Singapore Expats

Hey everyone, my friend from Algeria applied for an Employment Pass (EP) and is currently in the process with MOM. Does anyone know how long it typically takes for approval these days? He’s been waiting for almost 3 months now. Thanks in advance! (He is already in the MOM system, as I checked his ID via MOM’s eServices).

Also, it seems like the HR is new to handling this. My friend has been following up with HR every two weeks, but HR has said they haven’t received any updates yet. What exactly should he ask HR to get more clarity on where the process stands? Or if anyone has advice on what he should do next, that would be helpful!

Your friend better face reality. MoM is unable to confirm some aspect of your friend's background, for example, past employment and salary history. Lots of scammers try to get in with bogus employment or education credentials, so someone from Algeria will receive extra scrutiny.

Or, they may have questions or concerns about the company applying for the EP. Dodgy companies hire at the low end of the salary schedule and are sometimes guilty of not paying the required salary for an EP.

A lot of EP's are approved in just a few days, so you can bet money that there's something raising red flags with either the candidate or the company. There is nothing your friend can do, except make a Plan B.

a few weeks