Singapore PR
Singapore Permanent Residence is highly sought-after with over 100,000 applications annually. Of this, only about 30% gets approved. With stiff competition, it is imperative that each application must stand out.
Elitle Immigration assesses your profile and strategises your PR application to maximise your chances!
The demographics of Singapore are shifting over time. Our citizen population is aging due to low fertility rates and rising life expectancy. Both aging and low fertility have profound implications on our economy and society.
To ensure that Singapore remains economically attractive, the government is looks at various selective immigration (Permanent Residence and Citizenship) solutions to support the needs of the country. As documented in the Population White Paper in 2013 and various other Population Trend Papers, it is imperative that Singapore grows to be diverse, with people of different backgrounds and cultures living and working together. This is in effort to ensure that Singapore continues to be one of the most crucial business and economic hub in Asia.
Immigration helps to balance our shrinking and aging citizen population. Singapore has tightened the immigration framework significantly in late-2009 to calibrate the inflow of new Permanent Residents (PRs) and citizens. Since 2009, the Singapore government has been issuing out an average of 30,000 PRs annually. To curb the low citizen birth rate and ageing population, the numbers must be kept at these levels to ensure a stable cap of PRs and Citizens to drive the sustainability and growth of the country. As such, the review process is more stringent now so as to find the right fit for each application. While the exact quota is not revealed to the public, understanding this system enables us to value each application as an opportunity to highlight the merits of applicants to the Singapore Government.
Benefits of Being a Singapore PR
A Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) refers to someone who has been given Singapore PR status by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore. However, they are not full-fledged Singapore Citizens. Singapore PRs have the right to live, work and integrate into the fabric of Singaporean society just like ordinary citizens. As a Singapore PR, one stands to enjoy, among other things:
Visa Felxibility
A Singapore PR will have no visa restrictions entering Singapore and can also remain in Singapore for an unlimited period of time as long as their Singapore PR status remains valid.
Family Proximity
As a country that values family togetherness for a strong social fabric, Singapore PRs have the option to obtain Long Term Visit Passes (LTVP) for parents, spouses and children.
Education Priority
To take advantage of a well-structured educational system, Singapore PRs will be given priority placement for their children should they choose to enroll them in public (government) schools. In addition, the cost of education of children of SPRs will be subsidized by the government to make it more affordable.
Career Flexibility
A Singapore PR will no longer be required to secure employment permits and passes from employers and will have access to more jobs locally, including civil service positions. As such, being a Singapore PR opens doors to employment opportunities and gives freedom from the uncertainty of securing permits and passes.
Comfortable Retirement
Singapore PRs will benefit from the Central Provident Fund (CPF) — a highly modeled-after pension scheme. This ensures that Singapore PRs will have peace of mind and a growing golden nest for retirement while excelling in their careers.
Property Ownership Perks
For Singapore PRs who intend to invest and commit to a property, they enjoy property ownership inclusions such as significantly lower stamp duties as compared to non-PRs. Besides this, Singapore PRs will be able to use their CPF Ordinary Accounts to offset monthly house loan payments
Tax Reliefs
With a valid commitment to stay in Singapore, the government recognizes that help is required from time to time in the form of reliefs. Singapore PRs can look forward to receiving various monetary benefits on taxes as well as ease of bank loan approvals.
Travel Flexibility
A Singapore PR will have no visa restrictions entering Singapore and can also remain in Singapore for an unlimited period of time as long as their Singapore PR status remains valid.
Entrapeuneship Ambition
Singapore PRs looking to incorporate companies can go through smoother processes and/or maintain majority shareholding in setting up of businesses without the need for a local (nominee) director.
Singapore Citizenship
Singapore PRs looking to incorporate companies can go through smoother processes and/or maintain majority shareholding in setting up of businesses without the need for a local (nominee) director.
​Common Profiles of Singapore PR Applicants
Single
Singles can look forward to more career opportunities and flexibilities as a Singapore PR holder. Building a career is easier without having to depend on Work Pass renewals. No pressure to leave the country if issue of unemployment arises.
Couples
Build your life in Singapore with your spouse and enjoy benefits like property ownership with affordable ABSD rates, getting a CPF account for retirement, medical, and property expenses, and access to public healthcare.
Families
Enjoy access to world-class education for your kids in Singapore public schools and childcare centres and more access to top healthcare at subsidised rates.
Singapore Permanent Resident Eligibility
General Eligibility
The Singapore government stipulates in all PR applications important and strict requirements across the different schemes available. If you want to be a Singapore Permanent Resident, read on to understand more about the eligibility criteria. To be eligible for Singapore PR, candidates must generally fall into any one of the following categories:
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Employment Pass/S Pass/Personalised Employment Pass holders
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Spouse and unmarried children (below 21 years old) of a Singapore Citizen/Singapore Permanent Resident
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Aged Parents of a Singapore Citizen
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Foreign Students Studying in a Qualified Local Institution
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Investors
Additional Eligibility
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Possess relevant training/education and professional experience in their field of practice
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Displayed outstanding achievements, in the field of performing arts, visual arts,
literary arts, design and/or media -
Made significant contributions to Singapore’s arts and cultural scene
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Have a strong local track record that includes engagements at the leadership level.
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Put in place concrete future plans to be involved in Singapore’s arts and culture.
