Competition for Singapore PR approval is tight with only about 30% chances of success. One of the myths that has been going around is that the more money you earn, the higher your chance to get PR approval. This is wrong. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) looks at each PR application holistically. Therefore, improving your chances of obtaining PR status in Singapore involves several strategic approaches.
Apart from the mandatory requirements and various schemes such as the PTS scheme, PR candidates should consider these below to make their application stand out amongst the competition.
1. Blend into the Singaporean Community
To show that you belong in Singapore, you’d have to prove that you can assimilate into Singapore’s local society, understand and respect its cultures, and can live side-by-side with locals. Singapore has had its fair share of local unrest due to racial differences but we have come a long way since. The Singapore government emphasises that racial harmony is one of its building blocks to a successful and prosperous country.
As a PR candidate, you can show this by doing volunteer work, making regular donations to government-approved charities, and mentoring Singapore’s youth. If you are a business owner, you can do Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts under your company branding and kill two birds with one stone – for your PR application and for your company public relations and image. Immigration@SG helps our clients assimilate into the society and use these certificates of participation as a supporting document for their PR application.
Other ways include taking up courses from Community Centres (CC) that help you blend into the community such as learning Mandarin or Malay languages or learning how to cook local dishes, and even living in the heartlands in an HDB (you can rent in an HDB flat instead of the usual expat enclaves in condos).
2. Long-Term Residency
Living in Singapore for an extended period, typically more than two years, can improve your PR application. It shows your commitment to making Singapore your home. Living long-term in Singapore also means you like it here and want to stay.
If you have a family here with you, get your children into Singapore public school as much as possible. This will help them meet and interact with local students and be nurtured to respect local customs better. Having your family here also means you are likely to stay in Singapore for a longer period as moving to another country would take so much more effort, time, and money.
3. Financial Growth
A stable income, along with savings, insurances, and investments, can demonstrate your financial ability to contribute economically to the country. It also shows good foresight that you can sustain your life (and your family) in Singapore and are not a liability to the government. We at Immigration@SG, have seen clients who do not earn a high income but were granted PR approval and we have also seen the opposite where clients who earn five figures monthly do not get their PR status. The key point here is career stability in terms of future job and salary growth, employer’s sustainability and the candidate’s professional adaptability. Showing that you are willing to upskill and are willing to do continuous learning in your professional capacity may go a long way.
Owning properties in Singapore can be a positive factor in your PR application as real estate is not a liquid asset. It takes time to buy and sell real estate, especially with Singapore’s stringent laws.
Improve Chances of Singapore PR Approval
By focusing on these areas and presenting a well-rounded application, you can improve your chances of obtaining Permanent Residency in Singapore. However Immigration@SG does not guarantee PR approvals based on these factors as all PR approvals entirely rest upon the ICA’s decisions.
To book a private consultation for Singapore PR application, Whatsapp +65 8766 1966 or email to info@iasg.com.sg.
