3 Key Issues of Your Singapore PR Application

The benefits that come with a Singapore PR status are many, including, but not limited to:

• Paving the only realistic path for foreigners to Singapore Citizenship, which grants you the same rights as born-and-bred citizens.
• Travelling in and out of the country without the hassle of applying for additional visas.
• The ability to switch jobs without having to re-apply for a work permit every single time.
• The right to purchase certain properties, including public housing (HDB) and reduced buyer stamp duty (BSD) for private housing.
• Access to a wider selection of loan schemes and better chances of loan approvals.
• Your children have a higher likelihood of attending the schools of their choice as they will be placed higher on the priority list.
• With access to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) — Singapore’s pension system — you will not have to worry about funds during your retirement years.

You are eligible to apply for the permanent resident status if you belong to one of the following categories:

• Spouse of a Singapore Citizen or Singapore PR.
• S Pass, Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass or Entrepreneur Pass holders.
• Unmarried children of a Singapore Citizen or Singapore PR below 21 years of age.
• Aged parents of a Singapore Citizen.
• Student Pass holders who have resided in Singapore for at least two years and passed at least one national exam (i.e. PSLE or GCE ‘N’/’O’/’A’ levels) or are in the Integrated Programme.

A standard PR application takes approximately four to six months. However, some submissions may take longer, depending on the type of application and validity of the submitted documents. To expedite this, the experienced team at Paul Immigrations can guide you by ensuring that you submit only the necessary documents for a more efficient process.

The average processing time for applying of PR status is approximately four to six months, after which you will receive the outcome via post. All successful PR applicants are then notified by ICA and will be required to schedule an appointment either through the ICA website or its mobile app (eAppt@ICA).

Yes. Successful applicants will need to attend the appointment personally at the Permanent Resident Services Centre, located on level 5 of the ICA Building, to complete the formalities and to collect the Entry Permit/Re-Entry Permit.

Yes it can, but you will need to seek a re-entry permit from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). The permit will allow you to travel abroad as a Singapore PR for up to five years. With regard to the five years afforded on your re-entry permit, our professional advice would be to work and stay in Singapore for the last two of your five years at the very least. This way, your income tax payment record will deem you as a candidate with worthy contributions to the city-state. However, if you are sent abroad for work in a decision that is beyond your control, the ICA might question you when you send in the forms to renew your re-entry permit.

From our years of experience, we have come across re-entry permits that got rejected. In most cases, this happens to PRs who do not stay in Singapore for a significant amount of time after being granted PR status. One main reason for this is that the government approves an application with the hope that the individual commits and contributes to the country. If you have been spending most of your time in the country and are consistent with your contributions, your renewal application is less likely to be rejected.

We highly recommend for you to contact us to help you assess your eligibility. If there are any reasons for us to believe that you are ineligible for a Singapore PR application, we will not take up your case. Instead, we will provide you with tips on how to build a stronger case for future applications. You are always welcome at Paul Immigrations when you meet the requirements. This helps us ensure that potential clients do not feel discouraged when they are unsuccessful in their attempts.

ICA has made it a point not to disclose the exact reasons for the approval or rejection of Permanent Resident applications. This ensures that others do not modify their documents or submissions falsely in an attempt to cheat the system. Thus, it is difficult to pinpoint the reason behind each rejection. Nonetheless, our team has years of experience, proven expertise to help you understand and negotiate the different factors that could affect your case.

Before 2009, it was easier to get an approval. However, many people took advantage of it as a way to make money — instead of contributing to Singapore, they used it to invest in property as a steady stream of passive income. To avoid flouting any rules, they occasionally returned to Singapore and treated the country as a holiday home. This led to the Singapore government’s response by cracking down on the approval process to prevent others from gaming the system, and profiting from it. When the immigration officers look through the submissions, they will be extremely selective.

Unfortunately, this information is strictly confidential and may be adjusted periodically. However, the government did release full statistics in the past. In 2017, 31,849 new permanent residents received the approval for their application.

There are many other factors to consider, including your background and even the number of years you have been living here. Hence, all Permanent Resident applications are unique. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority will do their due diligence and check each case thoroughly before making their final decision.

We pride ourselves as a one-stop immigration services company that offers:

• Comprehensive consultation and meticulous eligibility assessment to ensure you meet the requirements meted out by the ICA to apply for Singapore PR.
• Step-by-step guidance throughout your entire PR application.
• Preparation, examination, and the handling of forms and essential documents to ensure that everything is in order and in accordance with ICA’s standards before submission.
• Advice on the inclusion of supplementary documents, if any, to cast yourself as an eligible candidate for permanent residency.
• Going the extra mile to ensure that you stand out from the rest of the candidates, by including a personalised immigration cover letter prepared for you by our team of experienced and professional writers.