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Employment Pass/S Pass/Personalised Employment Pass holders
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Spouse and unmarried children (below 21 years old) of a Singapore Citizen/Singapore Permanent Resident
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Aged Parents of a Singapore Citizen
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Foreign Students Studying in a Qualified Local Institution
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Investors
Schemes
Once a candidate is deemed eligible to apply, there are several ways by which a foreign national can become a Singapore Permanent Resident, depending on the profile of the PR applicant, which entail specific eligibility requirements:
Professional, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers Scheme (PTS Scheme)
The Professional, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers Scheme (PTS Scheme) is for foreigners who are working in Singapore at the time of their PR application. This scheme makes up the majority of applications submitted annually. The requirements are as follows:
Eligibility:
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Legally employed in Singapore under an Employment Pass (EP), Personalised Employment Pass (PEP), S-Pass or EntrePass. Work Permit (WP) holders are not eligible to apply for Singapore PR unless their spouses are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.
As long as you are holding on to the valid passes stated above, you are still eligible to apply for Singapore PR even though your profession requires you to travel extensively. In other words, you can still travel freely while the application is ongoing.
Sponsored Scheme
The sponsored application is valid for spouse and children/step-children/legally adopted children of a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident who follow the stipulated PR eligibility requirements. The assessment of the application will primarily be based on the merits of the sponsor and his ability to support the applicants listed in the application. On the other hand, there is added advantage if the applicant(s) shows due course for approval with a good background. (E.g. clean record, education, employability, etc.)
Eligibility:
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Spouse of a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident or;
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Unmarried child aged below 21 born within the context of legal marriage to, or have been legally adopted by, a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Foreign Artistic Talent Scheme (For Arts)
Your application can tap on your special talents and skillsets which can give you a competitive edge among other candidates. The candidate will be assessed on how the specific talent can not only improve your position but also add more prestige to the community. Some talents can include but are not limited to experienced artists and sportsmen. The Foreign Artistic Talent Scheme (For Arts) Scheme is thus meant for outstanding international arts professionals who will be granted Singapore PR in recognition of their cultural significance and contribution, in so far as they fulfil the eligibility requirements.
Foreign Students Scheme
Foreign students who are studying in Singapore may apply to become a Permanent Resident, whose eligibility will be based on their own merits as long as they fulfill the following PR application requirements:
Eligibility:
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Must have resided in Singapore for more than 2 years at the point of application.
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Have passed at least one national exam (i.e. PSLE or GCE ‘N’/’O’/’A’ levels) or are in the Integrated Programme(IP).
Global Investor Programme Scheme (GIP Scheme)
Individual investors and seasoned business owners who are interested in being based in Singapore can consider the Global Investor Programme scheme (GIP), which allows them and their families to become a Singapore Permanent resident as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. To read more, please click here.
How Elite Immigration Helps Boost Applications
We at Elite Immigration promise to professionally map out your Singapore Permanent Residence application from start to finish based on our specialist knowledge of immigration policies. Having worked with thousands of applicants, our proven approach systematically guides you through the processes in a manner that is designed to create a minimal hassle.
We are committed to the application process from start to finish, including the post-outcome advisory. During the entire journey, we will provide the following:
Initial Profile Analysis
We will perform an initial profile analysis with you. This is a key phase in the entire application process as we will use this session to understand your background, and reasons for applying for Permanent Residence as well as analyze your current strengths and weaknesses in relation to what the Singapore government is looking for. You can also use this session to clarify any queries pertaining to any application and immigration policy matters.
Profile Strengthening Insights
Once we know your skill sets and background information, we will be able to map out your individual strengths as an applicant against industry benchmarks as well as what the government is typically looking for in candidates at a specific point in time. We will provide advisory and instructions that can help boost your chances significantly.
Professional Advisory At All Phases
We provide you with complete professional advisory across the entire phase of the application process, beginning with the initial analysis, followed by the compilation of the documents through to submission, and finally the post-outcome phase before you become an official Singapore Permanent Resident.
Handle Complex Immigration Issues
We understand that your application may not be straightforward. Should you have complex profiles prior to submission, you will receive added attention as we strategize from a legal and professional standpoint using a structured approach. We will also provide post-application assistance when required for the best outcome.
New Policy Updates
Policy changes can be abrupt and often. At any point in time, while working with us on your Permanent Residence application, as and when ICA or any related government agencies mete out new policies or updates, we will ensure that such information is communicated clearly to you, especially if such policy changes directly impact you.
Expedite e-PR Submission
We will make it our responsibility to expedite your case via ICA's new e-PR submission system according to your preferred schedule, taking into account our recommendation. If you have important datelines to meet for submission (expiring pass), we can accelerate your case on an urgent basis without any compromise whatsoever to the quality of your application
Leveraging on Technology
We computerize the filling up of all forms (as opposed to handwritten) to maintain professionalism and to eliminate errors due to illegible handwriting. We also maintain a secured and organized library of all client documents to avoid the hassle of starting the entire application process again from scratch. In the event a re-application is necessary, we will also provide a complete set of editable application forms to you.
Comphrensive Guidance and Checklist
We have developed our own set of checklists that is designed to provide the most comprehensive guidance for both mandatory and supporting documents as required by ICA for all Singapore Permanent Residence applications. This is aimed at painting an accurate picture of your strengths to reviewing authorities.