Singapore Expats

So my EP got finally approved (took only 2 working days) and I am headed to SG in 2 weeks. I will be however also in a hurry to go back home one more time to finalize my moving arrangements and need want to make sure of a few technicalities...

if I arrive on day X, I'll report my embarkment ID and entry visa to my immigration agent, who will register the date with the authorities and arrange an appointment at the EPSC and go to the HR department of my company to provide a notification letter for commencement date and sign the IPA. As I understand THIS is the point to which my employment can commence/officially start.

After I go to the EPSC all mandatory things are done and I basically will wait for my EP card, which should arrive within a couple of days.
Here goes my question-> do I NEED to wait for the EP card? Or can I without worries fly back home for a week and the re-enter Singapore (I assume I still get some sort of EP stamp in my passport?). The EP card will be send to our immigration agency anyways, not to me directly, so...

flowing wrote:
After I go to the EPSC all mandatory things are done and I basically will wait for my EP card, which should arrive within a couple of days.
Here goes my question-> do I NEED to wait for the EP card? Or can I without worries fly back home for a week and the re-enter Singapore (I assume I still get some sort of EP stamp in my passport?). The EP card will be send to our immigration agency anyways, not to me directly, so...

If home isn't one of those countries that are more keen to stop fellow citizens finding jobs overseas, there's no issue.

Are you on a visa on arrival passport, for Singapore?

No I travel on a Czech passport on dont require a visa to enter Singapore, but I will of course for my second entry arrive with a no-return ticket and without the EP-card in my hand, so my main question is whether there will be some sort of stamp in my passport from the EPSC office to make sure I can enter again without any problems..... I like to make things complicated

flowing wrote:No I travel on a Czech passport on dont require a visa to enter Singapore, but I will of course for my second entry arrive with a no-return ticket and without the EP-card in my hand, so my main question is whether there will be some sort of stamp in my passport from the EPSC office to make sure I can enter again without any problems..... I like to make things complicated

There will be no stamp from what I recall,unlike before

Once you go to EPSC your finger print and passport is enrolled in ICA.

Keep a copy of your IPA just in case

From what I can recall. The procedure is:
1) You enter SG using your IPA which is a single entry visa.
2) You should immediately inform your company to issue the EP. They will go online and issue the EP upon which you get a letter. This letter can be used as a multiple entry visa for going to and fro from the country, until your EP card arrives.

Disclosure: I have had EPs issued from 4 different companies + 1 PEP in my last 6 years in SG

WD you are a real job hopper! No wonder you had problems with PR. Actually they should have just given you SC as you job hop just like a native!

sundaymorningstaple wrote:WD you are a real job hopper! No wonder you had problems with PR. Actually they should have just given you SC as you job hop just like a native!

And WD is proud of it as well

He is 100% qualified to be a SC - via Direct route

sundaymorningstaple wrote:WD you are a real job hopper! No wonder you had problems with PR. Actually they should have just given you SC as you job hop just like a native!

Well, The 1st company I joined, I actually stayed there for 5 years, but the 1st 2 years were on agency payroll and then I got converted to perm. But still it counts as 2 employers and 2 hence 2 EPs. Then I went and applied for a PEP as those days you could if you did 2 years on an EP P2 pass.

Then the company in which I had spent 5 years lay'd me off. Luckily I got a contract job in the nick of time. So cancelled my PEP as my salary for PEP was too low according to the new rules and my 3rd EP was applied for. Now 1 year later I just got another perm job, with a different company and as conventional wisdom says that its better to take a perm job rather than stay on the contract job which could be cut off anytime. So that takes my EP and Employer count to 4.

I really hope to stay in my next job for as long as possible. I hate job hopping especially after 1 year, is the worst thing to do, because you have just learnt lots of stuff and established yourself and now I need to do that all over again.

vvv This

Wd40 wrote:

sundaymorningstaple wrote:WD you are a real job hopper! No wonder you had problems with PR. Actually they should have just given you SC as you job hop just like a native!

Well, The 1st company I joined, I actually stayed there for 5 years, but the 1st 2 years were on agency payroll and then I got converted to perm. But still it counts as 2 employers and 2 hence 2 EPs. Then I went and applied for a PEP as those days you could if you did 2 years on an EP P2 pass.

Then the company in which I had spent 5 years lay'd me off. Luckily I got a contract job in the nick of time. So cancelled my PEP as my salary for PEP was too low according to the new rules and my 3rd EP was applied for. Now 1 year later I just got another perm job, with a different company and as conventional wisdom says that its better to take a perm job rather than stay on the contract job which could be cut off anytime. So that takes my EP and Employer count to 4.

I really hope to stay in my next job for as long as possible. I hate job hopping especially after 1 year, is the worst thing to do, because you have just learnt lots of stuff and established yourself and now I need to do that all over again.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:WD you are a real job hopper! No wonder you had problems with PR. Actually they should have just given you SC as you job hop just like a native!

This explains my 17 Months pending PR. I worked for 5 companies in 5 years.

It sure doesn't help.