How long will my work pass (EP, S-Pass, WP) application take
My EP application has been pending for around 5 months. Has anyone heard similar case before? Can give me some suggestions?
Thanks!
“company is not suitable to employer foreign employees”
Sid1988 wrote:Does anyone know that once e pass got approved what will be the next steps?
Do I need to talk to my company or they will contact once they get IPA, and is it possible to check IPA online.
My status is showing Approved but I can't find out the validity and all.
Application: 6th March 2020
Approved: 24th March 2020
Stay healthy & Stay Safe to all
Hi Congrats,
Your Pass Approval, My Status is still showing Pending, I am really worried
I can always see only Pending, No other remarks
I am just wondering what are the possible reasons for this Delay, it is more than 3 Weeks
What are the chances of Approval
Is it possible to communicate to MOM for this delay? Anybody Please reply
Sid1988 wrote:Does anyone know that once e pass got approved what will be the next steps?
Do I need to talk to my company or they will contact once they get IPA, and is it possible to check IPA online.
My status is showing Approved but I can't find out the validity and all.
Application: 6th March 2020
Approved: 24th March 2020
Stay healthy & Stay Safe to all
Hi,
Can you please tell me in detail steps how you checking your Status
Don't worry it may take some time, mine is already approved but no communication from my company for the last 3 days, so I guess it is due to the unstable situation, they will approve once situation get feasible.
@Beppi/Surya:
My visa got approved since 24th, but no communication from my company, I have read all the posts and I supposed to get IPA, just need a small input that is it right to ask them about this or shall I wait for coz I too don't know in this situation how to follow up
Sapphire: This means the company is not allowed to hire foreigners. You better look for anotheremployer!
Vigneshcoke: You should read existing forum discussions about the processing time. It was 1 - 2 months before the virus issue, probably more now.
Your status can be checked by logging into the EPOnline system on MoM's website.
Sid1988: Of course you can ask your employer about the status!
Sid1988 wrote:Does anyone know that once e pass got approved what will be the next steps?
Do I need to talk to my company or they will contact once they get IPA, and is it possible to check IPA online.
My status is showing Approved but I can't find out the validity and all.
Application: 6th March 2020
Approved: 24th March 2020
Stay healthy & Stay Safe to all
Hi Sid / Venzz,
Does your degree Certificate is Verified by MOM? Do you Submit your highest degree or all the degree Certificate you have?
I am asking this because we three submit our Application on same week, you both got Approval but mine is still pending
I have a Master Degree and Diploma through distance education one year course, after EP I had query to submit My Diploma All Mark sheet, I have explained it is one year course so only Mark Sheet
Does MOM will verify all the Certificates or highest one
I am worried if MOM went on degree verification, now in India there is lockdown for 21 days untill 14-Apr, it means after the University resume then only they process the Application
Please share your experience
In any case, distant learning degrees and certificates are not recognised by MoM. So, in all likelyhood, they will reject you for that.
I don't have the full answer for your question, but once the MOM requests your employer to verify your educational certificates, you will be informed by the company.
To verify your degree, the employer needs to engaged an external agency (RMI or Dataflow). For my case, it's RMI. RMI will need you to provide a letter of authorization to allow them to check your personal information. This letter is the reason why the employer contacts you.
RMI says it would take 15-20 days for the verification. But that wasn't in the virus situation. Some universities do it online while some others only do it via physical mail. Hopefully your university can provide the service online.
Hope this helps.
This forum has been really helpful. Would like to seek some advice.
I am already on an EP here with a different company, however I recently got a new offer in another field with a monthly salary of $5000. My new company have submitted an e-pass application on my behalf, but was also informed that 4 of their candidates ( senior level, out of country, out of country qualifications) were rejected in 2 weeks. I'm definitely not going to resign my current job now, but would like your help to see if my chances are high?
27 F
Medical & Travel security industry
$5,000 basic monthly
2 master's degree, one from NTU Singapore.
I apologise If this is the wrong thread to post.
Thank you for your prompt reply!
I do have 2 years 7 Months of work experience for the job, however they were all abroad and some were for NGOs.
Thuylive wrote:@vigneshcoke
I don't have the full answer for your question, but once the MOM requests your employer to verify your educational certificates, you will be informed by the company.
To verify your degree, the employer needs to engaged an external agency (RMI or Dataflow). For my case, it's RMI. RMI will need you to provide a letter of authorization to allow them to check your personal information. This letter is the reason why the employer contacts you.
RMI says it would take 15-20 days for the verification. But that wasn't in the virus situation. Some universities do it online while some others only do it via physical mail. Hopefully your university can provide the service online.
Hope this helps.
Hi Thuylive,
Really Thanks for your detail response
My case is three weeks finished since EP Applied, as of now My Employer didn’t inform me that they need to verify My Certificates or to engage any 3rd party
So can I conclude that My Degree Certificate Verification is not initiated by MOM
In your case after how long MOM ask ti get the Degree Verification
Also My Employer didn’t told that Distance Education Certificates are not recognised in that case MOM still can consider other Full Time Master Degree submitted along with the same EP
Please give your response
beppi wrote:You cannot compare your case with others - even if ALL parameters are same, you might be processed differently (if only for random spot checks they conduct).
In any case, distant learning degrees and certificates are not recognised by MoM. So, in all likelyhood, they will reject you for that.
Hi Beppi,
Thanks for your response
My Employer didn’t told that Distance Education Certificates are not recognised by MOM in that case MOM still can consider other Full Time Master Degree which Submitted along with EP, because I have given 3 degrees in which only one is distance education
Also My Employer didn’t share me what is the Queries being raised by MOM what is the conversation going between them, they asked me to share the Mark Sheet only one time
Is that any way that we can check what is the actual query, as an individual using only Passport can see the status always “Pending”
Conversation between MoM and your employer is only known to them. Ask!
