# What should be monthly income to live in Singapore with family?



## misecmisc

hi all,

i am from india. i am a SAP consultant with 9.5 years experience.

i am married and have a daughter. my wife is a house-wife.

today i got a call regarding a job opening in Singapore. the recruiter offered me the below offer:
a. Salary ( S$6000) + 1 month bonus
b. 12 days Annual Leave
c. 6 days Medical Leave
d. Medical Insurance and Outpatient claims as per company policy
e. Termination – You must complete 1 year assignment. This is the professional commitment client wants before hiring foreigner.
f. Notice- 2 months
g. Relocation – on your own.

So the monthly salary is 6000SGD.

Can somebody let me know rent of a 1BHK apartment in singapore(SGP)? i do not know location where i will be working, so i have no idea of where to search room. i do not want any sharing in apartment, as i will keep my family with me.

So what do you all think - my objective to go outside India for work is only because of saving money - which i think is not going to happen in the above job offer - i am a middle class person and do not live a very luxurious life in India - but i will call my family there in SGP, so i will need 1BHK apartment for rent in SGP - this is one area i cannot compromise.

so what do you think about the above offer? also regarding medical insurance and outpatient claims nothing clearly is mentioned above - so what clarifications should i ask for medical insurance from the recruiter?

should i reject this job offer or accept it? please suggest.

your inputs are highly appreciated and also quickly needed. thanks in advance.


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## misecmisc

any replies, please. thanks in advance.


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## simonsays

if you read here you may find most answers ... such as there is no 1bhk (I assume you meant 1 bedroom) .. as start 2 bed apartments @2500 or so

do some research here on past posts and throw specific questions .. please .. 

how old is your child? that can cost more for schooling

6 k to save? not worth unless you live frugally


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## misecmisc

hi,

my daughter is 2 years old.

if you see the first post above, in the offer email, there is below thing written:
e. Termination – You must complete 1 year assignment. This is the professional commitment client wants before hiring foreigner.

what do you understand from the above clause? i am very confused at what the above clause means - does it mean that if after 4 months, due to some reasons, i might not wish to continue the job, so will i become a bonded labour in singapore for 1 year and only after that will i be able to move back to india from singapore?

moreover, the visa which the recruiter company will process for me - will it have multiple entry/exit option or will it be like the first time when i move out of singapore, the visa will become invalid - should i get this thing clarified from recruiter?

what is the average current monthly salary of a 9.5 year experience SAP consultant or SAP architect in singapore? any ideas, please.

please suggest. thanks in advance.


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## BBCWatcher

The "you must complete" clause is unenforceable except as it relates to incentive bonuses and other forms of compensation that may be stipulated in the contract. For example, you wouldn't be entitled to receive your typical/customary 13th month bonus if you terminate your employment prematurely.

I've seen plenty of clauses in employment agreements that are legally unenforceable and consequently irrelevant.

What it does mean is that the employer wants you to make a good faith, professional commitment to a minimum of one year. If you're going into this employment with the intention to "jump ship" within one year, that's not acting in good faith. True, the employer probably cannot do much to prevent that, but when signing you're asserting that you will make a good faith effort (and have a good faith intention) to provide a minimum of one year of service. If your mother unexpectedly falls gravely ill and you must return to India to help her, that'd be OK.

As part of your Work Pass or Employment Pass you'll apply for a multi-entry visa. That's just a standard part of obtaining a pass with MoM, so I wouldn't worry about it. Same thing for your dependents on DPs. When you're at MoM getting your passes just ask the clerk if those passes are multi-entry if you're concerned.

Nowadays MoM will register your passport particulars with ICA so that you can use the automated entry/exit gates at Changi Airport and at the border crossings with Malaysia. That's handy.


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## misecmisc

BBCWatcher said:


> The "you must complete" clause is unenforceable except as it relates to incentive bonuses and other forms of compensation that may be stipulated in the contract. For example, you wouldn't be entitled to receive your typical/customary 13th month bonus if you terminate your employment prematurely.
> 
> I've seen plenty of clauses in employment agreements that are legally unenforceable and consequently irrelevant.
> 
> What it does mean is that the employer wants you to make a good faith, professional commitment to a minimum of one year. If you're going into this employment with the intention to "jump ship" within one year, that's not acting in good faith. True, the employer probably cannot do much to prevent that, but when signing you're asserting that you will make a good faith effort (and have a good faith intention) to provide a minimum of one year of service. If your mother unexpectedly falls gravely ill and you must return to India to help her, that'd be OK.
> 
> As part of your Work Pass or Employment Pass you'll apply for a multi-entry visa. That's just a standard part of obtaining a pass with MoM, so I wouldn't worry about it. Same thing for your dependents on DPs. When you're at MoM getting your passes just ask the clerk if those passes are multi-entry if you're concerned.
> 
> Nowadays MoM will register your passport particulars with ICA so that you can use the automated entry/exit gates at Changi Airport and at the border crossings with Malaysia. That's handy.



thanks for your reply BBCWatcher.

actually my concern was that suppose after 4 months, god forbid, if suppose my parents become very ill and for that reason i have to come back to India and then on coming back to india, i found that i will need to stay for say at least 2 months in india for taking care of my parents and obviously the client company and the recruiter company will not allow me 2 months leave, so in this case I will have to end the contract - So this lead me to ask the question that if I need to end the contract within 1 year, will it be possible, or will i become a bonded labour in singapore for 1 year and only after 1 year, i can come back from singapore to india?

Basically the above thing lead to the question of multiple entry/exit - because if my visa does not have multiple entry/exit, then i will not be able to come back to india before 1 year - and since my parents are in old age, so i cannot commit to stay for 1 year in singapore, without coming back to india to see my parents for 1 year - So, the question is does all visa in singapore automatically have multiple entry/exit or this option i will have to clearly say to my recruiter to have in my visa, so that my visa has multiple entry/exit option? also, what does MoM stand for in your above reply? 

My visa shall be processed by the recruiter company - so whether multiple entry/exit will be there in visa or not - i do not know. also i dont think the recruiter company will process the dependent visas of my family.

please suggest. thanks in advance.


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## misecmisc

hi all,

what is the current monthly salary of a 9.5 year experience SAP consultant or SAP architect in singapore? any ideas, please.

i feel 6000SGD is a less monthly salary for a 9.5 year experience SAP consultant - what are your views on the offer email, which i have got from the recruiter, which i posted in the first post above? please suggest. thanks in advance.


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## misecmisc

hi all,

also one thing i remember in the telephonic call - the recruiter said that the tax will be beared by employer - i am not sure whether i heard it correctly, but he said that the tax will be taken care by the recruiter company on whose payroll i will be.

any ideas on the above topic, please suggest. thanks in advance.


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## BBCWatcher

OK, you're not phrasing your questions very well here, so let me try to rephrase them and see if I'm answering your questions.

