Singapore Expats

Hi all,

My first post on this board. Hoping for some advice about my imminent application for an employment pass for Singapore.

My current (global) employer in the UK has offered me a role working for our Singaporean business.

However, when reviewing the application form for my work permit, I notice the following question:

Have you ever been convicted in a court of law in any country?

Unfortunately I have been convicted of class B drugs possession when I was 18 years old in the UK. This conviction is considered "spent" in the UK, but due to the phrasing of the question on the application form I assume I need to disclose my conviction to MOM even though it is technically spent.

This conviction is 14 years old and since then I have qualified for my degree and spent 10 years in professional employment.

What are the chances of my application being approved with this conviction in mind? Do I have little or no chance of being approved? I understand the Singaporean authorities take a very dim view of drug use, even if it was in my distant past.

First before submitting any application, I would request clearence from the local police in UK, that is a vetting sheet, to show if you have any convictions. They are normally spent after 5 years.

Though no need to lie anyway, 14 years of no crime is time served and you can also find a thread on here of a guy that had criminal convictions, he succeeded in getting the EP

I wouldn't worry too much about it, though by asking the police your self, for a crime sheet report on yourself, will give you peace of mind too, that the spent time 5 years resorts to the crime being deleted. The only thing it will prove is that you are being totally honest, if it doesn't show on your crime sheet report.

Agencies I believe are more privileged to vetting facts if you know what i mean. It's like saying you are not allowed to give a negative reference.

Just be truthful and don't worry. You may well be monitored more closely here if it was a drug related offence but I'm sure you will get the benefit of doubt, providing your skills qualify for the position, above a Singaporean. You have a very good chance of being approved.

The company will have to convince Singapore that you are needed here.

Thanks for the advice KSL.

I guess my 1st task is to find out what criminal record, if any, is still held against me here in the UK.

I have seen the other thread relating to the American which does give me hope, though it will certainly raise some eyebrows at work if I do need to disclose it on my application!

LucasUK wrote:Thanks for the advice KSL.

I guess my 1st task is to find out what criminal record, if any, is still held against me here in the UK.

I have seen the other thread relating to the American which does give me hope, though it will certainly raise some eyebrows at work if I do need to disclose it on my application!

Everyone has been a teenager! If you think it will effect your present company, and the crime sheet is blank. why worry the past 5 years is all you have to declare in UK and you are in UK and you are signing to the best of your knowledge. I wouldn't speculate too much if you have a clean sheet

LucasUK wrote:Thanks for the advice KSL.

I guess my 1st task is to find out what criminal record, if any, is still held against me here in the UK.

I have seen the other thread relating to the American which does give me hope, though it will certainly raise some eyebrows at work if I do need to disclose it on my application!

This is the problem for many people i think. Although they don't mind being honest, it is the employers who expect people to be super-whiter than white that are the hurdle.

The police report is technically referred to as a 'Subject Access Notice', though the coppers down at the station seem to refer to it as a 'Freedom of information report'. You can apply at any cop-shop, it costs about £10 or so, and they have up to a month in which to send one (mine took about 3 weeks last time I required one).

p.s. Go easy on the personal details that you post here. Walls have ears.

@Lucas

Not to put a damper in your inquiry
Drugs Offenses in Singapore is considered as serious crimes. There is no erase or spent record per se in SG. It will always stick like glue for the rest of your life. If you do drugs or serious crime per se and incarcerated, you will have an additional number on your ID card for local/SPR alike. For FTs you will be deported after you serve your sentence served.

Now, Misuse drugs charges are usually divided into two. Possession and consumption OR possession and trafficking. The former carries a mandatory jail and rehab if less than 20 cents coin weight if caught or consumption per se . More than that will be the gallows. Trafficking is either jail and cane or gallows if carries more than 20 cents coin weight of drugs.
First class drugs like heroin. cocaine , LST and the like
Second class drugs like meth, rocks etc
Third class like ethanol, methylated spirit in glue.
The first two is a goner. The last one is jail and cane and rehab.
BUT if you are caught trafficking. Gallows is the answer

For your queries, I have no knowledge what kind of charge or offense were laid on you but if you do trafficking, you will NOT BE ALLOWED for EP

MS,
I believe possession in Singapore is seen as trafficking whereas in other countries (e.g; UK) it is not. However, given the Singapore government's hard line stance I would think it likely they would apply their own criteria.

Plavt wrote:MS,
I believe possession in Singapore is seen as trafficking whereas in other countries (e.g; UK) it is not. However, given the Singapore government's hard line stance I would think it likely they would apply their own criteria.

I agree. So for him is it possession and consumption or otherwise? If it is possession and trafficking then his chance is very slim in getting EP.
However if it was the former and shown he has gone to rehab etc. EP application has a glimmer of hope .

MS, Ethanol!?

Yup. Anti-freeze. Russians who couldn't afford to buy vodka use it. So to Americans (damn few, yeah, nontheless there are those who will put almost anything into their bodies)

x9200 wrote:MS, Ethanol!?

Ethyl or ethanol is a CLASS III controlled drug in Singapore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misuse_of_ ... Singapore)

Mad Scientist wrote:

x9200 wrote:MS, Ethanol!?

Ethyl or ethanol is a CLASS III controlled drug in Singapore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misuse_of_ ... Singapore)

It's not. Booze wine beer and such contain it This is the alcohol.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Yup. Anti-freeze. Russians who couldn't afford to buy vodka use it. So to Americans (damn few, yeah, nontheless there are those who will put almost anything into their bodies)

Antifreeze is typically ethylene glycol with water. "Ethyl" is like adjective, a prefix. It is not a substance. Sometimes by Ethyl you can refer to Ethanol but this is just what you have in vodka. Ethanol is typically controlled under fiscal law not by drug misuse acts.

while I was doing something with CNB, I did learn that possession / consumption of drugs, either in Singapore or overseas, carries the same legal mark - and is never removed.

As for the clearence, there is a very very slim chance that Singapore Govt overlooks that prior conviction .. my 2 cents... but it doesn't hurt to talk to the MOM when applying, rather than concealing and a Singapore Overseas mission finding it during a regular random check .. Trust me- it happens, the overseas missions do random checks on those who applied for work pass / PR - and the checks can also take after the pass is issued ..

ecureilx wrote:while I was doing something with CNB, I did learn that possession / consumption of drugs, either in Singapore or overseas, carries the same legal mark - and is never removed.

@Ecureilx ; you have been jumping from one post to another without having a clue what you are saying albeit typing. Sometimes it is best to keep your mouth albeit your keyboard SHUT DOWN !!! Rather than saying something stupid which might ridicule yourself and shot yourself on the foot .

How in the world you know about CNB regulation. Are you an ASP or SP or S1 or S2 officer ? Hmmmm.....