My Journey from WP -> SP -> EP -> PR

[Iehklad]

Hi everyone,

I would like to share with you my journey of going from on Work Permit (WP) to S Pass, onto Employment Pass (EP), and eventually becoming a Singapore Permanent Resident in December 2020 within 5 years.

Just a bit of a back story.
I was 24 when I came to Singapore as a tourist and by chance I fell in love with the place and I decided to stay, I'm now 29.
I hold 3 passports (Hong Kong, Ireland, and the UK) but I'm ethnically Chinese, perhaps that would be more relatable.

My first role was a tourism related one which paid 2.2k and the company could only offer me a work permit (WP), at the time I was already in Singapore on my UK passport as a visitor so I was advised by HR to make a passport switch on a trip to JB, exiting as a Brit and came back as a Hongkie. HK, along with China, Malaysia, Korea I believe were the handful of countries which can be granted WP, of which UK is not.

I got my 2nd and 3rd roles in marketing both offered me an SP, drawing 3.5k and 4.5k but halfway through my 3rd job I decided to change my registered nationality with MOM from HK (legacy from WP) to Irish, as I prepared for my first PR application in which I thought applying as a European would give me an edge.

Nonetheless first PR application was rejected 6 months later.

I then shifted over to my 4th role in late 2019 and was given an Employment Pass (EP) for the first time with a basic pay of 5.2k, and it's also in marketing.
I tried applying again for the second time, I waited for 9 months and in December 2020, the impossible became possible.

I became a PR.

I'm writing this up basically to encourage those who are on EP but have failed countless times, or those whose salary is not necessarily the highest, don't give up, it will come and you just have to keep trying.

Those who are on SP, just because your pass grade is lower does not mean you have a lower chance, I know plenty of people on SP becoming PR also.

Those on WP, don't lose faith, you will convert to a higher pass soon and you will be eligible to apply, same as SP or EP holders.

I wish everyone every bit of success and best of luck, don't lose the spirit and we will all get there eventually, I invite all those who succeeded to leave a comment and encourage other fellow immigration wanderers on this journey!

[singaporeflyer]

Hi everyone,

I would like to share with you my journey of going from on Work Permit (WP) to S Pass, onto Employment Pass (EP), and eventually becoming a Singapore Permanent Resident in December 2020 within 5 years.

Just a bit of a back story.
I was 24 when I came to Singapore as a tourist and by chance I fell in love with the place and I decided to stay, I'm now 29.
I hold 3 passports (Hong Kong, Ireland, and the UK) but I'm ethnically Chinese, perhaps that would be more relatable.

My first role was a tourism related one which paid 2.2k and the company could only offer me a work permit (WP), at the time I was already in Singapore on my UK passport as a visitor so I was advised by HR to make a passport switch on a trip to JB, exiting as a Brit and came back as a Hongkie. HK, along with China, Malaysia, Korea I believe were the handful of countries which can be granted WP, of which UK is not.

I got my 2nd and 3rd roles in marketing both offered me an SP, drawing 3.5k and 4.5k but halfway through my 3rd job I decided to change my registered nationality with MOM from HK (legacy from WP) to Irish, as I prepared for my first PR application in which I thought applying as a European would give me an edge.

Nonetheless first PR application was rejected 6 months later.

I then shifted over to my 4th role in late 2019 and was given an Employment Pass (EP) for the first time with a basic pay of 5.2k, and it's also in marketing.
I tried applying again for the second time, I waited for 9 months and in December 2020, the impossible became possible.

I became a PR.

I'm writing this up basically to encourage those who are on EP but have failed countless times, or those whose salary is not necessarily the highest, don't give up, it will come and you just have to keep trying.

Those who are on SP, just because your pass grade is lower does not mean you have a lower chance, I know plenty of people on SP becoming PR also.

Those on WP, don't lose faith, you will convert to a higher pass soon and you will be eligible to apply, same as SP or EP holders.

I wish everyone every bit of success and best of luck, don't lose the spirit and we will all get there eventually, I invite all those who succeeded to leave a comment and encourage other fellow immigration wanderers on this journey!

My 2 cents. It might have been easier for you because of your ethnicity and the quota. But in general WP -> S Pass -> EP -> PR is very tough, but not impossible.

[bcheng74]

Would be interested to know your Brit passport is normal British one or BNO?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wishmeluck7]

Congratulations!
May I ask one small question--did you manage to upload a cover letter just to summarize about yourself? If yes, where exactly did you do that?
Bests,
S.