First of all, your work pass (or employment pass) is tied to a specific employer. Once your job is terminated for any reason -- by you, by your employer, or by mutual consent -- then you normally have 30 days to leave Singapore. If you find another sponsoring employer within that grace period, and if you're approved for another work pass or employment pass, then you can stay. (Or if your status changes somehow such that you have the right to stay, e.g. you apply for and are approved for PR status.)

But there is no slavery in Singapore, and there is no indentured servitude. You're free to leave your job (and thus Singapore) any time you wish. Slavery and indentured servitude are illegal in Singapore. Employers can withhold severance, bonuses, and other rewards if you terminate employment early. They can also in a few narrow cases try to recover funds, such as salary advances (if any). Those conditions much be stipulated in the employment agreement and must also be consistent with Singapore employment law. But you are free to leave any time and free to keep the compensation you are contractually entitled to up to the point of your cessation of employment.

In that hypothetical example of a sick family relative, does the employer have any obligation to hold your job open? Unless there's something in your employment agreement that says otherwise, no. You have the right to leave Singapore, and your employer has the right to terminate your employment and, absent some other employer picking you up, also terminate your stay in Singapore.

Your work pass or employment pass should come with a multi-entry visa. If you're at all concerned about that, just ask the clerk at MoM when you get your pass. As far as I know all the passes are now routinely issued with multi-entry visas by default (and charged accordingly). I don't think employers decide that question. If you want to clarify that issue in your employment agreement, just make sure it says somewhere "employer will pay the government fees for work/employment passes and dependent passes including multi-entry visas" or something like that. Or even if it's not in the main agreement an e-mail from the employer stating that is sufficient. (Singapore gives legal weight to electronic records.)

Having a multi-entry visa is independent of whether you have a job. As mentioned, you have the right to leave Singapore at any time. Your pass (and thus your multi-entry visa) is tied to that employer. If your employer drops you, you're done (after 30 days). Your pass is cancelled, your multi-entry visa that goes with your pass is cancelled, and that's that. But with a multi-entry visa you're (also) perfectly free to get on a bus to Malaysia on a Sunday and shop in Johor Bahru, for example, then report back to work on Monday. (Or whenever your work schedule allows.)

Your employer may take care of tax _preparation_. Unless stated in your employment contract with a phrase such as "employer will pay additional compensation to account for tax such that take-home pay will be equal to the figures listed" you will be responsible for paying taxes. In other words, you have to clarify whether that S$6K is after-tax take-home pay or not. Usually not.

Make sense?


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## misecmisc

@BBCWatcher: Thanks for your detailed reply. Makes sense to me.

well, i have told the recruiter that i will get back to him.

so based on the above offer, what things will you suggest that i ask the recruiter? - one thing that comes in my mind is the initial accomodation for 14 days - do companies in singapore provide accomodation for the first time coming foreigners, so that they find their own accomodation within that duration? the mode in which i have got the offer is - a recruiter from a recruitment agency called me and told me that i will be on payroll of that recruitment agency and i will be working at a client company on contract mode.

so does recruitment agency provides initial accomodation - or at least they can ask the client company to arrange for the initial accomodation - what do you think?

please suggest. thanks in advance.


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## BBCWatcher

It depends on the employment agreement you negotiate whether you receive housing or a housing allowance and in what quality/amount. Relocation expenses also depend on your contract and could range from zero to exceedingly generous. There are very few minimum contractual requirements in Singapore labor law, especially for foreign workers, though sometimes employers are obliged to pay travel expenses for repatriation. (It depends on the type of pass issued. Even so, that's something that should be in the employment agreement.)


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## misecmisc

BBCWatcher said:


> It depends on the employment agreement you negotiate whether you receive housing or a housing allowance and in what quality/amount. Relocation expenses also depend on your contract and could range from zero to exceedingly generous. There are very few minimum contractual requirements in Singapore labor law, especially for foreign workers, though sometimes employers are obliged to pay travel expenses for repatriation. (It depends on the type of pass issued. Even so, that's something that should be in the employment agreement.)


Thanks @BBCWatcher. Seems like my offer is having nothing for me. 

if you are interested in knowing the conversation which i had with the recruiter here it is - 2 days back when i got the telephonic call from the recruiter, then the conversation started like this after asking about my work experience - he asked me my current annual ctc - i told 1.3million INR indian rupees, i said i had already resigned my current organisation as i have got an offer of annual 1.8million INR indian rupees and my last working date in my current organization will be in aug-end. so he asked me my expected salary in singapore? i said i have no idea about the living cost or salary structure in singapore - then he said here in singapore, based on the experience level, visa is processed and it accordingly accounts for a minimum salary to be given to employee, so it is not like in India - so based on your 9.5 years experience, we can offer you 6K SGD monthly salary, which will be around 0.24million INR monthly salary - then i said but there will be house rent cost also there - then he said you can get a shared accomodation for 600SGD monthly - then i said i will not be living in a shared accomodation, rather i will take a flat for 1BHK or 2BHK as my family will be living with me, so i asked him how much will 1BHK rent cost - then he said he is not a property consultant, but his guess is that something around 1300SGD i can get a 1BHK flat. then i said to him to send the offer details in an email to me, so that i can look at it and then i will get back to him.

So they are not providing me housing and neither house rent allowance, in offer they have written relocation - on your own, so relocation expense also they are not providing, for medical insurance it is written as per company policy - so what will be covered in medical insurance is the first question and whether my dependents will be covered is the next question. so seems like only monthly salary i am getting.

What is the current monthly salary of a 9.5year experience SAP consultant or SAP architect in singapore? any ideas, please suggest. thanks in advance.


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## misecmisc

hi all,

i want to get some approximate idea about the monthly salary of a 9.5yr exp SAP consultant - this shall help me to figure out till what amount should i ask for salary negotiation - as the only thing which i seem to be getting from the offer is monthly salary.

on seeing websites like payscale, it seems 6K SGD monthly is a good salary, but i think it is good for a local who does not need to pay house rent. But for a foreign national, i think in 6K we will not be able to save much.

pls suggest as to how should i proceed with the negotiation - or what should i discuss with the recruiter if the recruiter insists that monthly salary part he cannot increase much, then should i ask for house rent allowance as a separate component from the monthly salary?

does in the salary structure of singapore - there is basic pay, house rent allowance, conveyance allowance all these components?

any ideas, please suggest. thanks in advance.


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## BBCWatcher

I have no idea what the current monthly salary is for that sort of individual. You can check other sources for that information, but keep in mind it will only be an average (or statistical sample). Compensation can vary tremendously. There are excellent 9.5 year SAP consultants and there are terrible ones, and (eventually) each type tends to be compensated accordingly.

