Expat Forum - Singapore Expats

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 06:54:00 GMT

Read from some others were about a year

Coffee machine that can make a Starbucks equivalent cappuccino

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 06:52:45 GMT

Anyone has recommedations for a coffee machine that can make a Starbucks equivalent cappuccino ? The dulce gusto that I just bought doesn't quite make a good, robust coffee...

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 04:14:15 GMT

Hi All

Same case for me, and my EP renewal process has also started. Has anyone received an outcome within 6 months?

Regards

Re: PR approval Chances for Indian

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 05:44:06 GMT

Chances not good at all. Many Indians have $30,000 or more a month mostly in software some both husband and wife earning that much. So many .....

Re: PR approval Chances for Indian

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 05:43:51 GMT

Chances not good at all. Many Indians have $30,000 or more a month mostly in software some both husband and wife earning that much. So many .....

Re: SC Singapore Citizenship application of Filipino-Chinese successful after 8 months!

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 08:16:09 GMT

heartiest congratulations! wow you did and got everything at lightning speed! How amazing...and very lucky too...hope you will continue being a regular here, you might be able to share your experiences with many others

Re: Study and Work in Singapore for future career path.

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:46:13 GMT
I think OP is looking for a pathway to work in Singapore via study, unfortunately, there is no such pathway in Singapore, unless you join one of the top universities in a niche stream that is in very high demand and you find a job after that and your employer is willing to pay you enough to get .....

Re: PR Application: Waiting time after provided the additional documents

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 01:39:59 GMT
Hi all, just want to update that I just receive my PR approval letters after 16.5 months. Now just need to work on the paper work .....

Re: Study and Work in Singapore for future career path.

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 02:30:30 GMT
You are also limited or not allowed to work if on a student visa, depending on whether it's a commercial school or government links one. Limited working hours to be sure.

Re: "Proceed to upload documents" button is missing in ICA Website

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 02:28:34 GMT
:roll: ](*,)

Re: SC Singapore Citizenship application of Filipino-Chinese successful after 8 months!

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 02:03:06 GMT
Congrats @20characters! Hope your citizenship journey is going well. Did your Upload Documents button mysteriously go missing before .....

Re: PR Application: Waiting time after provided the additional documents

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 09:31:03 GMT
Hi all, just want to update that I just receive my PR approval letters after 16.5 months. Now just need to work on the paper work :)

Re: Need Advice on My Singapore PR Profile

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 07:02:43 GMT
I see. Any other advice you have for me based on my profile? what steps should I take etc.

Re: Europe retirement visas

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 11:33:21 GMT
It takes guts to walk away from a relatively high paying job because of the financial security it represents. Everyone in my office thought I was .....

Re: Europe retirement visas

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 02:35:34 GMT
It takes guts to walk away from a relatively high paying job because of the financial security it represents. Everyone in my office thought I was crazy for giving up my job, which not only paid well but wasn’t too difficult or stressful. I’m now 2.5 weeks unemployed and although it’s not a .....

Considering PR, looking for advice !

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 04:42:46 GMT
Hello all ,
I am a 23 year old (Female) Indian, Its been three years since I moved to SG for my masters in NUS and I am currently working in Research at NUS (Bio surveillance and bioinformatics ) under govt funded grant. I am under EP now with a validity of 5 years. I love .....

Re: Need Advice on My Singapore PR Profile

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 03:25:28 GMT
No benefit of doing social work for enhancing your PR chances. Apparently you are about 20 years late.... Indians have already abused that route.

Re: Don't let your overseas drivers license expire!

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 03:21:14 GMT
That phone service text message is surprising. I’ve had the same service with Singtel for around 20 years — it’s an old corporate (CIS) plan which is no longer available but they grandfathered me. My EP has changed many times over those 20 years and I never got any notices. Hopefully they .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:50:50 GMT
I .....

Re: Europe retirement visas

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:39:52 GMT
My daughter will go to a local school in India, she will go to 8th grade next year. Yes, the digital nomad visa is a good idea.

I just came back .....

Re: Europe retirement visas

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:10:22 GMT
I just checked out .....

