Singapore Expats

Hi all,

We’re a British family of four (two adults and two children, aged 12 and 6) and we’ve been living in Singapore for the past three years. We’ve just received our PR IPA, which is great news for us, but we’ve run into a bit of a dilemma regarding our elder son.

He’s turning 13 soon and has made it quite clear that he’d prefer to study and eventually live abroad — most likely back in the UK. Because of that, he’s not keen on taking up PR, and we’re a bit unsure about the longer-term implications if he does become a PR at his age, particularly around NS obligations and how that might affect his flexibility later on.

We’re considering requesting ICA to exclude him from the PR approval, but we’re not entirely sure how this might play out in terms of:
1. His ability to return to Singapore in future for work or study
2. Our own PR status and renewal as parents
3. Whether ICA commonly allows the exclusion of an older child in this age range
4. The pros and cons of him taking PR if he’s set on a UK-focused education and career path

Has anyone here been in a similar situation or successfully requested ICA to exclude a child after receiving IPA?
Any insight or personal experience would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Roadtosingapore wrote: ↑

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 9:46 am

Hi all,

We’re a British family of four (two adults and two children, aged 12 and 6) and we’ve been living in Singapore for the past three years. We’ve just received our PR IPA, which is great news for us, but we’ve run into a bit of a dilemma regarding our elder son.

He’s turning 13 soon and has made it quite clear that he’d prefer to study and eventually live abroad — most likely back in the UK. Because of that, he’s not keen on taking up PR, and we’re a bit unsure about the longer-term implications if he does become a PR at his age, particularly around NS obligations and how that might affect his flexibility later on.

We’re considering requesting ICA to exclude him from the PR approval, but we’re not entirely sure how this might play out in terms of:
1. His ability to return to Singapore in future for work or study
2. Our own PR status and renewal as parents
3. Whether ICA commonly allows the exclusion of an older child in this age range
4. The pros and cons of him taking PR if he’s set on a UK-focused education and career path

Has anyone here been in a similar situation or successfully requested ICA to exclude a child after receiving IPA?
Any insight or personal experience would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks very much.

"....we’re a bit unsure about the longer-term implications if he does become a PR at his age, particularly around NS obligations and how that might affect his flexibility later on."

?? This is the end of the road for your son in terms of permanency in Singapore. Whether he accepts and then renounces, or whether he doesn't accept it now, will both result in him being unable to obtain PR ever again. In both cases, he will probably be able to finish up on his studies on a student pass but will face a steep climb to get any future work visas or long term passes (possible but lots of bureaucracy ding-dong involved). He will still get the usual 90 day visit pass upon entering but that's pretty much it.

"1. His ability to return to Singapore in future for work or study"
I've addressed it above.

"2. Our own PR status and renewal as parents"
Will be interesting to see what happens. I think ICA is going to say its 'all or nothing'. But you'd know only after you try getting this PR process completed without your son.

"3. Whether ICA commonly allows the exclusion of an older child in this age range"
No, and the reason why you want to exclude him is exactly why.

"4. The pros and cons of him taking PR if he’s set on a UK-focused education and career path"
If his future is set in the UK, you shouldn't have applied for PR for him in the first place. But maybe you thought his future is best spent in Singapore and hence you did what you did. If he's set in a UK focused education and career path, there is no point in getting Singapore PR - albeit he will never have a 'permanent' future in Singapore again.

He can take up, finish his studies and then renounce (or more accurately never renew his REP).

I can see his reasoning.

I could potentially see ICA saying it's everybody or nobody as the intent to avoid doing NS is pretty obvious to all except those who might be both deaf & blind.

Hello OP,
I’ve also submitted my PR application for family of four.
Would you mind sharing how long your PR processing time? Thanks in advance!


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Jeremy91 wrote: ↑

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 6:50 pm

Hello OP,
I’ve also submitted my PR application for family of four.
Would you mind sharing how long your PR processing time? Thanks in advance!


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How will this help your application?

One of my in-laws got PR IPA for their whole family including their two sons around 2022. After which they requested excluding their sons from PR and were told they needed to resubmit their application. As you might imagine, their “new” PR application was eventually rejected.

In Singlish, we'll say "tan ku ku" which means "wait long long" in Hokkien. Or "wishful thinking" if you want an English translation.

Yes, they knew going in that it was very unlikely to get approved without committing their sons.

They have since taken their sons out of local school (where they were paying S$4500 monthly for the privilege) and are studying in the U.S. now (middle school and college) and paying S$1500 monthly. To be honest, the cost of local education for foreigners in Singapore no longer makes any economic sense.