Renowned for its infrastructure, quality of life, education system, healthcare, and housing, Singapore continues to attract people from across the world. Folks come into work and in no time, get smitten by the comforts and great lifestyle and then want to apply for permanent residency.
Being a Permanent Resident (PR) does allow access to some facilities which the locals get like Public housing, health care and quality education and so on. This write-up is about understanding the process of applying for PR.
Yashodra Kaul Pandita, working with Cognizant, is a resident of Singapore. Photo: Connected to IndiaVarious Schemes available for Singapore Permanent Residence
The three ways by which a foreign national can become a Singapore permanent resident:
- Professional, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers scheme (PTS scheme)
- Global Investor Program scheme (GIP Scheme)
- Foreign Artistic Talent scheme (ForArts)
Under the PTS Scheme and GIP Scheme, the following categories of foreigners can apply for permanent residence in Singapore:
- Spouse and unmarried children (below 21 years old) of a Singapore citizen or PR
- Aged parents of a citizen
- Employment pass and S pass holders (includes personalised employment pass and entrepreneur pass)
- Investors or entrepreneurs meeting eligibility criteria under GIP
Foreign Artistic Talent Scheme (ForArts) Scheme was Introduced in 1991, and jointly administered by the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the National Arts Council (NAC). The scheme is meant for outstanding international arts professionals to become Singapore PR in recognition of their cultural significance and contribution.
The applicant must meet all the following criteria to be eligible for ForArts scheme in Singapore:
- Relevant training/education and professional experience in their field of practice
- Outstanding achievements, in the field of performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, design and/or media
- Significant contributions to Singapore’s arts and cultural scene
- A strong track record of local engagements at the leadership level
- Concrete future plans to be involved in Singapore’s arts and cultural sector
Application Requirements
The application process for PR in Singapore is straightforward. All you have to do is to submit two sets of the completed application Form 4A (one original and one photocopy), along with a number of additional supporting documents. These documents include:
- A recent passport-sized photograph
- Valid travel document
- Identity card (if applicable)
- Work pass
- Educational and professional certificates, including two copies of your degree or diploma
- Birth certificate
- Testimonials from your previous employer stating the nature, duration, and compensation of employment
- Pay slips for the last six months
- Income tax notices of assessment for the last three years
Processing time of a PR application
As per the ICA, the normal processing time for PR application is four to six months, while some applications may take a longer time to process.