We see a lot of "tell me what I'm worth" questions in this forum. There is no good answer to that. You're worth what the market says you're worth. Singapore is not India where you pick 3 parameters, look in a table, and get a salary result. And it's very frustrating getting questions like that because the labor market isn't nearly as much of a "body shop" culture. (It is a _little_, but not like India.)

The extent of your medical insurance coverage entirely depends on the particulars of the policy offered. Unlike the U.S. or much of Europe (with its public systems) there really isn't standardization of medical insurance coverage in Singapore, particularly for foreign workers. There's not even a requirement that employers must provide _any_ level of medical insurance coverage to employees on Employment Passes (EPs).

Upon cursory inspection I have not been able to find anything for SGD1300/month that isn't a (small) piece of a shared apartment. But since your recruiter seems convinced that SGD1300/month is possible, then your recruiter should have no problem adding a clause to your employment contract that requires your employer to pay any difference between SGD1300/month and the median monthly rental fee for a 50 square meter apartment in Singapore.


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## beppi

There are various salary surveys, mostly published by consultancies or headhunters, which might help you in figuring out what you should earn. Google "Singapore salary survey" to find them!
My feeling is that an SAP expert with almost 10 years applicable experience (AND a university degree in IT) should earn above S$8000/month - but the sad fact is that Indians usually get less (because there are too many of your countrymen desperate to get to Singapore at any cost).
There are no rooms for rent at S$600/month and no flats of any size for S$1300/month. You should budget at least S$2000/month, better S$2500, to get something half-decent.
At S$6000 per month you can have a bit of savings if you come with your wife, but none if you have kids as well.


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## misecmisc

for food, if i assume that i eat outside at an inexpensive restaurant, then 2 meals per day at 15SGD each, so 30SGD a day and 900SGD a month - so something around 1K SGD is sufficient for 1 person for food for 1 month on average - leaving going to high-class restaurants for food - is this food cost estimation approximately correct? if not, then please tell what is average cost for food for 1 month for 1 person? thanks in advance.


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## beppi

There are people who survive on S$600/month for food and groceries, but that requires hawker meals all the time, which are cheaper than cooking yourself. Your number is more realistic (and can even accommodate one or two good meals in better restaurants per month).


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## simonsays

a good Indian meal in Ananda Bavan costs 12$ plus and drink 2$ ...

a good chicken Bryani likewise cost 12$ plus drink 2$

I didn't mention north Indian meals as they can cost much more .... 

a meal in localized version of Indian food cost 4 to 5 $

or similar local food is around there

would you like the local Indian food? like nasi goreng, mee goreng, prata etc?

only you can answer

Indians from India, atleat a majority, are famously known to frown on local food and localized Indian food, preferring Home food or more authentic Indian restaurants and willing to the higher price

my reply?

if you aren't sure, take a short visit to Singapore so you know what its like ...than hearing from people who can happily go local for all 3 meals ...

back to your pay, an agent said with 9 years experience you should get 10,000 or lowest 8,000

and there are no rooms for 600 $ or whole units for 1,300 $

those days were like 10 year ago ...


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## bobbyalex

misecmisc said:


> @BBCWatcher: Thanks for your detailed reply. Makes sense to me.
> 
> well, i have told the recruiter that i will get back to him.
> 
> so based on the above offer, what things will you suggest that i ask the recruiter? - one thing that comes in my mind is the initial accomodation for 14 days - do companies in singapore provide accomodation for the first time coming foreigners, so that they find their own accomodation within that duration? the mode in which i have got the offer is - a recruiter from a recruitment agency called me and told me that i will be on payroll of that recruitment agency and i will be working at a client company on contract mode.
> 
> so does recruitment agency provides initial accomodation - or at least they can ask the client company to arrange for the initial accomodation - what do you think?
> 
> please suggest. thanks in advance.


There is no defined policy where employers HAVE to give accommodation for new employees but any half decent company will do it. But since you are on contract I am not too sure.

Couple of other points
You can barely sustain a family with 6000$ in Singapore currently. The rents are through the roof and everything is expensive. You wont be able to sustain the same standard of living you are used to in India here with that salary. Sure, public transport is great, the country is safe and clean but that's about it.

Plus, you are on contract so they can choose not to renew your contract after the term expires (happening quite a lot in the banking sector now)


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## simonsays

bobbyalex said:


> There is no defined policy where employers HAVE to give accommodation for new employees but any half decent company will do it. But since you are on contract I am not too sure.
> )


really? just to clarify .... 

my estimate says not even 25% of the employers offered accommodation unless you were on Expat terms and / or, valuable enough to be headhunted .. 15 years ago

now not even 1 in 10 offer Expat terms unless you are on top level

by law only Work permit holders must be provided accommodation ...


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## bobbyalex

ecureilx said:


> really? just to clarify ....
> 
> my estimate says not even 25% of the employers offered accommodation unless you were on Expat terms and / or, valuable enough to be headhunted .. 15 years ago
> 
> now not even 1 in 10 offer Expat terms unless you are on top level
> 
> by law only Work permit holders must be provided accommodation ...


I meant temporary accommodation, say for two weeks till the employee can find a place to stay. That was what the OP had asked.


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## simonsays

unless he is employed by a body shop, nobody gives even temporary accommodation now -.

body shops rent few condos to park people temporarily ...

initial stay has to be in hotel or friends place ...


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## bobbyalex

ecureilx said:


> unless he is employed by a body shop, nobody gives even temporary accommodation now -.
> 
> body shops rent few condos to park people temporarily ...
> 
> initial stay has to be in hotel or friends place ...


My company paid for my ticket and provided hotel accommodation for two weeks. I believe most multinational companies do this.


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## simonsays

bobbyalex said:


> My company paid for my ticket and provided hotel accommodation for two weeks. I believe most multinational companies do this.


good for you, you got a good employer, and you got a good deal

I been around here for a long time, and as i wrote most companies are giving up the idea of relocation allowance etc as there are enough candidates available locally nowadays....

and offers include what will be given .. asking extra nowadays equates to loss of interest in that candidate or KIV .... 

especially for a flooded IT market ... employers can be very picky nowadays ... and do get choosy --


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## misecmisc

ecureilx said:


> good for you, you got a good employer, and you got a good deal
> 
> I been around here for a long time, and as i wrote most companies are giving up the idea of relocation allowance etc as there are enough candidates available locally nowadays....
> 
> and offers include what will be given .. asking extra nowadays equates to loss of interest in that candidate or KIV ....
> 
> especially for a flooded IT market ... employers can be very picky nowadays ... and do get choosy --


yup, this is what happened with me - i replied to recruiter saying if he can increase monthly salary, then i can reconsider the offer and also i need 14 days initial accommodation to search my accommodation - i did not got any email in reply to my this email - so it seems that my this offer is gone as of now.