[Iehklad]

Hi everyone,

I would like to share with you my journey of going from on Work Permit (WP) to S Pass, onto Employment Pass (EP), and eventually becoming a Singapore Permanent Resident in December 2020 within 5 years.

Just a bit of a back story.
I was 24 when I came to Singapore as a tourist and by chance I fell in love with the place and I decided to stay, I'm now 29.
I hold 3 passports (Hong Kong, Ireland, and the UK) but I'm ethnically Chinese, perhaps that would be more relatable.

My first role was a tourism related one which paid 2.2k and the company could only offer me a work permit (WP), at the time I was already in Singapore on my UK passport as a visitor so I was advised by HR to make a passport switch on a trip to JB, exiting as a Brit and came back as a Hongkie. HK, along with China, Malaysia, Korea I believe were the handful of countries which can be granted WP, of which UK is not.

I got my 2nd and 3rd roles in marketing both offered me an SP, drawing 3.5k and 4.5k but halfway through my 3rd job I decided to change my registered nationality with MOM from HK (legacy from WP) to Irish, as I prepared for my first PR application in which I thought applying as a European would give me an edge.

Nonetheless first PR application was rejected 6 months later.

I then shifted over to my 4th role in late 2019 and was given an Employment Pass (EP) for the first time with a basic pay of 5.2k, and it's also in marketing.
I tried applying again for the second time, I waited for 9 months and in December 2020, the impossible became possible.

I became a PR.

I'm writing this up basically to encourage those who are on EP but have failed countless times, or those whose salary is not necessarily the highest, don't give up, it will come and you just have to keep trying.

Those who are on SP, just because your pass grade is lower does not mean you have a lower chance, I know plenty of people on SP becoming PR also.

Those on WP, don't lose faith, you will convert to a higher pass soon and you will be eligible to apply, same as SP or EP holders.

I wish everyone every bit of success and best of luck, don't lose the spirit and we will all get there eventually, I invite all those who succeeded to leave a comment and encourage other fellow immigration wanderers on this journey!

My 2 cents. It might have been easier for you because of your ethnicity and the quota. But in general WP -> S Pass -> EP -> PR is very tough, but not impossible.

I think being Chinese certainly helps, I wonder if PR quota really is given out annually based off the resident racial ratio of approx 75% Chinese 13% Malays 9% Indians 3% others? Since I'm Chinese but applied with a European passport, did I fall under 75% slots allotted to Chinese?

[Iehklad]

Would be interested to know your Brit passport is normal British one or BNO?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is a BNO indeed. But I applied for PR with my Irish passport.

[Iehklad]

Congratulations!
May I ask one small question--did you manage to upload a cover letter just to summarize about yourself? If yes, where exactly did you do that?
Bests,
S.

I did not upload any cover letter, as in the electronic filing system you could only upload documents that are required if I recall correctly.

[wishmeluck7]

Sure, thanks

[sundaymorningstaple]

Sure, thanks

Five posts all asking exactly the same thing. one more and I'm going to delete all of them.Almost everybody who reads these forums reads all the current posts daily, You do not need to spam the board with identical posts. We do not like spammers cluttering up the board. -moderator

[wishmeluck7]

Dear moderator, your concern is duly noted. But please don't call genuine people seeking answers as spammers. You can rather guide them to the right thread. Thanks!

[singaporeflyer]

Dear moderator, your concern is duly noted. But please don't call genuine people seeking answers as spammers. You can rather guide them to the right thread. Thanks!

Posts with identical content across multiple threads will deemed to be treated as spam too.

[wishmeluck7]

Instead of name calling, I would appreciate if you could practice patience and guide newbies like me--I am new to this forum, signed up at Singapore Expats Forum today. Patience in moderators is appreciated too!

Anyway, let's not "spam" this space!
As I said your concerns are duly noted.
Cheers,
s.

[singaporeflyer]

Instead of name calling, I would appreciate if you could practice patience and guide newbies like me--I am new to this forum, signed up at Singapore Expats Forum today. Patience in moderators is appreciated too!

Anyway, let's not "spam" this space!
As I said your concerns are duly noted.
Cheers,
s.

I didnt call any names. All I said was if the same content is posted across multiple threads, it is equivalent to Spam. Is passing this message to a newbie not considered as guiding?

[wishmeluck7]

And if you notice, I had mentioned that the point was "duly noted" in response to another moderator. Nonetheless, sharing is caring. And thanks for running this platform. cheers, s.