Extension of IPA for EP due to delayed contract start date

Member since 07 June 2023

feebly21New member07 June 2023 23:17:14

Hi all,

I'm trying to relocate to Singapore with my company. I signed a contract in early 2023 with a start date of April 23 and my company applied for an EP, which was granted. However, the company decided to delay the start date to August/September 23. My IPA expires end of July.

To facilitate the new start date, they are suggesting that we wait until my current IPA expires in July and then apply for a new EP. This would mean another month or longer as they go through the EP process again, which seems unnecessary. I've been reading about IPA extensions and wondering if that could be an alternative.

I suspect that my company may not have sufficient knowledge of the visa process and are also dragging their feet (for internal reasons), so I want to arm myself with the options to push back if they try and delay the process.

Questions are:

Are extensions for IPA EP for 1 month as a standard (with option for company to request additional month for valid reasons). Would delayed start date be a valid reason if so?
Can an extension only be asked for within 14 days of the IPA expiry?
If we cannot extend the IPA, can they cancel the EP application earlier and reapply now rather than wait until expiry?
Can I simultaneously apply for the DPs for my spouse/kids? They have told me that I must wait to physically collect my EP card in Singapore before I can apply for DPs for my kids.

Appreciate your help.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

Member since 08 August 2010

Germany & Singapore Expert

beppiGermany/Singapore Expert08 June 2023 07:43:06

15582

Your company has too little knowledge about the usual process:

An IPA can be extended for valid reasons.The company should contact MoM for that.
An IPA can also be cancelled at any time. But a subsequent application for the same job has a low chance of approval, because MoM dislikes such a waste of time.
DPs can be applied for at the same time as your work pass - and would be approved together with it or shortly afterwards.

feebly21 New member

Member since 07 June 2023

feebly21New member08 June 2023 07:56:34

@beppi thank you for your response, this is my concern. May I ask what the normal length of extension granted is? Is there limit?

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

Member since 08 August 2010

Germany & Singapore Expert

beppiGermany/Singapore Expert12 June 2023 21:41:27

15582

MoM extends on a case-by-case basis, so there is no general rule.

feebly21 New member

Member since 07 June 2023

feebly21New member11 August 2023 02:11:46

Hi, I thought I would update this in case anyone experiences the same process for me / fears. In the end my company refused to apply for an extension and we let the existing visa lapse before going through the whole process again for the same role - advertising on mycareers website and a new EP submission. This new one was approved very quickly, no issues, so my fears that it would be rejected were unfounded.