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## bobbyalex

ecureilx said:


> good for you, you got a good employer, and you got a good deal
> 
> I been around here for a long time, and as i wrote most companies are giving up the idea of relocation allowance etc as there are enough candidates available locally nowadays....
> 
> and offers include what will be given .. asking extra nowadays equates to loss of interest in that candidate or KIV ....
> 
> especially for a flooded IT market ... employers can be very picky nowadays ... and do get choosy --


Actually I don't agree. There might be lot of developers available in Singapore but most are good only for the banking domain where they dont need to engineer complete systems. I have been interviewing candidates for my team for the past 6 months and I couldnt even find one person who could write decent code. We took a decision to hire only locally. 18 interviews. No luck so far.

So I guess companies that want good talent dont mind going that extra mile.


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## simonsays

bobbyalex said:


> Actually I don't agree. There might be lot of developers available in Singapore but most are good only for the banking domain where they dont need to engineer complete systems. I have been interviewing candidates for my team for the past 6 months and I couldnt even find one person who could write decent code. We took a decision to hire only locally. 18 interviews. No luck so far.
> 
> So I guess companies that want good talent dont mind going that extra mile.


you are missing the point totally

did I say citizen candidates?

there are enough foreigners too willing to work for lower pay than before

especially Asean nationals .. and many qualified on dependant pass are happy to be Oracle DBA work for as low as 3,000 .. because the spouse is not full benefit Expat terms ...

anyway my domain may not be as yours so I have to bow to your experience ....
* 
misecmisc. * not gonna say I told you so ... but if you think a stint in Singapore can help, hang in there

maybe the agent needs to check with his principal ...

and sometimes things don't move so fast ....


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## misecmisc

ecureilx said:


> [/b]misecmisc. [/b] not gonna say I told you so ... but if you think a stint in Singapore can help, hang in there
> 
> maybe the agent needs to check with his principal ...
> 
> and sometimes things don't move so fast ....


what can i say - i had said to recuriter that i will get back to him - so i replied to him saying that i am interested but the monthly salary needs to be increased as currently it is less and initial 14 days accomodation i need to search my accomodation - the recruiter did not even replied back to me - at least, the recruiter could have replied back to me saying they have budget constraints, so they cannot give more than 6K SGD monthly salary - but the recruiter did not even replied back to me.

at least now i know about the living cost in singapore and what i should expect for my monthly salary - so if the next time any recruiter contacts me, in the initial telephonic call itself, i will clear out the things, so that if the recruiter offers me a job offer, then that job offer should be ok, otherwise in the initial telephonic call the offer will be cancelled.


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## bobbyalex

ecureilx said:


> you are missing the point totally
> 
> did I say citizen candidates?
> 
> there are enough foreigners too willing to work for lower pay than before
> 
> especially Asean nationals .. and many qualified on dependant pass are happy to be Oracle DBA work for as low as 3,000 .. because the spouse is not full benefit Expat terms ...
> 
> anyway my domain may not be as yours so I have to bow to your experience ....
> *
> misecmisc. * not gonna say I told you so ... but if you think a stint in Singapore can help, hang in there
> 
> maybe the agent needs to check with his principal ...
> 
> and sometimes things don't move so fast ....


DBA for 3k? Really? The only reason I think why people might want to work for that low is a) they are on DP and hence the salary is just extra money b) they are just mediocre at what they do.


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## bobbyalex

misecmisc said:


> what can i say - i had said to recuriter that i will get back to him - so i replied to him saying that i am interested but the monthly salary needs to be increased as currently it is less and initial 14 days accomodation i need to search my accomodation - the recruiter did not even replied back to me - at least, the recruiter could have replied back to me saying they have budget constraints, so they cannot give more than 6K SGD monthly salary - but the recruiter did not even replied back to me.
> 
> at least now i know about the living cost in singapore and what i should expect for my monthly salary - so if the next time any recruiter contacts me, in the initial telephonic call itself, i will clear out the things, so that if the recruiter offers me a job offer, then that job offer should be ok, otherwise in the initial telephonic call the offer will be cancelled.


You haven't mentioned what you are earning in India but by any standard 6k is not enough to sustain your family and send your kid to school. My opinion is this: if it's anything less than 8k, it's not worth your time.


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## simonsays

bobbyalex said:


> DBA for 3k? Really? The only reason I think why people might want to work for that low is a) they are on DP and hence the salary is just extra money b) they are just mediocre at what they do.


Not kidding, she knew her stuff and went more than the extra mile, when I made change requests, or production remeditation when we had issues

Plus she used to on a bi-monthly basis, update us on improving application performance .. 

On DP and maybe she didn't need that money, as they say ..


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## misecmisc

bobbyalex said:


> You haven't mentioned what you are earning in India but by any standard 6k is not enough to sustain your family and send your kid to school. My opinion is this: if it's anything less than 8k, it's not worth your time.


well, i have told in this thread itself, if you go to page 2, you will see it there in my posting - anyways, copy-pasting for you here - 

_if you are interested in knowing the conversation which i had with the recruiter here it is - 2 days back when i got the telephonic call from the recruiter, then the conversation started like this after asking about my work experience - he asked me my current annual ctc - i told 1.3million INR indian rupees, i said i had already resigned my current organisation as i have got an offer of annual 1.8million INR indian rupees and my last working date in my current organization will be in aug-end. so he asked me my expected salary in singapore? i said i have no idea about the living cost or salary structure in singapore - then he said here in singapore, based on the experience level, visa is processed and it accordingly accounts for a minimum salary to be given to employee, so it is not like in India - so based on your 9.5 years experience, we can offer you 6K SGD monthly salary, which will be around 0.24million INR monthly salary - then i said but there will be house rent cost also there - then he said you can get a shared accomodation for 600SGD monthly - then i said i will not be living in a shared accomodation, rather i will take a flat for 1BHK or 2BHK as my family will be living with me, so i asked him how much will 1BHK rent cost - then he said he is not a property consultant, but his guess is that something around 1300SGD i can get a 1BHK flat. then i said to him to send the offer details in an email to me, so that i can look at it and then i will get back to him.

