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IPA-before-resign calendar for EP / S Pass pivots
Companion to career pivots — week-by-week sequence from quiet search to new IPA, notice / garden leave collisions, family-pass knock-ons, and why verbal offers do not start the resign clock.
MOM’s line is short: the new employer files a fresh pass; keep the old job until you hold the new IPA. Parent overview: career pivots. Bond clawbacks on the way out: resign after IPA on a training bond. This companion is the calendar — where Reddit “I resigned on a verbal” threads die.
Week-shaped sequence (orientation, not a promise)
| Phase | Do | Do not |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet search | Interview while the current EP/S Pass is live | Announce resign dates to the market |
| Offer diligence | Confirm FCF advertising / COMPASS or S Pass gates with new HR — FCF | Treat “we’ll sort the pass later” as a start date |
| New IPA in hand | Only then resign / serve notice | Resign on a verbal or “IPA next week” |
| Notice / garden leave | Align last day with IPA validity and new start; MC still counts toward notice — leave & notice | Assume garden leave pauses bond or non-compete clocks without reading the clause |
| Cancel → issue | Old employer cancels after employment ends; new pass issues | Assume the old pass auto-dies when the new one is approved |
Subsidiary moves usually still need a fresh application. Employers should not refuse lawful cancellation after you resign with proper notice.
Collisions people miss
- IPA expiry vs long notice — if contractual notice is longer than IPA validity / preferred start, ask the new employer about issuance timing before you resign, not after week six of notice.
- Leave offset myths — encashment vs bringing the last day forward are different deals — AL encashment / notice offset.
- Family passes — DP / LTVP usually track the main pass; budget card re-issuance and school term risk if the new IPA fails.
- Retrenchment mid-hunt — notice while still employed is your legal work window; STVP after cancel is stay, not work — retrenchment · between jobs.
Decision rule
No new IPA → no resign letter. Everything else (bonds, leave encashment, IR21, family cards) is a parallel checklist once that gate clears.
Sources & citations
Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.
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