the minimum for S-Pass) you cannot get an EP. (You also cannot bring your family as dependents.)

Hi beppi, I just applied for S-Pass recently but rejected with the reason from MOM:

"Your candidate has an adverse records with us and hence is not eligible to apply for a work pass. Please look for another candidate."

What will be the chance if I get hired by another company to apply for S-Pass again?

Thanks a lot!

Obviously, you have done something in the past which got you banned from future employment in Singapore.
Thus, unless the matter is cleared directly with MoM, you will not get an S-Pass or any other work visa.

Hi beppi, thanks for the advice. Do you know how can I clear the record with MOM?

Without knowing what you did, I cannot comment.
Ask MoM!

EP Application Rejected - What are the chances of a successful appeal?
Hi,

My EP application got rejected and the company just applied for an appeal adding the additional documents asked by MOM as well as a letter from the Managing Director.

I wonder what are the chances for the appeal to be successful?

MoM is VERY suspicious of appeals or re-applications with higher salary - as apparently in your case.
Those often come with "kick-back" schemes, where the employee returns some of the higher salary to the employer and thus the new salary only exists on paper to increase visa approval chances. Of course that is illegal.
MoM thus rejects such applications or appeals, unless the employer gives a VERY GOOD and CONVINCING explanation why the candidate is now suddenly worth much more to the company.
Of course I don't know your company MD's letter, and how easily convinceable the MoM processing officer is, so I cannot comment on your chances.
If I were you, I would prepare for a final rejection.

Thank's Beppi,

The company applying for the EP is a different from the current one and the positions are not the same (the latter being higher than what I am currently holding). In any case I guess preparing for a rejection won't hurt my chances any further so I'll do just that . I sure do hope that the MD's letter can convince MOM to grant me the pass.

Sorry, I misunderstood.
If it's a new company (and you already work in Singapore on EP), things are easier. They are probably just surprized by your new, much higher salary - for which I also congratulate you!
Good luck!

I really hope that they were just surprised. Me and my wife enjoy our stay here in Singapore and so we are crossing our fingers and hope for the best.

Hi Beppi/ All,

I am currently waiting for my EP application response. Just wondering, do you think the nationality of the applicant plays a crucial role in the process. My friend has the same qualifications and job with similar salary as me, but she is from Malaysia, she has been granted EP Pass without any hindrance really. But I heard many say it's very hard for someone with Filipino/ Indonesian nationality to get the pass. Is it true? I have actually stayed much longer in Singapore than my friend for about 5-6 years.
Please advise, it would really help me. Thank you very much.

It is more the ethnicity that has an influence, not the nationality.
The authorities asses how well the applicant would likely integrate into Singapore's society.
Thus Southeast Asian Chinese are preferred, Indians (and curiously mainland Chinese) come last. Non-Chinese Indonesians or Philippinos are inbetween, as are all others (the exact rankings are kept confidential).

Hi Beppi,

Thanks for the fast response.

May I know how do I check my EP application status? Is it at EP Online website? I can't seem to login to EP Online without my employer SingPass ID. The employee can't track the application status then?

Thanks

Yes, you can check EP application status on the EP Online webpage. Your employer has received your FIN number (which is issued soon after application), which you need to login.

Hi Beppi,

Will the fact that I have my Tuition Grant 3-year bond to serve help me any way in getting my EP application approved by MOM? If so, how? Should I be telling my HR manager about this when she's applying the pass for me?

Thank you.

Yes, you should make sure MoM knows it in the application.

Hello,

I recently applied for an EP last week and got rejected 2 days after the application. The company told me that they appeal immediately after the rejection. However, when I check again for my EP status online its still stated rejected. How would I know if the company really applied for an appeal?

Ask the company!
Or, if you don't trust them, ask MoM.
(But in that case, do you really want to work for a company you mistrust?)

Thanks so much for your time!!

jctraa wrote:

- Do you think I acted correctly when I let my previous company to fire me instead of resigning myself?

I would expect it does not matter.

jctraa wrote:

- Do you know any other case of someone switching of jobs three times in a year and being successful? I actually know one case of a girl who worked in a company for 4 months, then switched to another company, and then came back again to her first company after 3 months, and the three EP applications were successful.

No, I don't know any such case.

jctraa wrote:

- Based on your experience in EP applications and my case explained here, what is the percentage you feel my case  has to be successful?

I am surprised that you got an S-Pass at all under those conditions. You were lucky!
With the Fair Consideration Framework coming into effect from 1. Aug, it will definitely become even harder for you (and many others).

Ok, so let's just wait. Thanks for your comments!!

