# All Those Big Questions About Relocating To Singapore



## itsross (May 31, 2010)

All Those Big Questions About Relocating To Singapore


Hi everyone,

First, a brief introduction of myself: I'm a 28 year old looking to relocate from California to Singapore. I have a Bachelor's degree from a respected American university that has given me the opportunity to work for a well known international company for the last 4 years. I work in information systems and business analysis, and have done well in my (admittedly short) career thus far.

As good as things may be here, I've traveled to Singapore a number of times (only social visits - never for work) and decided that I would like to see what it is like to live and work abroad. My current employer doesn't know that I am looking elsewhere, and I currently do not have any offers from Singaporean businesses. Unfortunately, being transferred to Singapore within my company is not an option at this time. I'm still in the early parts of planning this out, but I have done some research through Google and the various Singapore expat forums/sites/blogs. 

Though I have more questions than is practical to post, I will ask a few of the more pressing ones:

1. Work permits/employment passes. I've seen the Ministry of Manpower website and know that if this all goes through I will get a sort of P Pass but I'm not sure which one or when to apply for it. Should I apply for jobs without having been issued a pass and then apply for the pass, or should I apply for the pass first and once its issued to me, start applying for jobs? If I convert my current (American) salary, I'm eligible for the P1 Pass. Is this what I should apply for, or will my salary be lowered and should I look at the P2 Pass? 

On a related note: What is the job market like in Singapore? I see several jobs online, but its hard to get a sense of how competitive it is out there. Does anyone have any insight on this?

2. For those of you have relocated to Singapore, how long did the whole process take you? 1 month? 6 months? 1 year and no luck at all? Somewhere in between? I'm set on doing this, so I don't mind putting in a lot of work to make this happen (on lunch breaks, after work, on the weekends, etc...). What did you learn from the experience that you think would be beneficial to know?

3. Finding friends and dating. Judging by the amount of forums and groups I've seen online, it seems to be *fairly* easy to meet other expats, especially ones from your own country (at least by meeting through the Internet anyway). What about making friends with and/or dating locals? Typically not a problem? Is this viewed as weird? Do you face any discrimination in your daily life?

Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for your all of your help!

Much appreciation,

Ross


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## JWilliamson (May 31, 2010)

you dont like California? Im living in Singapore and ill trade with you.


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## desian (Jun 3, 2010)

Oh I have similiar questions regarding the work permits. I'm in Canada and do not have a job lined up. I'm probably going to relocate and then look for a job while I'm there, but what visa do I need to attain before I leave Canada?


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## JWilliamson (May 31, 2010)

*Relocating*



desian said:


> Oh I have similiar questions regarding the work permits. I'm in Canada and do not have a job lined up. I'm probably going to relocate and then look for a job while I'm there, but what visa do I need to attain before I leave Canada?


What i have been told and heard over and over is that it is best finding a job first then relocate.


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## TechnoWriter (Apr 20, 2010)

hi itsross, desian, i think both of you can attempt to get the PEP & the EPEC from 

https://app.pep.mom.gov.sg/
https://epec.mom.gov.sg/

It will be the more secured route.

However,since both of you are from OECD countries, staying in Singapore and looking for a job wont be that tough actually.
Besides the various jobs websites, coming to singapore also means networking on the ground and finding something more suitable. 

Itsross, you should go for the P1 pass since its passed on your current salary.


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Time taken.
Give yourself up to 3 months. It should suffice.

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Friends all around the world.
SIngapore is one of the most open society. 
You wont have problem meeting friends or dating locals
most of here have friends fromm all parts of the world. English, US, AU, Russian, JPN, TW, 
its quite common. 
From i i hear, it can be tougher for an expat gal actually, since they may not like local guys and the expat guys finds local gals more amiable, (well this is not verified, but written on the papers)

drop me a line at eBizIntel | Professional Web Development for your business if you need more help 

Best


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## smartpost (Jun 25, 2010)

It's better you can a job first before coming over. Some others are being send by company to singapore.


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