Prevent Rejection of your Work Pass Renewal

Common reason for Work Pass Rejections

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Candidate do not meet job requirements

There are many reasons for a work permit rejection. But commonly, it revolves around the mismatch of the candidate profile and the requirements of the job applied–salary, educational background, relevant work experience and skill-sets. As such, it makes it more difficult for a foreigner to switch industries until a work permit can demonstrate they possess a transferable skill-set in the new sector through skills upgrading.

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Tighten Competition between Locals & Expatriates

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With tightening policies and the stiff competition in the labour market, the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) has been introduced and instituted in  2014 to prevent employment discrimination based on age, gender, nationality, or race. This includes discrimination against Singaporean citizens and permanent residents (e.g. favoring a foreigner over a local for non-job-related reasons). As such, employers are expected to post up jobs to the national portal for at least 14-28 days before allowing / considering the employment of an expatriate candidate.

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What to do if your Work Pass is Rejected?

First, you should determine the reasons for your rejection and address the root problem before you can submit an appeal application. To submit an appeal for a work permit, you will have to login to WP online to upload all the new and required documents to support your case which might take up to 3 weeks from the date of submission.

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If the candidate has been from the construction sector for more than 14 years under the work permit scheme, your employer will be required to upgrade the worker to a higher skilled worker. However, we would recommend for any appeal cases, candidates / employers should always seek professional advice on the above matters.

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For more information please visit: MOM Official Website.

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How to minimise chances of renewal rejection?

With a Work Pass Cancellation, it is almost equivalent to a retrenchment unless you are able to secure either an appeal or a new job within a short period of time. So how should you prevent yourself from being in such a situation?

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Up-skill and Upgrade 

As mentioned above, the increased competition between the locals and expatriates in the Singapore landscape is getting stiffer. To combat the challenges and fight for equal opportunity in the sector you’d like, you should consider upgrading yourself. Singapore is always welcoming and looking for talents to transfer its skills capabilities to its economy and workforce. If you can elevate your skills, you will not put yourself in a vulnerable position.

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Secure a higher tier of Work Pass

To permanently save yourself from being retrenched and easily replaced, it is always important to upgrade progressively and secure your future in Singapore. After up skilled with a recognized diploma, you could potentially attain a higher level of work pass, which would also elevate your income level and grant you the eligibility of a PR application. Start now to transform passivity into initiative.

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Join us in our newly launched educational program this coming June. For more information, book a free consultation with us!  

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Disclaimer: All information is true as of time of publish in Jan 2024, information and data may change beyond this date. For most updated information, always refer to relevant site before making decisions. Kenneth & Co disclaims any liability for any harm caused by using the information provided.