My work holiday pass status is still "pending" for a month

I applied for my Work holiday pass on March 3rd 2023 and it has been one month since then, but the status is still "pending". I understand that the work holiday visa can take more than 3 weeks but I am a little nervous that the status has not changed for a month.

When I got the e-mail after approving the Work holiday pass saying "We've received your application", I was not able to open the link (Application Status Check via Employment Pass Online (Non-login) that was in the e-mail. I do not know if this is relating to the delay, but I guess there is some sort of problem.


I tried calling the MOM many times, but I wasn't able to confirm the application status because I did not have the FIN number, which I should be able to receive from the IPA after getting the permission from the MOM.


・How should I contact MOM?? Are there any ways to contact them without having a FIN number?

・Should I just wait until the status changes or should I apply to the work holiday pass from the beginning again??


If you know anything, your help would be appreciated!!!

The WHP is a rare niche and we here have little knowledge or experience about it.

That said, IF it is processed in a similar way as normal work visa, then you should not start worrying before two months are over. In any case, there is nothing you can do to speed things up, so be patient!

For normal work visa, MoM does not entertain inquiries by the job seeker - only the employer will get answers. For the WHP, there is no employer - but maybe due to the "usual" process their mindset is to not tell you anything. Try sending them emails instead!

@Mad Dy30633


Hey, I have the same problem. I applied for a WHP on 10.3.23 and didn´t get any approval. And for your status check, try to google MOM status and there should be a website which asks your birthday and pass number. The link in the mail does not work...

Hi

My spass appeal was submitted on 16th march 2023 till yesterday it showed Invalid almost after 10l9 days nearly 3 weeks today it changed to pending(your application is being processed). So it means will i get approval or need to wait some time no other option

@Ezaan hang in there, approved or not, you will know shortly. The status change just implies it is being reviewed.

It has been over 5 weeks for me. I applied for it since March 3rd and I emailed them but no response. It only show Pending, in progress. Today I checked the status again and it shows No record found. I am very worried, what can I do?

@someone15


heyy,,


i just checked my status and there is no record found as well.. that's kind of strange. I suppose there is a problem with the system.


Another question: Did anyone get their approval by now? And has anyone called MoM for this issue?


My application has been pending for over a month and I haven´t received any response either. Even called them three times but there is still nothing...

@someone15 Your employer should contact MoM to figure out what is wrong!

Edited to add: I just realized that this thread is about the Work Holiday Visa (WHV) - it had just been hi-jacked by a normal work pass applicant. In the WHV case, there is no employer and you should contact MoM yourself.

@beppi


hijacked? How is this possible? So someone took our application?

But two of us cannot access the data hence is there no possibility that there is something wrong with the system?

@UnknownUser


I just checked on my application the day before yesterday and it showed pending.. 

hijacked? How is this possible? So someone took our application?

Meaning: The user Ezaan posted an off-topic message (about a non-WHV work pass) on this thread. It has nothing to do with your application!


But two of us cannot access the data hence is there no possibility that there is something wrong with the system?



Definitely, so you should contact MoM!

@beppi

hello,


I called MoM and the officer told me that there is probably an error in the system and she told me that she will contact her superior so the case will be expedited.


So guys try to call MoM if there are any problems, hopefully, I will get my IPA on short notice.

Hello! May I ask how your processes are going now? I have a similar problem and it shows "Record not found" when I want to access my application status. I already contacted MoM, but did not get a response. Do you think I should apply once again? Thank you for your feedback!

@UnknownUser Hello - do you still have that problem? I have the same issue now and do not get feedback from MoM... did it go well for you? Thank you so much for your feedback.

@Marleneee Your employer shouldcontact MoM -they do not nornally reply to job seekers!

Hello,


I'm in the same situation, I have been waiting for a bit more than 3 weeks for the Whp and when I check my Application status it also says record not found. Has any of you received your approval letter in the end?

@Peace2all

Mine is Epass

Applied: April 18

Pending: May 06

@leanniesantos This is a thread about the Work Holiday Pass (WHP), not EP!

Hello,


Same situation here. I've applied for the WHP a month ago now and I'm still unable to check the status of my pass via the link sent through the confirmation email received when I first applied. Any advice from someone who has faced the same issue?

You can go to work pass application status then enter your date of birth followed by your passport number (travel document number). Good luck


Note: The Work Holiday Programme has a capacity of 2,000 applicants at any one time.


It can take more than 3 weeks to get approval if you meet eligibility criteria and within the capacity.

@surya2k I've tried doing that but I always receive the same error message: "No record found. Records older than 6 months are not shown."

It could be due to either the system is not updated your application which is very unlikely or got some issue. You can reach out MoM for this. Let's see what they say.

Hi guys, I applied for WHP on 4 April and received the outcome on 16 May. I sent an enquiry on April 28 since it had been over three weeks already, and they asked for additional documents the next day. I sent some follow-ups two weeks later.


Hope it helps anybody who's still waiting for the outcome. Recommended to send enquiries through Mom website so your application can get their attention.

Hey guys for all those here waiting for approval, after long discussion with the MoM I've been told they had a glitch in the system and all the WHP are delayed, the only thing you can do if you need to go to SG fast is to enter on a visa exemption or tourist visa and wait for the WHP as it will suprassede the VE or TV.

This info comes directly from the MoM managers themselves so I hope it helps.

@Mad Dy30633 Hi, has anyone  received any outcome from MOM yet regarding the pass application? Currently facing the same situation.. waiting for outcome but it has been more than three weeks already

Many forum members mentioned that the average time somehow 3 weeks to a month. Understand your anxiety to get the results but sometimes due to larger applications volume MoM may take longer than usual time.


Wishing everyone good luck.

Hello, I am facing the same issue. It's been almost 5 weeks and I still don't have any news regarding the visa. Have you finally received it ? Thank you

@e22clemence same

@balabala__ can you send the link to the online inquiry website? I filed an enquire but not sure if it's successful

@balabala__ thx! Could you send the link ton online inquiry? I think I filed but don't know if it's successful. No confirmation email or success page

I applied July 9th, was able to check status in the last week of July, showing "Pending", but today (August 1) I checked and it shows "no record found again". Could someone tell why this is the case? Tried to enquire online but don't know if it's successful (do you receive a confirmation email or something?) Could someone put here the online inquiry webpage link? Thanks so much!

On a tight decision timeline.

@Leilani85 I'm in the same boat as you except the status of my application still shows "Pending - your application is being processed."


I applied on the 8th of July and have been waiting for an update since. I have sent the Ministry of Manpower two emails asking for an update of any kind to no avail. Here is their email if you would like to contact them: mom_wpd@mom.gov.sg


I also tried calling them but could not reach an operator as I do not have a FIN Number (this I read you receive after being emailed an IPA letter). The online enquiry page was something I also tried, and similar to you, I have no idea if the MoM has seen it (or if it has even gone through!)


I am also on a tight decision timeline so I only hope you and I receive some closure sooner than later.

@StressedStudent Hi! Could you please share if you got the WHP pass in the end and how long it took to receive it?

@Leilani85 Hello! Hope that you got the WHP pass in the end. How long did it take to receive it in the end?