Hello Beppi,
Your answers are very helpful, that's why i would like to ask your opinion about my case.
I graduated this year - architecture, Master degree from European university, 1 year work experience-
I was offered a job in singapore with the salary of 3500 SGD, however my EP/S-Pass application was rejected.
Why do you think this happened? Do you think if i manage to find a job with a higher salary (e.g. 4000-4500 SGD) I will have any chances of getting an EP despite my lack of work experience?
thanks in advance

Architecture is not my field, but I have never heard of manpower shortage there in Singapore. With only one year experience, it might also be questionable which skills you have that locals (who have to be preferentially hired) don't.
If you really want to work in Singapore, get some good work experience first (at least three years) and/or find an international firm that could transfer you there.

yes, malaysian seems to be much easier than most other nationality when it comes to most clerical jobs.

1 year experience, is the weakest point in your application. to be given a EP, the highest type of employment pass here in singapore, you need to show that you are a highly trained professional with equally high experience, which is why they want to know how many years you have been working in that particular field, you can be trained as an architect, worked 10 yeas, but only 1 year in architecture, and 9 years in some other things, and you apply to be an architect here, you will be rejected.

also to note, if a company pay you well above the requirement of $3500 of EP, say they pay you $6000, you will still be rejected, because MOM approving officer will simply ask, why does a company pay a inexperience architect $6000 ? fishy fishy ...

@ MU19

you will not know whether your company really appeal, because if you call MOM directly, they are not to disclose to you anything your potential employer did. you just have to trust that your employer, and if they say they did appeal but they did not actually do it, its not worth working for this company.

just wait, an appeal is on a case by case basis, they have to convince the approving officer that they need you and cannot easily find someone like you here in singapore to fill up that position. appeal success rate although low, is not impossible.

Hi merlin_sg and beppi,

Thank you so much for your advise.
My company did appeal and MOM really got back to us exactly 3 weeks after the appeal.

Luckily my EP got approved.
For those who are still wondering why their EP got rejected or if they have to chance to appeal, I'll say it all depends on your employer.
The first time that my employer applied for my EP, my basic salary was only $3,300 which is the minimum required salary for an EP. Unfortunately $3,300 was too low and hence my EP got rejected.
Straight away my employer made an appeal, she increased my basic salary to $3,400 and gave a valid reason why she was hiring me. I guess that as long as your employer gives a valid reason why he/she is hiring you and why you are the perfect candidate, MOM should be able to approve your EP.

So good luck and be patient for those who are still waiting for their approval!

Hello Beepi, can I ask if you have an idea if the "pending vetting agencies........" application status is more than 2 months. Thus written in the EPOL the result?

I actually have my cousin currently working in singapore and wants to move to another company. After applying his pass last June 3, 2014 up to now status is ""pending vetting agencies........"  He's coordinating with the HR of the new company that he supposed to join in ofcourse. Do you have any idea Beepi if what is the possible result or something?

Thanks in advance...

My user name is Beppi, not Beepi.
"Pending input from vetting agencies" means the authorities are checking the validity of your credentials with external sources, e.g. your home country's authorities, your schools, etc. How long this takes depends on those sources: If they reply fast, the result will come soon - if they take their time, you will have to wait.
The time it takes is no indication for the chance of success. (But if the external sources do not reply at all, you may have a problem.)

Hello Beppi... Sorry.. thanks for your response..

Hi Beppi,

I need your expert insight about this case. I'm a university degree and now have 6 years experience. I've been working in MNC in Singapore under EP for almost 2 years now, with salary SGD 3.400. My role is language specialist (translation).

My EP renewal was rejected, though my salary is still above the minimum standard. And then my company tried to downgrade by applying for S-Pass and it got rejected again, and now they just appeal for my s-pass. Is there any bigger change that my appeal will be approved?

Thanks before

Another question,

If it's turned out that my appeal is rejected, and i need to go back to my home country, but still working in the same company, and i'd like to try to move in another position (still within the same company) that is only based in Singapore but with higher salary, is it still possible to get EP within the same company?

Thanks again!

A degree holder with 6 years experience shoulld be earning above S$4000/month. That's probably the reason for rejection.
Appealing with no new Information (that wasn't part of the original application) will lead to the same result and is thus a waste of time.
International transfers within a company have a higher chance of EP approval - but first you'd have to get a higher pay!

Thanks for your reply Beppi,

Raising my salary wouldn't be possible in my case, but based on your experience, what new information i can provide that could help me getting higher chance of approval?

Cheers!

If your company can convince MoM that their future (and especially the jobs of locals it employs) depends on having you on board, you have a chance.
How the company should do that while maintaining that they must pay you below market rate, I have no idea. I thus doubt that it will work.