Singapore Expats

Hi,

My husband got his PR in 2022. He is a British citizen, while I (his wife) and our toddler daughter are Singaporeans.

Shortly after he got his PR, we moved overseas in mid-2022 as he got the job offer of a lifetime. He has since returned to SG once, while my daughter and I visit once every few months.

Now that we are more or less settled down after the whirlwind few years of dealing with relocation, new job and a then new baby, we are thinking about the future. If we were to remain overseas for the foreseeable future, is there a risk of him losing his PR or re-entry permit? Would you recommend that we move back to SG for a few years now to secure it, for the next decade at least?

Thanks so much!

Yes you risk losing it. Saying that it's not 100% certain. I've renewed once while posted overseas.

All PRs need a valid Re-Entry Permit (REP) to remain overseas. If he remains overseas with an expired REP, then PR is automatically revoked.

Why would ICA renew his REP if he has not stayed in SG for majority of the REP?

If your family has decided to live overseas forever and not gonna sink roots in SG, then just let him forgo the PR.

If you want him to have PR forever, then he needs to be physically working and living in SG.

Maybe ICA would let him renew the REP on the first instance but it could be a 3 year REP instead of 5 year REP. Continue to stay overseas and he can forget about having subsequent renewals.

Other than it is nice to have, why does he really need it (if you were to remain overseas)? If you move back here, just apply for an LTVP and then re-apply for PR. It's unlikely to be a big problem.

If you want to live/work in Singapore, then move back before it expires, find a job, etc. If you want to live/work overseas, try to extend it but if it is lost, then it is lost.

I wouldn't make a decision about where to reside based on his status (in this case).

So just to add to the other answers. I personally know of one case of someone having their PR revoked because she moved away from Singapore for an extended period. Her CPF account was closed as well.

NYY1 wrote: ↑

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 7:58 pm

If you move back here, just apply for an LTVP and then re-apply for PR. It's unlikely to be a big problem.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve not encountered anyone on this forum that went from PR -> LTVP -> PR again.

MOCHS wrote: ↑

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 10:43 pm

NYY1 wrote: ↑

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 7:58 pm

If you move back here, just apply for an LTVP and then re-apply for PR. It's unlikely to be a big problem.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve not encountered anyone on this forum that went from PR -> LTVP -> PR again.

I don't think you are wrong. At the same time, I think many spouses of SC could get it back if needed (especially if there is still a minor SC child and the parents are working).

If they returned after they are done working (and the kid is of age), perhaps the spouse would be stuck on LTVP/+.

Hate to say this but it depends. I have friends who have been pr for years and get annual renewal on rep. I think the more important question is whether you can find a similar income job in Singapore vs the uk and your quality of life. Eod a residence is just that. It isn't all that is to life.

What I have heard from those who have done it… renewing a REP while overseas requires a lot of explanation — you need to give them reasonable assurance (with hard evidence) that your stay overseas is temporary and you fully intend to return afterwards.

For example, I know someone that had to produce a company letter from their Singapore based employer who sent them overseas on an assignment — it confirmed the why, what, when and how of their stay abroad and expected return. They were successful in renewing their REP in that instance, despite spending multiple years abroad.