So they are not providing me housing and neither house rent allowance, in offer they have written relocation - on your own, so relocation expense also they are not providing, for medical insurance it is written as per company policy - so what will be covered in medical insurance is the first question and whether my dependents will be covered is the next question. so seems like only monthly salary i am getting._


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## bobbyalex

misecmisc said:


> well, i have told in this thread itself, if you go to page 2, you will see it there in my posting - anyways, copy-pasting for you here -
> 
> _if you are interested in knowing the conversation which i had with the recruiter here it is - 2 days back when i got the telephonic call from the recruiter, then the conversation started like this after asking about my work experience - he asked me my current annual ctc - i told 1.3million INR indian rupees, i said i had already resigned my current organisation as i have got an offer of annual 1.8million INR indian rupees and my last working date in my current organization will be in aug-end. so he asked me my expected salary in singapore? i said i have no idea about the living cost or salary structure in singapore - then he said here in singapore, based on the experience level, visa is processed and it accordingly accounts for a minimum salary to be given to employee, so it is not like in India - so based on your 9.5 years experience, we can offer you 6K SGD monthly salary, which will be around 0.24million INR monthly salary - then i said but there will be house rent cost also there - then he said you can get a shared accomodation for 600SGD monthly - then i said i will not be living in a shared accomodation, rather i will take a flat for 1BHK or 2BHK as my family will be living with me, so i asked him how much will 1BHK rent cost - then he said he is not a property consultant, but his guess is that something around 1300SGD i can get a 1BHK flat. then i said to him to send the offer details in an email to me, so that i can look at it and then i will get back to him.
> 
> So they are not providing me housing and neither house rent allowance, in offer they have written relocation - on your own, so relocation expense also they are not providing, for medical insurance it is written as per company policy - so what will be covered in medical insurance is the first question and whether my dependents will be covered is the next question. so seems like only monthly salary i am getting._


Whoops! Missed that.


----------



## selvas14

Dear misecmisc,

If you dont mind can you please share your recruiters details, so that i will also reach them out for a job in Singapore. Im holding 10 years of experiance as IT Head and very badly looking to move there at the very earliest.

Thanks,
Sen.


----------



## simonsays

selvas14. since august employment of foreigners will be tough n Singapore

why is it you must move here? just wondering ...


----------



## misecmisc

ecureilx said:


> selvas14. since august employment of foreigners will be tough n Singapore


is something going to change from august, which will make employment of foreigners tough in Singapore? please suggest. thanks.


----------



## misecmisc

Olivia Ogilvy said:


> Ask the locals Singaporean, they are having tougher life and employment more than the foreigner!!


do you mean to say that local singaporean are having more tougher life and more difficulty in getting employment than foreigners? just paraphrased to get clarity on the above information.


----------



## simonsays

because foreigners have been willing to work for lower pay, driving locals out of jobs, including low level jobs from 7-11 to MacDonalds ... that's despite the low unemployment rates here, the call now is to lower the low unemployment .. which was not being helped with a very lax employment law for employing foreigners 

the fair choice framework will prioritise Singaporeans before opening up for foreigners


----------



## BBCWatcher

I think you're referring to Singapore's Fair Consideration Framework.

The Ministry of Manpower has always demanded that employers hire qualified Singaporeans first when they have vacancies. The FCF simply adds some formality to that demand.

I don't think it's really possible to reduce Singapore's already low unemployment rate very much. However, it is possible to generate more upward pressure on wage rates, and that would help more Singaporeans. Also, the government ought to change the HDB subsidy rules that currently cause many Singaporeans (and their employers) to perform unnatural acts to cap compensation to slide just under the HDB limits.


----------



## misecmisc

hi,

seems like i did a mistake in not accepting the previous offer of 6K SGD per month - as from aug you are saying that it will be more difficult to get a job in singapore - but since my main purpose of working in singapore would be to save money, and in the above offer, the saving would not have been there, so it is ok i sent the email in reply to the offer email stating that if they can increase the monthly salary, then i can reconsider their offer, but they did not replied back to me.

Do you people know if there is some type of visa, which we can apply for and then go to Singapore or Malaysia with that visa, search a job there and then change that search job visa to work permit visa? Or if any other type of visa is there, which we can apply for, which makes us eligible to come to singapore and then search and get a job in singapore? Any information regarding this thing, please. thanks.


----------



## beppi

There was such a visa for Singapore in the past, the EPEC, but it has been discontinued.
Your only option is a standard tourist visa (SVP). You are allowed to search for jobs and attend interviews with it, but it gives no advantage for work pass application.


----------



## misecmisc

beppi said:


> There was such a visa for Singapore in the past, the EPEC, but it has been discontinued.
> Your only option is a standard tourist visa (SVP). You are allowed to search for jobs and attend interviews with it, but it gives no advantage for work pass application.


but this shall not be helpful - even if on tourist visa, we can search job and suppose we get a job, then again we have to apply for work permit visa and until the visa comes we will not be able to work in singapore - am i thinking correctly?

moreover, any information about what is the cost of tourist visa for a single person and the cost of work permit visa for a single person? how long does it take to get a work permit visa, if suppose we are at tourist visa in singapore?

what about malaysia? same process as above as of singapore? please tell. thanks.


----------



## misecmisc

Domini said:


> Whatever reason you work in Singapore, make sure you make more money than you make back home and be able save a lot of it when you return home.
> 
> There's is no reason coming to Singapore for the sake of gaining working experience and life experience. That's my honest opinion. How's that?


i totally agree with it. the main reason i did not accept the monthly 6K SGD job offer and asked for increasing monthly salary in reply was that as per my calculations, i could only save that amount of money in Singapore, which is only a marginal increase over what i can try to save in India by changing the company - so it did not make sense to me to go to singapore for just a marginal increase in saving per month.


----------



## beppi

misecmisc said:


> even if on tourist visa, we can search job and suppose we get a job, then again we have to apply for work permit visa and until the visa comes we will not be able to work in singapore - am i thinking correctly?


This is correct, and standard in most countries.



misecmisc said:


> moreover, any information about what is the cost of tourist visa for a single person and the cost of work permit visa for a single person? how long does it take to get a work permit visa, if suppose we are at tourist visa in singapore?


Visitor visa on arrival (for 30 or 90 days) are issued for most nationalities free of charge. If you are from one of the few countries that do need a tourist visa (SVP) arranged beforehand, contact the nearest embassy for procedures and fees.
Work visa applications can take anywhere between a week and two months and fees are borne by the employing company, so you don't need to worry.


----------



## misecmisc

beppi said:


> Visitor visa on arrival (for 30 or 90 days) are issued for most nationalities free of charge. If you are from one of the few countries that do need a tourist visa (SVP) arranged beforehand, contact the nearest embassy for procedures and fees.
> Work visa applications can take anywhere between a week and two months and fees are borne by the employing company, so you don't need to worry.


any url for getting information about this visitor visa? i am from india. so where to check if an indian needs tourist visa SVP arranged beforehand?

you said - _Work visa applications can take anywhere between a week and two months_ - so even in a week also we can get work visa? maximum time is 2 months or it can be even 3 to 6 months?

so if getting work visa takes max 2 months, then we can try for a luck to see if we can get a job in singapore - what do you say?

one more question just came to my mind - if work visa cost is to be taken care by employer, so does it make any difference to the offer which they make to a candidate? for example, the recruiter offered me 6K SGD monthly salary, when currently i am in india, but if i move to singapore at tourist visa and meet the recruiter face-to-face, then what do you think can happen - will the recruiter offer me more salary like 7k, seeing that i am in singapore, or will he offer me even less salary like 5.5K, trying to take advantage of my situation that since i m in singapore, so anyways i need a job to sustain myself, so i will be ok to work on any salary which he offers me? - What do you think has the more chance or probability to happen? any suggestions, please. thanks.


