Eligible Categories

The following people are eligible to apply for Permanent Residenceship in Singapore:

1. Spouse or unmarried children (below 21 years old) of a Singapore Citizen/Permanent Resident,
2. Aged parents of a Singapore Citizen,
3. Employment Pass ( P or Q Pass ) Holders (you can apply as soon as you are issued one)
4. Investors/Entrepreneurs and
5. Hong Kong residents who satisfy certain guidelines

Documents and Application

For eligible people in category (1) and (3), there is a list of required documents here. Please ensure that you enclose the original documents, official translation (if the document is not in the English Language), and photocopies of all documents for their retention. Insufficient documents may result in non-acceptance of application and you may be required to show additional documents.

Apply to:
PR Services Centre
5th Floor SIR Building
10 Kallang Road
Singapore 208718
Tel: 391 6100

For eligible people in category (4), you must be an entrepreneur with a good track record and are interested in investing in Singapore. You will have to deposit as least S$1.5 million with the Singapore government and additional sum of S$300,000 per parent. You can only use the fund to invest in a project approved by EDB or use between 30 - 50% of the fund in an EDB approved regional project. Apply to:

Immigration Facilitation Unit
Economic Development Board
250 North Bridge Road
#24-00
Raffles City Tower
Singapore 179101
Tel: 336 2288

Fees and Processing Time

The fee for an Entry Permit is $100
The fee for a Re-Entry Permit is $ 10 (per year).
Visa fee (if required) $ 20
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Maximum fees S$130

Official processing time is 3 months. You will be informed by mail. Once your PR status has been approved, you can personally pick up the entry and re-entry permits within a day.

Factors for Successful Applications

According to an announcement in January 1999 the six new criteria for successful applications are: type of work pass, duration of stay in Singapore, academic qualification, basic monthly salary, age and family ties in Singapore. All things being equal, professionals and professional visit pass (P Pass) holders stand the best chance of becoming PRs. P Pass holders usually include administrators, professionals, managers, entrepreneurs, investors and specialist talent. Other possible factors include:

1. Country of Origination
2. Marital Status
3. Educational Qualifications (including type of course, class of honors, institution and country)
4. Membership and experience in professional and other organisations
5. Current Employment (including experience, employer, country, testimonials, job responsibility and basic monthly salary).

Note that Basic Salary does not include the following

• additional payment such as overtime, bonus or commission
• travelling, food or housing allowance;
• any sum paid to an employee or contract worker due to the special, unusual or hazardous nature of the employment;
• any contribution paid by the employer or contractor to any pension fund or provident fund;
• any gratuity payable on discharge or retirement.

Interested applicants can review the growth sectors of Singapore here and possibly gain more information. Note that SIR encourages you to submit as many documents as possible in favour of your application as long as the required documents are enclosed.

Obligations

CPF

Under Singapore law, you will be required to contribute to the Central Provident Fund. For more information about CPF, click here.

National Service

Under the Enlistment Act, all male citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible for national service when they reach 16� years old. The length of national service is 2 or 2� years of full-time service (NSF), and upon completion they are required to serve 40 days a year as an Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NS) until they reach 50 (officers) or 40 years old (other ranks).

If you are a first generation PR under the Professional, Technical Personnel, Skilled Workers Scheme or the Economic Benefits Scheme, you are exempted from NS. Your male child will be eligible for NS upon reaching 16� years old.

For more information, contact:

Central Manpower Base
3 Depot Road
#03-07
Singapore 109680
Tel:

Application of Singapore Blue Identity Card

You are required to apply for an Identity Card within 30 days of becoming a SPR. Your children are also required to apply unless they are below 15 years old. Whenever you change addresses you must inform SIR.

Advantages of being a PR

1. You will be able to borrow 80 per cent of your housing loan from a bank if you are thinking of buying property in Singapore

2. Your employer will be required to contribute to CPF which is currently 16 per cent of your gross income after your second year and is non-taxable. Your own contributions to CPF are also non-taxable.

3. You can change jobs without having to apply for a new employment pass. As a SPR, you are not required to have one to work here. If you should lose your job you have more time to find one.

4. You can apply for a long term visit pass for your parents to stay with you in Singapore.

Revoking of SPR status

You may decide to terminate your SPR status. You may apply again in the future but your application will be assessed on prevailing conditions. Note that there are safeguards against the termination of SPR status to avoid National Service. For example male ex-Singapore Citizens and ex-Singapore Permanent Residents who are re- granted Singapore PR status are liable to be called up for NS regardless of the type of PR status they are granted.

If you have contributed to CPF and wish to withdraw the amount upon leaving, you have to cancel your entry permit first and then go to the CPF Board with your passport (with cancelled pass) and bank book. If you wish your payment to be in cash you will be given an OUB bank invoice.

The whole process takes about 7 to 10 days.

There is a condition when you withdraw your funds that you are not coming back to work in Singapore. However if you do return and wish to establish an account again you have to refund all the money (including interest) you have withdrawn. Call Withdrawals Department of the CPF Board at Tel: 1800 227 1188 for more information.

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