A Japanese founder's Employment Pass, family passes and PR application

The situation

Our client did not want to move first and bring his family months later. He wanted everyone to arrive together. The pass applications had to be submitted in sequence: the founder’s Employment Pass must be approved first, because his wife and children’s Dependant’s Passes attach to it. The family also wanted to start their permanent residence (PR) application early, rather than waiting years to begin.

What we did

We incorporated the company in December and filed his Employment Pass within days. At the same time, we prepared the three Dependant’s Pass applications in full, so they could be submitted the moment his pass was approved.

Japanese documents needed extra work. The family register had to be translated and certified, school and graduation certificates collected, and every consent and declaration form signed. While the passes were processing, we built the family’s complete PR application in parallel, so it was ready to file weeks after they arrived instead of a year later.

The outcome

The wife’s and both children’s Dependant’s Passes were approved in early January, days after submission. The family moved together, and their PR application was completed and filed by February. The PR decision rests with ICA, and no one can promise that outcome. We prepared the translations and application documents so the family could submit the PR application after arriving.

What this case shows

• Order matters: the Employment Pass comes first, and the family’s passes attach to it
• Translated and certified documents take time; start them on day one
• PR documents can be prepared while the family settles in
• Prepare the family’s documents alongside the main applicant’s Employment Pass application