----------



## beppi

misecmisc said:


> any url for getting information about this visitor visa? i am from india. so where to check if an indian needs tourist visa SVP arranged beforehand?


I am too lazy to google it for you! (Hint: Singapore's government websites are very informative and understandable.) 



misecmisc said:


> you said - _Work visa applications can take anywhere between a week and two months_ - so even in a week also we can get work visa? maximum time is 2 months or it can be even 3 to 6 months?


The time it takes depends mainly on your home authorities and schools/universities - the Singapore authorities check the authenticity of your documents with them, since there were too many fakes in the past.



misecmisc said:


> so if getting work visa takes max 2 months, then we can try for a luck to see if we can get a job in singapore - what do you say?


Yes, that is the preferred method. After you find a job, the employer will apply for your work pass (and depending on your visit visa validity, you may have to temporarily leave the country).



misecmisc said:


> one more question just came to my mind - if work visa cost is to be taken care by employer, so does it make any difference to the offer which they make to a candidate? for example, the recruiter offered me 6K SGD monthly salary, when currently i am in india, but if i move to singapore at tourist visa and meet the recruiter face-to-face, then what do you think can happen - will the recruiter offer me more salary like 7k, seeing that i am in singapore, or will he offer me even less salary like 5.5K, trying to take advantage of my situation that since i m in singapore, so anyways i need a job to sustain myself, so i will be ok to work on any salary which he offers me? - What do you think has the more chance or probability to happen? any suggestions, please. thanks.


Since I do not know the recruiter, his/her methods or personality, I cannot comment on this.


----------



## misecmisc

beppi said:


> Since I do not know the recruiter, his/her methods or personality, I cannot comment on this.



_one more question just came to my mind - if work visa cost is to be taken care by employer, so does it make any difference to the offer which they make to a candidate? for example, the recruiter offered me 6K SGD monthly salary, when currently i am in india, but if i move to singapore at tourist visa and meet the recruiter face-to-face, then what do you think can happen - will the recruiter offer me more salary like 7k, seeing that i am in singapore, or will he offer me even less salary like 5.5K, trying to take advantage of my situation that since i m in singapore, so anyways i need a job to sustain myself, so i will be ok to work on any salary which he offers me? - What do you think has the more chance or probability to happen? any suggestions, please. thanks._


yes, i can understand your comment.

but in general, do you think will any employer offer differently if on the one hand, he is seeing a consultant locally at Singapore, and on the other hand, he is talking to a consultant in India? the cost to the employer is the same in both case, as in first case, the consultant is on visitor pass, so need a work permit pass - so the employer will have to apply for the work permit cost in both cases.

the only thing which is different shall be reallocation expenses - in the first case, since the consultant is already in singapore, the relocation expense shall not come into picture at all and in the second case, since consultant is in India, so will need relocation expenses.

So in general, will the employer offer different monthly salaries in these two cases and in which case, it shall generally be higher? i understand that it is difficult to answer, but if you have to say in general terms based on your experience what will you say?


----------



## beppi

The work visa cost (I heard it is S$70, but am not sure about it) is immaterial in most cases.
Relocation cost are not generally offered - it depends on your negotiation skills whether you have to bear them yourself or not.
In my experience, the advantage you have by being physically present, in terms of much higher chances to be considered for any job opening, outweighs the difference in salary in most cases.
Your first job in a country will anyway normally be not well paid (because of the risk the employer takes by hiring you), except if the employer wants you to move (classic Expat scenario, not the case for you). This is especially true for Indians coming to Singapore, since there are too many desperate to leave at any price.


----------



## ani_india

misecmisc said:


> hi,
> 
> seems like i did a mistake in not accepting the previous offer of 6K SGD per month - as from aug you are saying that it will be more difficult to get a job in singapore - but since my main purpose of working in singapore would be to save money, and in the above offer, the saving would not have been there, so it is ok i sent the email in reply to the offer email stating that if they can increase the monthly salary, then i can reconsider their offer, but they did not replied back to me..


I would say you took a right decision...
1 year commitment means, the offer was from a stupid indian consultancy...SAP is in good demand ...are you from functional or technical bg?

Unlike US, The ratio of SAP to Oracle 11i/R12 in SPG is around 70-30...Its quite easy to get a good job and 18L is definitely better than 6K....

Look for direct jobs in local site & I am sure you 'll get a better offer...forget about the mkt , election & all those things...those are applicable for typical indian IT jobs....its hard to get a good ERP consultant these days and if you have good supply chain & finance knowledge then you can easily get a good job!!!


----------



## misecmisc

ani_india said:


> I would say you took a right decision...
> 1 year commitment means, the offer was from a stupid indian consultancy...SAP is in good demand ...are you from functional or technical bg?
> 
> Unlike US, The ratio of SAP to Oracle 11i/R12 in SPG is around 70-30...Its quite easy to get a good job and 18L is definitely better than 6K....
> 
> Look for direct jobs in local site & I am sure you 'll get a better offer...forget about the mkt , election & all those things...those are applicable for typical indian IT jobs....its hard to get a good ERP consultant these days and if you have good supply chain & finance knowledge then you can easily get a good job!!!


i am SAP technical consultant.

i calculated i could roughly save around 2K SGD in india only, with the next company, so if i go to singapore, i should at least save 5K SGD, otherwise what is the point of going to an abroad country to work and to save 5K SGD, the monthly income should be above 8K at least.

do you think me as a SAP technical consultant with 9.5years relevant experience, can get a job with more than 8K SGD monthly in singapore? 

what will you suggest, should i plan a visit to singapore on tourist visa, then search a job - or do you think i can apply online from india, but i think that i will not be considered much by employers, because i do not have work permit to work in singapore and i think employers will try to get consultants, who already hold a work permit? so what do you suggest here?

moreover, any urls for searching SAP jobs in singapore? please suggest. thanks.


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## ani_india

jobsDB & Monster Singapore are the best sites for ERP Jobs!!! 
Coming down to singapore is a good option but should be the last one...unless you have any closed relatives settled in Singapore...hotels in singapore is pretty expensive and what if you dont get any Job in 1 month...its a personal choice...
I would say try for 3-6 mnths from India, if you dont get any calls then think about other alternatives..


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## simonsays

misecmisc said:


> i
> 
> what will you suggest, should i plan a visit to singapore on tourist visa, then search a job - or do you think i can apply online from india, but i think that i will not be considered much by employers, because i do not have work permit to work in singapore and i think employers will try to get consultants, who already hold a work permit? so what do you suggest here?.


if any consultant I know have to deal with you they will go mad

I told you before, if you are good you will be taken in

work pass ... gosh, how many times have you need to be told

work pass is applied by your employer ... once they confirm an offer

and work pass is tied to your employer for the duration of your employment with that employer ..

you missed all that again ?

amusing you are ...


