Singapore Expats

I am a US citizen looking for a job in Singapore. I will be moving there in July with my girlfriend who is a citizen. I am only planning on staying in Singapore for 2-3 years.

I am looking for any job so that I can stay in the country and make at least some money. I have a bachelors degree from the University of Florida but am a recent graduate with little "work experince".

What would be the best way to go about finding a job so that I am employed before I arrive?

(I have tried the generic job searching sites with no luck)

hey man, sorry i cant give u a lot of help but i would say im on the same boat as u, my gf is a citizen there and i've been wanting to move there for the past year. I've gone thru the list of agencies on this website and generic websites and like u said - no luck either for me. If uve made up ur mind to move there maybe u can pick up a visa and start looking for jobs once ur physically there cuz for me ive been looking for jobs outside of singapore..

ps let me know how it goes for u, but i think to be looking for a job abroad u would need at least 2 years exp

rbpreston23 wrote:I am a US citizen looking for a job in Singapore. I will be moving there in July with my girlfriend who is a citizen. I am only planning on staying in Singapore for 2-3 years.

I am looking for any job so that I can stay in the country and make at least some money. I have a bachelors degree from the University of Florida but am a recent graduate with little "work experince".

You will find it exceedingly difficult to find employment with that background and no residence visa in Singapore. Tie the knot with your girlfriend and apply for a Dependant's Pass, then you can at least stay here legally and get a leg up on job searching...

Well I already have my plane tickets and will be there in mid July. I have a place to stay for free and enough money to last me a little while.

What are the chances of finding a job when I get there. Is every industry suffering?

I have no problems working fast food or custodial jobs, anything to keep me in the country.

Should I just apply for a tourist visa and hope for the best when I get there?

rbpreston23 wrote:Well I already have my plane tickets and will be there in mid July. I have a place to stay for free and enough money to last me a little while.

What are the chances of finding a job when I get there. Is every industry suffering?

I have no problems working fast food or custodial jobs, anything to keep me in the country.

Should I just apply for a tourist visa and hope for the best when I get there?

You can't work in the fast food or custodial business... it is reserved for locals.

In short: The company that hires you needs to apply for an employment pass (EP) if you are being hired into a professional, skilled, or technical position. Getting one of these passes requires a suitable degree and experience OR a pay rate of $7,500 per month.

Lower level passes have quotas set (1 pass per 4 locals employed). A company cannot justify hiring you over a local with your level of experience and won't get a pass for you.

And yes, the economy is tough... exports slid another 10 percent in March. The gahmen is looking for skilled expats or people who will start businesses to bolster the economy but the bloom is off the rose for most everyone else.

What about the new casino, I have five years worth of customer service and maintenance experience as well as one year private security. I believe it is run by an American company, would they hire non locals?

rbpreston23 wrote:What about the new casino, I have five years worth of customer service and maintenance experience as well as one year private security. I believe it is run by an American company, would they hire non locals?

Short answer = no. Do you have specific casino experience that the casino operator could use to justify your hire?

Private security? The primary 'private' security in Singapore is Cisco... a quasi public, quasi police institution that you will find in a million different places.

Again, the government cares about its local population. They issue EP's and other work permits only when they think that the company cannot find a local, and that the prospective employee will bring something to the Singapore economy.

Sorry, but I cannot see anything that you bring that could not be fulfilled by a local... and the gahmen is very concerned right now that recent college graduates can't find a job. You versus local... is there a question here?

Marry your GF, get a dependents pass and then search for work... a bleak process, even with work experience.

Strong Eagle wrote:
Marry your GF, get a dependents pass and then search for work... a bleak process, even with work experience.

Forgive me if I'm wrong SE, but only EP holders can apply for dependents pass for their spouses? As the OP's GF is Singaporean, getting married doesn't mean he can't get a DP?

Saint wrote:

Strong Eagle wrote:
Marry your GF, get a dependents pass and then search for work... a bleak process, even with work experience.

Forgive me if I'm wrong SE, but only EP holders can apply for dependents pass for their spouses? As the OP's GF is Singaporean, getting married doesn't mean he can't get a DP?

Good point.

There is a special program for foreign spouses of Sing citizens:

http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal ... reign.html

However, at a quick glance, I don't see how this is really any different from a normal EP application...

jpatokal wrote:There is a special program for foreign spouses of Sing citizens:

http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal ... reign.html

However, at a quick glance, I don't see how this is really any different from a normal EP application...

JP,

The big difference is here:

"WP applications for such foreigners, they need not be from approved source countries. Their employment will not be counted toward's their employer's dependency quota and their employer need not pay foreign worker levy for their employment."

Basically, it means that they are being treated exactly like Dependent Pass holders including the lack of levy and not being subject to dependency quotas, etc. Same as the Letter of Consent.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:The big difference is here:

"WP applications for such foreigners, they need not be from approved source countries. Their employment will not be counted toward's their employer's dependency quota and their employer need not pay foreign worker levy for their employment."

For WP, yes, but the original poster would presumably be looking for EP or S Pass jobs.

Assuming that I will not have a job and probably won't be married when I get there, what would be the best pass/visa for me to get.

rbpreston23 wrote:Assuming that I will not have a job and probably won't be married when I get there, what would be the best pass/visa for me to get.

If you're not married to your Singaporean gf, then you will only get social visit pass.

Even if you're married to your SG gf, you will not be able to get SPR automatically just by marrying her.

The best choice, i think, is still to marry your SG gf then get a dependent pass. but, i agree, the job prospect may not be bright and expect to lower your salary expectation....