At Paul Immigrations, we will help you put forth a strong case to the approving officers. By introducing professionalism and reinforcing the strengths in your case, it would be difficult for the immigration officers to reject your application. After your approval, you may also retain documents compiled by us since they can be useful when you acquire your Singapore Citizenship in the future.

Although a cover letter is absent from the list of required documents, we believe that having one will make your application a unique one and help you stand out from thousands of other applicants.

When you work with our experts at Paul Immigrations, you won’t have to stress over writing this yourself. Our team of professional writers will be drafting a personalised cover letter that showcases your strengths and accomplishments. They will send you the cover letter for approval before including it into your submission.

Unlike others, Paul Immigrations is a consultancy firm that does not merely assist with aspects of the application process that you can do on your own. Instead, we offer a wide range of value-for-money services, including handling and processing all essential documents and providing you with practical advice to raise your chances of approval.

Those Law and Accounting firms mostly deal with corporate entities and, as such, their fees may rise above $5000 despite immigration not being their primary expertise. On the other hand, Paul Immigrations specialises only in immigration services. When you engage us, your concerns about acquiring PR status will be addressed with utmost priority.

If you are unable to provide some of your educational certificates or transcripts, you can write a declaration letter and explain their absence. The helpful team at Paul Immigrations provides the service of drafting these letters.

That is never a wise decision to make since the ICA has already set a precise list of documents that all applicants need to provide. Including any piece of documentation that is not on this list would prolong the process since this would give the officers extra paperwork to go through. To avoid this, our team would ensure that we only include the necessary documents to enhance your chances of approval.

Families or couples should combine their applications since it suggests to the immigration officers that there is a desire to commit to the country and contribute as a single-family unit. Hence, regardless of the pass(es) that your spouse or family members are holding onto, submit your applications together. If you have any doubts, speak to our knowledgeable team about your situation, and they will offer their expert’s advice on the best approach to obtaining Singapore PR for your entire family.

Yes, you may leave your son out of the PR application if you do not want him to serve National Service (NS).

However, it is important to note that one of the contributing factors of a successful PR application lies in your decision to include your family in your submission. Applicants who are looking to reside here with their family (spouse and children) stand a far stronger chance at permanent residency since it signals their intent to plant their roots and contribute to the nation for generations to come.

In a statement released by the Parliament in 2014, NS-liable permanent residents who renounce their PR status to avoid serving their NS liability will face dire consequences. Additionally, any immediate or future applications for renewal of their parents’ and immediate family members’ Re-Entry Permits may be adversely affected as a result. As such, it is best to leave your son out if you prefer him not to serve as part of the uniformed services.

Pre-enlistees are generally granted deferment from full-time National Service if they are pursuing full-time studies to attain their first education bar qualification (GCE ‘A’ Level, polytechnic diploma or their equivalent). If your son has already attained one of them, he will not be granted deferment for the pursuit of another first education bar qualification or one below it.

Eligible males looking to further their studies in local or overseas universities are still expected to enlist before embarking on their tertiary education, after which you may apply or write in to appeal for further deferment. Deferment for Bachelor’s programmes is granted on a case-by-case basis and at the sole discretion of the Ministry of Defence.

If you are below the age of 21 and unmarried, your parents can be the sponsor for your PR application. However, if you are above the age of 21, you will have to submit your documents as an individual candidate and be assessed based on your own merits.

The institution from which you obtained your certification plays a part too. If your degree or diploma is from recognised institutions it will certainly make your case stronger over the other applicants.

Moreover, your experience studying in local educational institutions will reflect your ability to successfully adapt to, integrate with, and embrace the local culture. From there, the immigration officers will see your successful integration into a multiracial society as a positive point.

Unless you are constantly switching from one company to another, there are no repercussions should you decide to leave your current employment for better career prospects within the application period. While holding on to your position in your current company would reflect your dependability and financial stability, taking that positive step forward with another company will equally highlight your personality and maturity as a candidate.

If a switch is already on the cards, you may consider informing ICA and furnish them with the relevant documents, such as:

• A copy of your passport biometric page
• A copy of your new work pass
• Annex A of your new employers

Although not mandatory, you can still choose to take this precautionary measure and submit your documents in person at the ICA Building located at 10 Kallang Road (S208718).