SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
Singapore Expat Forum and Message Board for Expats in Singapore & Expatriates Relocating to Singapore

Hi all, I would like to ask if you have any experience or know anyone's experience with regards to the PR application appeal. Our family (me, wife and kid) applied for PR last year, we got a rejection this Feb and I wrote an email to ICA to appeal. There was no response, so I thought they never real...

Thank you all for the input!

With the corporate world being increasingly volatile, I can't help but wonder what usually happen when the expats here get laid off while they are still in EPs? Do most pack their stuff and head home? Or try to scramble to find a new job? I guess if they are married, and their spouse is working as w...

Social skill. Kids need to learn how to play with other kids since young age, I believe.

Working in AI-related field is a plus. Many of my friends in tech got their PR approved. However, being outside of Singapore from 2021-2025 is quite a big minus. Your clock basically resets, meaning they will consider as you just landed in Singapore recently.

Anecdotally, I heard that finance/consulting is a very competitive field for PR application. I have only heard of one single successful case within my circle of friends who are in finance. On the contrary, lots of my friends who work in tech got it. I think the gov has identified certain sectors as ...

Hi all, my family of 3 (me, wife and a kid) submitted our PR application back in Jul-2025. My wife had her increment this year, which brought her monthly salary to 10k+ range. I heard somewhere that this is the 1st psychological mark for ICA to decide if somebody is economically productive, so it is...

I think it is not really about foreigners but more about how companies are moving jobs overseas or automating them. Singapore’s labour costs are high while productivity growth has slowed, so the gap is harder to justify. For fresh grads it may be better to aim for roles that are less likely to be o...

There is a recent news about a murder case which took place in Yishun. Apparently an old man went berserk from hearing the noise made by the kids living in the unit above. He went upstairs with a knife and killed the mother of those kids, a Vietnamese lady. While I don't really know who she is, as a...

Today, CNA Insider aired an episode of Talking Point on Youtube on Unemployment in 30s in Singapore. In the interview, it was mentioned that the interviewees' roles were made redundant as their teams in Singapore were dismissed. Most comments (from the locals I suppose) are directed at foreign talen...

I agree that it is beneficial for Singapore to try moving up the value chain. But not everyone can be a "decision-maker" here. You can't have the whole population working as regional managers/directors or top-of-the-game technical leads. That is especially true for the young fresh graduates.

I just read an article on the current unemployment of the latest batch of graduates from the 4 local universities. It is now at 20%, which is the highest in recent history. As usual, many locals blame it on foreigners working here. You know, the "FT steal our jobs" "PAP opens floodgate" kind of argu...

I am not sure about the new system. But for our previous (2) applications under the old system, we had to wait for a year plus. I had an PRC ex-colleague who had to wait for close to 2 years. The only people who hear back within 6 months that I know, are all Malaysian Chinese.

Just my personal thoughts (I am not qualified to give any assessment): your ethnicity (Chinese) and education background (PhD from NUS) are your strengths. Length of stay is alright. Salary can be an area for improvement. I have some friends from the mainland. They have all become PR. Some of them d...

Hi there, I would encourage you to call ROM themselves to ask. I was not on the same boat but I did get my marriage cert here. I had some doubts. I called them and they walked me through the whole process. They were incredibly helpful on the phone. Dont be shy, just give them a ring