Tips* To Help Boost Your PR Application

I AM officially a permanent resident of Singapore. *Applause* Thank God!

I just completed my formalities a few days ago and I am now an adopted daughter of this nation. I can still remember when I was a newcomer in 2007. The SG government back then were encouraging foreigners from selected schools to sign up for the EPEC (Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate) which allows them to stay for a year as a legitimate job seeker. I wrote a post about that a few years ago too. I took a leap of faith and grabbed the opportunity to be independent and obtain an international experience. I never planned to stay this long but God has blessed me with good jobs, great opportunities and loving people that made my stay so much more fun and life-changing.

So Young: Nips, Jo and I at Sentosa. No work yet but still smiling!

First housemates. Thank you so much for your kindness to me. I miss you three!

At the risk of sounding pedantic, I came out with some pieces of advice for people and friends who are planning to apply (or re-apply) for permanent residency. I do not really have the right answers, but after three applications, two rejection letters and five years of waiting, I have gained a tiny bit of knowledge on what can strengthen one's application.

1. Fill up the forms with complete details. Do not omit anything - the addresses of all the places you resided in, the jobs you've had, etc. In my first application, I didn't include one of the previous jobs I had because I was only there for a few months, without realizing that the system has a record of every single (tax) activity I undertook.

2. Sell yourself in the accomplishment section. If possible, monetize your achievements. State your contribution to your companies in dollars and cents. Have you helped increase their revenue/profit? Have you developed a new process that's revolutionary? Then state it literally.

3. Integrate with the community. Volunteer in different charities and organizations or be involved in clubs and associations relevant to your profession. If you want to be here for the long haul, then don't just be here for the money or comfort. The government is looking for the right people who can contribute to the nation-building. Do not milk the system but make a difference.

4. In relation to tip # 3 - be truthful and sincere. State only the things that you have done or are doing. Do not do things just for show. People will know eventually.

5. Make sure you're in the right job. Part of the requirement is to submit your resume, degree/diploma and transcript of records. Is your current job related to what you studied in college? If not, then take courses or move to another job that is more relevant.

6. Prove your significant contribution in terms of taxes and job stability. If you are planning to apply for PR, do not job hop. Show them that you are doing fine in your current job and have been consistently paying your taxes.

7. Be in good terms with your colleagues, especially people from the HR department. Do not antagonize anybody from HR. I know someone who applied for PR after a quarrel with his HR manager. His rejection letter read, "We regret to..... because of conduct."

8. Do not give up. If you get rejected once, twice, or several times, press on! The immigration officers may finally come to a realization that you are genuinely determined to be a part of this country and that you are diligent and brave enough to take chances.

9. Change. If you have been rejected and want to apply a second time, you have to show a change/improvement in your application. It could be a higher tax contribution, salary increase, courses taken, and the like. You don't just re-submit what you have submitted previously.

10. Wait. Sometimes right timing is key to acceptance.

If you've done all these and still got the same results, then maybe it's time to re-think your long-term plans. Your skills and talents may be so much more needed elsewhere. This can also mean that perhaps the status quo is what's best for you right now. There is a time for everything and you'll get it at the perfect moment. =)



*not foolproof

Singapore dream

I really don't remember how I've suddenly gained this desire. I was working as a Corporate Communications Officer in a local insurance firm in Makati and was slowly building up my portfolio as an employee just fresh out of college. But 'slowly' means turtle speed. Because I'm a newbie, I was never assigned challenging work even after a year of working. I've tried studying again to be able to input more creative ideas, but the company culture does not allow independent decision-making from um, well...a mere clerk. A 5%- annual increase (I can feel your shocked expressions) did not motivate me at all and promotion never happens unless the person your senior gets to be promoted first. So it wasn't surprising when I saw staff after staff resigning.

One of my best buddies who's also my lunchmate confided to me that he got a job offer as an IT analyst in Singapore. He was being recruited by a Filipino agent and they were offering a salary triple (or more) than what he was currently getting. Being an IT whiz and a fast worker, he would surely be a valuable gem the company is bound to lose. But as the character of Piscine in the book, Life of Pi by Yann Martel puts it, "People move in the hope of a better life." And so my lunch mate and my only advocate in the office left and took the too-good-to pass chance to work in Singapore.

I missed him but the thought of working abroad was too far-fetched for me back then. Few months later, I met Ivy, who was my classmate in graduate school in De La Salle. We were both taking up Master in Marketing Communications and she shared with me her plan to go to Singapore. Right then, I was wondering why everyone was going to that country. But Ivy told me the advantages:

1. It is very easy to enter Singapore. No visa is required.
2. SG is one of the safest countries to live in.
3. It harbours a multi-cultural environment so you won't feel marginalized or left out.
4. A lot of MNCs (multi-national corporations) had set up their headquarters in Singapore.
5. The economy of Singapore relies heavily on international talents. It will collapse if it does not open its doors to foreign workers; thus, it has very lenient regulations on hiring foreigners. In fact, the government encourages hiring them.
6. And last but definitely not to dismiss, one sgd is worth 33php!

As I look at the projects I've done with the insurance company, I did not feel that proud at all. I felt that I could do more and learn more. Suddenly there's a yearning to expand my area of responsibility and take on a more challenging role... So I thought about it long and hard. I prayed and asked for signs. Although my credentials and transcripts of records were quite impressive (I think), I felt that the chances of me getting a job (taking into consideration that I do not possess an IT experience) through an agent while still in the Philippines was slim. Fortunately there's EPEC (Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate). If you were granted an EPEC by MOM (Ministry of Manpower), you will acquire a one-year social visit pass that allows you to stay for 12 months or more in Singapore which will then give you ample time to look for employment. More information can be viewed here: https://epec.mom.gov.sg/epec/index.do.

So I took the shot. I was asked to give details about my academic credentials and which school I came from. Then I was asked to provide soft copies of relevant documents, such as passport details, resume, and diploma. After 5 days, I was informed via email that my application has been approved and they will send the certificate to my mailing address within 2 weeks. However, because of carelessness, I wrote in an incomplete mailing address so I wasn't able to receive the certificate even after 4 weeks of waiting. Because I was too excited to go for I already received calls from prospective employers, I tried applying again. EPEC is only issued once, but I tried to work around the system. I tried calling the MOM officers for some help, but they said they could not re-issue the certificate. I applied for EPEC once again but this time under a different email address and it worked! My EPEC certificate came into my mailbox just a week after my application got approved.

I have a lot of friends and officemates whose EPEC applications were not successful, but because MOM will not disclose their rationale for not approving, I can only guess:
1. Incomplete documents or information
2. Undergraduate course is not relevant to recent job experience
3. Underage or below 20 years old
4. Multiple applications
5. MOM's quota has been reached.

For those of you whose EPEC application has been rejected, do not be discouraged. You can still go to Singapore and try your luck maximising the 30-day visit pass for tourists. But before doing that, make sure you have contacted or sent resumes to hundreds of hiring companies. Look into all the job portals and inform them of your date of arrival in Singapore.

I would not end this entry by saying that after getting my EPEC approved and finding a job after 3 weeks of searching, everything went well with me, because it did not. Well, thank God I do not have horrifying stories to tell and it has been so much better now since I started less than a year ago, but I will never regret going through all those struggles that I will narrate in my upcoming entries. Working in Singapore is truly challenging, stressful, fun, and full of epiphanies and learning experiences.