Singapore Expats

Hi everyone,

First, a brief introduction of myself: I'm a 28 year old looking to relocate from California to Singapore. I have a Bachelor's degree from a respected American university that has given me the opportunity to work for a well known international company for the last 4 years. I work in information systems and business analysis, and have done well in my (admittedly short) career thus far.

As good as things may be here, I've traveled to Singapore a number of times (only social visits - never for work) and decided that I would like to see what it is like to live and work abroad. My current employer doesn't know that I am looking elsewhere, and I currently do not have any offers from Singaporean businesses. Unfortunately, being transferred to Singapore within my company is not an option at this time. I'm still in the early parts of planning this out, but I have done some research through Google and the various Singapore expat forums/sites/blogs.

Though I have more questions than is practical to post, I will ask a few of the more pressing ones:

1. Work permits/employment passes. I've seen the Ministry of Manpower website and know that if this all goes through I will get a sort of P Pass but I'm not sure which one or when to apply for it. Should I apply for jobs without having been issued a pass and then apply for the pass, or should I apply for the pass first and once its issued to me, start applying for jobs? If I convert my current (American) salary, I'm eligible for the P1 Pass. Is this what I should apply for, or will my salary be lowered and should I look at the P2 Pass?

On a related note: What is the job market like in Singapore? I see several jobs online, but its hard to get a sense of how competitive it is out there. Does anyone have any insight on this?

2. For those of you have relocated to Singapore, how long did the whole process take you? 1 month? 6 months? 1 year and no luck at all? Somewhere in between? I'm set on doing this, so I don't mind putting in a lot of work to make this happen (on lunch breaks, after work, on the weekends, etc...). What did you learn from the experience that you think would be beneficial to know?

3. Finding friends and dating. Judging by the amount of forums and groups I've seen online, it seems to be *fairly* easy to meet other expats, especially ones from your own country (at least by meeting through the Internet anyway). What about making friends with and/or dating locals? Typically not a problem? Is this viewed as weird? Do you face any discrimination in your daily life?

Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for your all of your help!

Much appreciation,

Ross

Go to this link

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/forum15.html

This topic has been discussed in great details. Absorb all you can

If you still need more then ask, someone will get back to you

itsross wrote:
1. Work permits/employment passes. I've seen the Ministry of Manpower website and know that if this all goes through I will get a sort of P Pass but I'm not sure which one or when to apply for it. Should I apply for jobs without having been issued a pass and then apply for the pass, or should I apply for the pass first and once its issued to me, start applying for jobs? If I convert my current (American) salary, I'm eligible for the P1 Pass. Is this what I should apply for, or will my salary be lowered and should I look at the P2 Pass?

The main point you need to understand is that you as an individual can not apply for a Employment Pass. If you secure a job, the Company applies for the Employment Pass which will enable you to work for them.

itsross wrote:
2. For those of you have relocated to Singapore, how long did the whole process take you? 1 month? 6 months? 1 year and no luck at all? Somewhere in between? I'm set on doing this, so I don't mind putting in a lot of work to make this happen (on lunch breaks, after work, on the weekends, etc...). What did you learn from the experience that you think would be beneficial to know?

The actual process is not that hard at all. Finding the job *potentially* is the hardest part depending on experience and the industry demand + also your own demands. Once you have the job sorted, its actually quite easy from my experience. My suggestion is to find a job first and then move over, however if you are confident you can find a job here then there is the option of getting a pass (dunno the name of it), coming over and then look for a job. Good luck n hope it helps

itsross wrote:
3. Finding friends and dating. Judging by the amount of forums and groups I've seen online, it seems to be *fairly* easy to meet other expats, especially ones from your own country (at least by meeting through the Internet anyway). What about making friends with and/or dating locals? Typically not a problem? Is this viewed as weird? Do you face any discrimination in your daily life?

just visit any meat market and you will defo get a date, starting with orchard towers.

durain wrote: just visit any meat market and you will defo get a date, starting with orchard towers.

i hear the quality of the meat there is not very good though??? and can be darnn expensive for what u get!??!!?

oh yeah, quality meat all gone to IR.

I am also soon moving over. Although I haven't moved yet, I would say that Singapore is a very expensive place to live without a job, because of the very high rents. I am guessing that a few months without a job can, depending on how much money you have, leave a big gaping whole in your finances. I would consider moving there for maximum a month or two in order to network, research and seek job opportunities. I believe there is some kind of a visa/pass specifically for jobseekers.

Crusoe wrote:I am also soon moving over. Although I haven't moved yet, I would say that Singapore is a very expensive place to live without a job, because of the very high rents. I am guessing that a few months without a job can, depending on how much money you have, leave a big gaping whole in your finances. I would consider moving there for maximum a month or two in order to network, research and seek job opportunities. I believe there is some kind of a visa/pass specifically for jobseekers.

if you're just staying for a short period of time, your usual social visit pass is enough. otherwise, you'll need the EPEC (google it) which says you're qualified academically--you still need to get an offer and the company offering you a job still has to convince the MOM to give a working visa. problem is, it's good for one year and is non-renewable. in other words, it's a one-shot thing. details on these are readily available online and are one-search query away.

a lot of people go here for job hunting with varying levels of success. taking the conservative approach, i recommend scouring the web for job postings and applying from where you are. then plan a trip here for face-to-face interviews, and while you're, here apply some more and do things you couldn't do online. repeat if desired. ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

also please note that the current political climate is not very encouraging for foreigners looking for jobs. still, some people do it with varying levels of success (or failure). the key is the answer to this question, will you be a contribution to singapore or will you be leeching off of it?

Crusoe wrote:I believe there is some kind of a visa/pass specifically for jobseekers.

Yeah, it's called a bog standard Social Visit Pass. Unless you pre-qualify for something else.