Individuals who wish to apply for permanent residence (PR) in Singapore should be Employment Pass (EP) holders under fifty years old and are allowed to include their spouses and unmarried children below twenty-one years old in the application. The process for applying PR is straightforward, however, it does require time and research to proceed with the application. Here is a step-to-step guide to help you tackle the PR application process in Singapore:
Step 1: Decide When You Need To Apply for a PR
Theoretically, you can start processing your application the day you start working in Singapore as an EP holder. However, the application requires you to provide six months’ worth of payslips from your Singapore employer, so you will have to wait at least six months before you start applying for your PR. You are allowed to hire a PR application agency in Singapore to help you with your paperwork. Remember to make sure that you are in good terms with your employer at the time of PR submission, as the application form contains a section for your employer to complete.
Step 2: Consider Your Chances of Approval
While your employment pass and length of service in Singapore are important, there are other factors that will also need to be taken into consideration, including your educational background, your length of physical stay in Singapore, your employment background and job stability, your employer credentials, your salary and financial well-being, your character, your family ties, and even your charitable contributions to Singapore society.
What this means is that basically, the government wants to make sure that you are a law-abiding resident who can hold your weight in Singapore in case you are given a PR status. They want you to be an asset, not a burden.
Step 3: Consider the PR Filing for Your Children
According to Singapore laws, the main applicant who is granted the PR under the first generation scheme is exempted from compulsory military service. However, all healthy males granted PR status through their parents must register for national military service when they turn sixteen years and six months old. They will also be required to serve two years of full-time service, followed by 40 days of Operationally Ready National Service per year until the age of fifty for officers, or forty for other ranks.
This is something to be considered carefully as some parents get horrified at the thought of mandatory military service for their children.
Step 4: Review Filing Requirements and Supporting Documents
Once you establish your eligibility, you must obtain all the necessary PR application forms and supporting documents. You will need to download the Form 4A and the Accompanying Notes to Form 4A as listed in the scheme.
Form 4A consists of the application form and Annex A that you need to complete. This will include basic information, educational and professional history, and family details. Annex A, on the other hand, is for your employer, who will explain the nature of their business and confirm your employment and salary details.
The second document is the Accompanying Notes to Form 4A, which will contain explanatory notes that you need to look into. After downloading and filling up the necessary documents, you will also need to gather your supporting documents as required. Remember the following points to ensure a smoother transaction:
- Make a scanned copy of the documents but keep the originals on hand as well.
- If you have documents that are not in English, produce an official English translation to the document. You may get it translated and stamped via your embassy. Remember to scan the originals of both the non-English and the English-translated versions of the document.
- Contact your previous employers if necessary. Previous employment appointment letters, performance evaluation reports, and recommendation letters can be useful for your application.
- Include property documents if you previously bought properties in Singapore as these will provide proof of financial position as well as long-term intention of staying in the country.
- Update your most recent CV or Resume, and prepare a cover letter where you articulate your love for the country, your financial position, family stability, and other information that you deem important in your decision to become a permanent resident in Singapore.
- Singapore likes accurate paperwork, so the more information you provide, the better.
Step 5: Complete the Application Form and Submit
The PR application form is easy to fill in. However, you have to remember the following guidelines to ensure the accuracy of your application:
- Write down your education and employment history in chronological order.
- In the educational qualifications section, list your high school diploma or higher. You do not need to list educational details prior to high school.
- If you cannot produce a certificate for a degree or diploma education, don’t list it, otherwise, it can create unnecessary delays to your application as they will need to validate the information.
- The details of your spouse and children will be completed in the same application form, so even if you are not applying for PR for any of them, you will still need to provide their details in the application.
Ask your employer to complete the last page of the PR application. The completion of the form will serve as confirmation of the information provided. This does not imply sponsorship of your company.
Make sure that you have completed the application form, received the completed Annex A back from your employer, and prepared all the supporting documents necessary when you submit your PR application online. Once you have done so, all you have to do is to wait for the application results, which can take anywhere between six to twelve months. The time it takes to process your PR will depend on a number of factors and may be longer or faster at the discretion of the ICA.
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