----------



## bobbyalex

misecmisc said:


> any url for getting information about this visitor visa? i am from india. so where to check if an indian needs tourist visa SVP arranged beforehand?
> 
> you said - _Work visa applications can take anywhere between a week and two months_ - so even in a week also we can get work visa? maximum time is 2 months or it can be even 3 to 6 months?
> 
> so if getting work visa takes max 2 months, then we can try for a luck to see if we can get a job in singapore - what do you say?
> 
> one more question just came to my mind - if work visa cost is to be taken care by employer, so does it make any difference to the offer which they make to a candidate? for example, the recruiter offered me 6K SGD monthly salary, when currently i am in india, but if i move to singapore at tourist visa and meet the recruiter face-to-face, then what do you think can happen - will the recruiter offer me more salary like 7k, seeing that i am in singapore, or will he offer me even less salary like 5.5K, trying to take advantage of my situation that since i m in singapore, so anyways i need a job to sustain myself, so i will be ok to work on any salary which he offers me? - What do you think has the more chance or probability to happen? any suggestions, please. thanks.


Dude... seriously, ever heard of Google? Most of the information you are asking for is readily available on the SG gov sites or in this forum itself.


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## Domini

bobbyalex said:


> Dude... seriously, ever heard of Google? Most of the information you are asking for is readily available on the SG gov sites or in this forum itself.


1. I think their problem is not in Google first page. Therefore, it's tedious to search through thousand of pages.

2. Singapore government sites , too much text to read. Too lazy to read all about it.


So they try asking you to do the hard job for free. 

<Snip>


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## simonsays

Domini said:


> 1. I think their problem is not in Google first page. Therefore, it's tedious to search through thousand of pages.
> 
> 2. Singapore government sites , too much text to read. Too lazy to read all about it.
> 
> 
> So they try asking you to do the hard job for free.
> 
> The funny thing is some fellow expats here honestly give answer and good comments and links to those who ask in this forum but some guy who in charge here just delete the answer and even banned some of them.:


basically spoon fed .. re those asking again and again instead of searching ...

admin only delete post of advertisers.. not government links etc ...


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## misecmisc

hi all,

thanks for replying to my queries and really bearing with me.

since till now I have not put myself in such a situation of working in an abroad country, in which I have to take care of all things like what is rent, how much i will save, what about visa etc - cut to chase, i have not even thought of working in an abroad country as a freelancer, even though i have been to onsite projects before but that was with the companies i worked for in India and everything was taken care of by these companies.

But now i am thinking of playing a blind in a poker game by trying to work in abroad for may be 2 to 3 years as a freelancer and save a good amount of money with which my family can live their lifes easily in India. I have not even thought of doing this thing in the last 9.5 years of my work life.

i have already resigned my current company and will be available from 15-Sep-14 onwards. i believe nature (or God or whatever name you put for it) takes care of everything eventually, so let me see how things unfold for me.


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## misecmisc

Hi All,

Revisiting this thread and also off-topic, because the below query is related to KL, Malaysia. So if some of you have any idea about it, please suggest. Also I have already raised it in Malaysia forum, but since it is urgently needed, as I have to get back to the recruiter by today EOD, so due to this urgency, I am posting here as well. Please reply if you have some information. thanks in advance.

The situation is below:

Today I got contacted for a contract job opening in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a contract job and they have asked me to tell my daily rate keeping all my expenses(accomodation/travel/expenses) and tax and cost of work permit.

They said the below things in an email to me:
_A 12 month work permit from the Malaysian Government will cost MYR 5,500. This can be paid upfront OR deducted from your first month’s pay.
There will be a 3% fee from your earnings for payroll services whilst in Malaysia.
For the first 6 months of the contact, you will pay 26% income tax. This will reduce after the first 6 months of the contact.
I will also need your all inclusive daily rate for working in Malaysia (including accommodation/travel/expenses etc.) by today._

I am a SAP technical consultant with 9.5 years experience.

I have a wife and a daughter.

I have to get back to them by today EOD telling my total inclusive daily rate.

So please tell what daily rate should I quote to them for this contract work, which is both reasonable and I am thinking of trying to save upto 4000USD per month. Also some information on tax deduction in malaysia, please.

Please suggest. Thanks in advance.


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## simonsays

you are going to work for peanuts, so do you need anybody's advice ?

cost of living is lower in KL, btw ..

you take your chances and don't ask others to decide for you!!


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## Domini

In general and by simple common sense, whatever they are offering is always below than what you deserved.

No one want to lose money in the first place!! It's your job to negotiate unless you are ready to sell yourself short.


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## ani_india

Are you serious...
9.5 yrs of SAP for 5.5K MYR...

All I can say either you have a fake degree/experience (as common among Indian IT Junta) or you dont know the value of work!!!!

Sorry to sound rude but that's the truth


----------



## KateVillaman

Adjusting into a new place is surely tough. I have experience this before when I move from Philippines to Singapore. The good thing is I have found a good company and my compensation is very good. After few months, I was able to purchase a unit at *******<Snip>*********. You can talk to your boss for salary increase or better yet find another company that offers a higher salary..This is just my opinion..


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## simonsays

KateVillaman said:


> Adjusting into a new place is surely tough. I have experience this before when I move from Philippines to Singapore. The good thing is I have found a good company and my compensation is very good. After few months, I was able to purchase a unit at d'leedon for rent. You can talk to your boss for salary increase or better yet find another company that offers a higher salary..This is just my opinion..


unfortunately only the rarest bosses increase pay, locally I mean

seems you came on Expat terms !!!

same may not hold for others


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## aaynoor

i have followed your post and i am curious how it turned out?


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## misecmisc

Hi All,

It has been more than 2 years since I visited this thread. What happened was since the contract offer job for Singapore was for 6000SGD per month, so I did not accepted that. Rather I got a job in a good IT company in India, so now I have been working there for more than 2 years. Now again I am trying to look for relocation to a foreign country to earn some money, but this time I am seriously considering for it.

Just 2 days back I saw an email in my inbox for a contract job from the same firm, which I got contacted 2 years back. So currently my total experience is more than 12 years and my total work experience is in SAP technologies. So what is the current situation in Singapore regarding what monthly income should I expect for myself currently? Please suggest. Thanks.


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## jamierc1

You got offered 6k a couple of years ago, they'll most probably offer you a similar amount. Nobody cares if you have 12 or 9.5 years experience. The question is if you are any good or not, and none of us can answer that for you 

As harsh as it sounds, there are millions of Indian IT workers who want to come to Singapore. The fact your recruiter is talking about staying in dormitories shows he is looking for a bottom rung foreign worker, rather than an 'expat'. They'll pay you peanuts and treat you like the lowest of the low. And if you ask for any more money he'll just move on to the next desperate Indian who wants to work here,and will accept any salary to do so.