Hi beppi, my employer wants to appeal on this. Is it possible?
Another aspect: The just published, very bad economic data will almost certainly have an impact on the labour market - and preserving jobs for Singaporeans by imposing a hiring ban on foreigners is a suitable measure here. Nothing is announced yet, of course, but you can expect to fall into this hole very soon.
I recommend you make alternative arrangements, e.g. with a job in another country (or your home). The chances in Singapore are vanishing!
After my epass got approved on 24th today I got a call from my company stating that due to the current situation they cannot release offer coz they don't know what will happen down 2 months, so hr told that she will process once situation will calm down.
Now I cant conclude that is she denying with a valid virus reason or still I have chances of getting an offer once the situation will calm down. And do anyone has idea that now the company is avoiding releasing offer. For info, my company is a pretty big outsourcing company.
Beppi or Surya, any idea because I am so confused after today's call, I thought after getting e pass approved it will be an easy road
My employer informed me about the degree’s verification 1 week after they applied for the EP. I’m not sure if this timeline applies for most cases. I don’t know about distant learning degree either.
As it’s been 3 weeks since your EP process started. Like @beppi has suggested, I think you can check in with your employer for update. Good luck! I’m waiting for my pass result too.
Happygirl123: Nobody can foresee the future. But knowing the way Singapore works, I think it would not be a blanket ban on foreign workers, but making it much more difficult in most cases - something like foreign hiring only for very essential function with no local expertise existing.
Sid1988: What do you mean by "release offer"? To apply for an EP, a valid employment contract must exist. Check your contract for the termination terms and notice period. The company can withdraw your EP at any time for any reason, but they still need to fulfill their part of the contract and terminate it properly.
We assessed the supporting documents the we have requested from you, unfortunately we find that your company is not suitable to employ foreign employees.
Do you have any ideas on this? Thank you
Note: An offer by email and your acceptance of it is already a contract!
Actually hr told me that if they release an offer now and cant aboard me during my joining then I will lose my job in my present company and at the same time won't able to join them so that will be difficult for me. So they want to wait for the situation to settle down in Singapore after that they will proceed.
I have read in the MOM newsletter that they have put a travel ban on long term visa holders so maybe that is the reason.
Hope will get positive reply from them after 15 days, else I also don't have anything that can be done from my side.
Just wanted to share my experience and gather some inputs. I've been going through all the related forums here and noticed that these days, a lot of approvals seem to be coming in on day 7, day 9, day 14 or day 15 after the application date. I understand that there isn't a fixed timeline, but this is from observation.
A quick question: Since March 20, has anyone gotten their EP approved? If yes, how long did it take from the application date.
Another question: If anybody knows or would like to share an openion, is the COVID situation slowing down EP approvals even for those who are already working in Singapore on EP and just looking for job change / renewal?
A bit information here about my application:
Pass: EP
Date Applied: 18th March 2020
Status: Pending (as of 30 March)
I've been working in Singapore for the last 4 years (have 1 EP renewal in the past)
I'm changing my job
Salary : 7K
Experience: 6 years
Company background: A very popular social media app worldwide
If anyone has any comments, please do let me know as it's been a while now and I've started getting a little anxious here.
I totally understand your predicament, and have the same questions. I'm also doing a change of EP for a new job and my HR called me to tell me that some of their candidates got their EP app rejected in the last two weeks, and it's making me so anxious

Just want to know what are your guys’ opinion on my case.
I returned from China on 31st of Jan.
Currently working in Singapore for 2.5 years.
My new company applied a new EP for me but got rejected in the first place, even we already upload the travel history declaration.
The agent contacted MOM and tried to appeal.
MoM only asked for my education certificate and allow to appeal. Agent already submitted the appeal.
Not sure whether the appeal can be approved or not. As I already been back to Singapore and haven’t travelled out since 31st of Jan.
Yearly salary: 100k+
Experience: 4 years
Thanks in advance
I am in the same situation. My new company submitted EP application in 2nd week of Feb but it got rejected after 24 days of submission. Rejection was due to the salary range issue with the job advert. Company has appealed last week after posting the job advert again for 14 days. Current status is Rejected and do not know if it will be approved or not by looking at the current situation of virus.
My EP just got approved today!

I checked the status at 6.30am last this morning and it was still pending. At 12pm today when I checked, it's approved.
Date of application: 18th March 2020
Date of approval: 30th March 2020
Approval time: Morning
Status went from pending to approved, no other states.
P.S: I've been on Singapore EP for 4 years now and I am changing my job.
Vj1307 wrote:Hey Hi,
My application got rejected last evening. I checked with the Employer and they had mentioned that the educational credentials was the reason.
They did inform me that they would check further with the MoM and let me know on the supporting documents required.
I am suspecting my PGDBA, which wasn't listed as approved college / university in the SAT list.
Looking forward for some update from the employer so that the EP is reapplied. Am confident that it would be through. But nervous....
Hi,
I have also used one of My Degree based on distance education with PGDBA from Alagappa University and another Master Degree Full Time
My EP Application is also Pending
What is your status now, did your Employer applied again, did MOM consider B. E alone for your EP because many of then have only Single Degree, did you got your EP Approved?
I read one old Post as shown above stating that distance education is not recognised by MOM PGDBA and have chance to rejection of EP
Is MOM will not consider other degree provided for EP Application
Also Mr. Vj1307 said re Application foes need to increase the Number of degree or higher level of degree, it seems kind of strange requirements, does anybody heard similar like this
What is the solution for such case?
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