Singapore Expats

Hi there, just wonder if anyone here has experience or known someone that successful to apply PR from a S pass?

I read from ICA website both S pass and EP are also eligible to apply PR here once worked here for more than 6 months.

I worked in SG for more than 6 months now but when I first came here, my employer can only applied S pass for me even I met all the requirement for an Employment pass. My colleague has told me if apply by S pass, the successful rate will be much lower than EP.

Therefore, I am now thinking should I ask my employer to apply EP for me then apply PR after.
Or maybe I should just try my luck and apply PR while having S pass, after all it is no guarantee 100% success from either SP and EP.

Anyway, just want to know if anyone has same experience, Cheers!

Job: External Auditor at Big 4

Forget about what you read on the ICA website. The only way you would get PR after only 6 months here is if you were a neuro surgeon or a rocket scientist. You will only have a chance of success if you apply after 24 consecutive months of employment (or your first EP renewal. S pass also can, but it a lot rarer. Also you do realize that approval for passes are a two part process, I hope. Both the company and the potential employee have to pass certain tests. Working for one of the big four doesn't mean that they have free reign on who they hire and what the MOM considers when granting an EP or S pass.

For the record and your education, when your application for a work pass was submitted, your HR had to fill out an online application. One of the questions on that application is "If the applicant is deemed not qualified [for whatever reason MOM might have that we do not know about] for an EP but is qualified for an S pass, do you want to automatically consider him for the S pass.

The employer must 'yeah' or 'nay' and tick the appropriate box. The reason for the box is so as to not lose a potential employee that they have strong interest in. If the box is checked 'no' then if not approved for the EP, you are not allowed to reapply via that company with a new application for a S pass. Therefore most (not all) will generally tick the box 'yes' so they don't lose the candidate as they would if the EP application failed and the 'no' for an S pass was checked. They must have wanted you because you ended up with an S pass. I say this because EP has not levies. S Passes have a pretty high monthly levy the company has to pay to the MOM every month for every S pass holder so it's in their best practice to put the candidate on an EP if at all possible.

I have a strong suspicion that is what happened and it's a common scenario in the 25 years I was in the HR game.