Sent from my SM-A800I using Tapatalk


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## misecmisc

jamierc1 said:


> You got offered 6k a couple of years ago, they'll most probably offer you a similar amount. Nobody cares if you have 12 or 9.5 years experience. The question is if you are any good or not, and none of us can answer that for you
> 
> As harsh as it sounds, there are millions of Indian IT workers who want to come to Singapore. The fact your recruiter is talking about staying in dormitories shows he is looking for a bottom rung foreign worker, rather than an 'expat'. They'll pay you peanuts and treat you like the lowest of the low. And if you ask for any more money he'll just move on to the next desperate Indian who wants to work here,and will accept any salary to do so.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A800I using Tapatalk


Well, tell me something about this query now: Suppose I again get a similar low package again and a contract of 1 year, generally in such situations what is the clause given for breaking of contract? Will the contract letter they will send me for acceptance would have everything listed out clearly - or - will the rules for if i want to stop working for them, in a way break the contract, will these rules be not listed explictly?

Next question: If that contract company would get my work visa for Singapore, then my that work visa would be tied up with that company only - correct? So the moment I resign that contractual company, will that company ask me to submit my passport to them so that they can get the visa cancelled and would then I would be required to immediately move back to India? Or as per some rules of Singapore government, I would get some grace time to search for a new job and try to get a new work visa there? What options would I have in such a case?

Can you throw some light on the current work related rules laid by Singapore government in view of the above scenario?

Any information here, please. Thanks.


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## beppi

1. Breaking the rules is not a good idea in Singapore and will get you into trouble.
This also applies to contractual rules you agreed to by signing it. Don't!
If you have a one year contract, work there one year!

2. The company has to inform MoM (the work visa issuing ministry) immediately of your resignation (and withhold your last month salary until the taxes due are settled). Your work visa is cancelled on your last work day (automatically - your passport is not needed) and you get a two weeks Social Visit Pass (SVP, same as a tourist gets) which is not renewable. After that you have to leave the country.


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## jamierc1

Your contract will set out termination clauses, from both sides. You can quit whenever you want during the contract, and will usually be expected to give a notice period. Again this will be set out in your contract.

But bear in mind what everybody has been telling you that this will cancel your work visa. So don't quit unless you've got a work pass from another company.

Sent from my SM-A800I using Tapatalk


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## misecmisc

beppi said:


> 1. Breaking the rules is not a good idea in Singapore and will get you into trouble.
> This also applies to contractual rules you agreed to by signing it. Don't!
> If you have a one year contract, work there one year!
> 
> 2. The company has to inform MoM (the work visa issuing ministry) immediately of your resignation (and withhold your last month salary until the taxes due are settled). Your work visa is cancelled on your last work day (automatically - your passport is not needed) and you get a two weeks Social Visit Pass (SVP, same as a tourist gets) which is not renewable. After that you have to leave the country.


Regarding your first point, so does it mean if I agree for a contract work of 1 year and on practically starting the work, say within the first month, I find the work culture pathetic and the employer company dictating its terms(with the statements like if you do not agree to our terms, then we would end your contract immediately) like work from 8am to 11 pm forcefully, then would I become a bonded labour for that company for 1 year, with me having no option other than completing that 1 year duration? Please suggest. Thanks.


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## misecmisc

jamierc1 said:


> Your contract will set out termination clauses, from both sides. You can quit whenever you want during the contract, and will usually be expected to give a notice period. Again this will be set out in your contract.
> 
> But bear in mind what everybody has been telling you that this will cancel your work visa. So don't quit unless you've got a work pass from another company.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A800I using Tapatalk


Ok, so if my understanding is correct, then suppose I accept a contract work of 1 year, then on starting the work find the work environment suffocating with no respect for a 12 year SAP consultant and getting pressurized for accepting whatever the employer wants in terms of work durations, then first I should seek some other job opportunity in some other company in Singapore, then resign the contract company - is this correct?

So suppose I get selected for another job in another company, then what would be the next steps here? Will the second company start to process my work visa for it - will they need me to submit my passport to them during application process? Will the contract company know the moment the second company start the work visa process - if yes, then suppose the contract company immediately ends the contract, then since the second company would have just started the visa process - what will be the situation here - will i need to immediately leave Singapore then? Can you throw some light regarding this process in some detail please? Thanks.


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## jamierc1

Jesus mate. Are you thinking of taking the first job and immediately looking for another job once you get here?

To answer your question, no your current employer wouldn't know until the second work permit was approved. At that point it would be issued and then your first employer finds out.

And you're not applying to work in Qatar. There is no slavery in Singapore.

Sent from my SM-A800I using Tapatalk


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## beppi

I have to add to my answer above:
Of course if your one year contract has a termination clause, then you can end the employment by giving notice and keeping the notice period defined in the contract.

As somebody wrote above, you should terminate only if you already have a job and work pass approval for another employer, otherwise you might not find anything within the period (or the new work pass is not approved) and then have to leave the country when your employmend ends (plus the two weeks SVP, which you always get).
A new work pass can be applied for while you still hold another work pass. The old employer can (and many do check this regularly) see in the MoM online system that another pass for you was applied for (but not for which job and in which company). Such illoyal employees often end up on the "soon-to-be-fired" list.
(Work pass application does not require your passport - all records are electronic in Singapore.)
In addition, MoM does not like job-hoppers. So if you change job before your contract ends (or before three years are over in case of unlimited contracts), this counts in your disfavour when applying for another pass.

The time you need to realize the first employer sucks, apply for other jobs, attend interviews and finally find a new employer willing to hire you, and then wait for the new work pass to be approved, will be a major portion of the one year. You might want to just stay on, rather than taking the risk.


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## misecmisc

jamierc1 said:


> Jesus mate. Are you thinking of taking the first job and immediately looking for another job once you get here?
> 
> To answer your question, no your current employer wouldn't know until the second work permit was approved. At that point it would be issued and then your first employer finds out.
> 
> And you're not applying to work in Qatar. There is no slavery in Singapore.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A800I using Tapatalk


Hi friend, no such intention. Rather I was just trying to know what possibilities exist for me if the contractual company turned out to be totally unprofessional with no ethics and no respect for consultants - just was thinking of the worse case scenario.

By the way, your above post suggests that in Qatar, there is slavery. If nothing works out for Singapore, then I was thinking about Gulf countries and the only options which I usually see for countries where contract jobs are required are Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But your above post is scaring me that in these Gulf countries, even for software jobs in SAP technology, still the work culture is of the nature of bonded labour and slavery? Any information here, if you have please. Thanks.


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## jamierc1

I don't think you should look for work overseas, doesn't seem like you have your right mindset for it. Stay in India and try to get to 20 years SAP experience.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3010 using Tapatalk


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