Re: Europe retirement visas

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 12:29:18 GMT
This makes me wonder, where is the best place for my kids to earn good money without high tax or high cost of living… especially when they are .....

Re: Europe retirement visas

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 12:26:41 GMT
I just checked out Bangalore vs Lisbon cost of living in Numbeo

Re: Need Advice on My Singapore PR Profile

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 12:18:59 GMT
Correction: Undergrad(in Materials Science) from IIT Jammu (July 2019- July "2023")

Eagerly waiting for your assessment.

Re: Europe retirement visas

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 10:49:13 GMT
I just checked out Bangalore vs Lisbon cost of living in Numbeo

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 02:59:04 GMT
Mine is still pending until now. we applied Sept 2023. Wow. Thats 1.4 years of waiting....

Re: Don't let your overseas drivers license expire!

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:57:47 GMT

Re: Don't let your overseas drivers license expire!

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:52:10 GMT

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 12:31:10 GMT
I .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 11:58:25 GMT
I re-read some of the replies. Just to clarify, a very conservative asset allocation means the portfolio can only support a low withdrawal .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 11:05:58 GMT
~~[quote=malcontent post_id=897410 time=1737106456 .....~~

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 08:32:10 GMT
Mine is still pending until now. we applied Sept 2023.

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 05:13:39 GMT
The retirement spending “smile” is another important factor to consider. That is where spending in early and late retirement tends to be higher and drops in the middle.

My parents retired in their 50’s (lots of travel) and have just hit the bottom of the smile in their 80’s .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 04:50:29 GMT
Hi everyone, would like to know what are my chances of getting my PR Approved (Applied on November 2024):

1. Profile: Male Indonesian Malay (My Stepdad is Malay Singaporean and my Biological mother is Indonesian)
2. Age: 27
3. Visa Status: Currently on E-Pass
4 .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:42:41 GMT
I was looking at some financial market data again today (US markets so ignores currency for non-USD based consumers). I think these figures have been pretty consistent over time (a range is given, as it depends on exactly what timeframe you look at):
-Cash = ~0.0% - 0.5% real return .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 10:42:27 GMT
One year .....

Re: Study and Work in Singapore for future career path.

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 10:29:40 GMT
You can research on the private schools here..many courses available as long as you have the interest to pursue. As for studying and working at the same time, you could do so, but I think it is darn tiring and probably not be able to do well in either...

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 10:04:14 GMT
~~[quote=smoulder post_id=897409 time=1737105494 .....~~

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 09:38:49 GMT
The standard rule of thumb safe withdrawal rate (SWR) for a 30 year retirement is 4%.

As you extend beyond 30, the SWR eventually drops .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 09:34:16 GMT
I'm not mixing up the 2 :) (CPF and retirement portfolio).... The thing I often see in Singapore is the tendency to .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 09:18:14 GMT
I'm not mixing up the 2 :) (CPF and retirement portfolio)....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 09:07:32 GMT
I still have at least 20 years to put this in place, but at the moment my thought is to project how much I think I need every month at retirement .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 08:46:33 GMT
Out of curiosity @malcontent, how does one get in touch with the processing officer directly at the ICA building? Won't they stop you .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 07:55:49 GMT
Out of curiosity ~~, how does one get in touch with the processing officer directly at the ICA building? Won't they stop you from meeting them given how busy they are?~~

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 07:38:57 GMT
One year later ICA asked if i wanted to be considered under family ties and I agreed. Family ties will look at the .....

Re: Singapore Citizenship Application - Application List Missing on Upload Additional Documents Page

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 07:36:30 GMT
~~Why are you reviving numerous threads where the poster have not logged in for years? It’s unlikely they will log in again.~~

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 03:20:54 GMT
I still have at least 20 years to put this in place, but at the moment my thought is to project how much I think I need every month at retirement age, buffer it and base my total retirement portfolio value off this monthly figure. Then do a 3 percent withdrawal. This would not factor in cpf .....

Re: Don't let your overseas drivers license expire!

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 03:02:35 GMT
For .....

Re: "Proceed to upload documents" button is missing in ICA Website

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:46:09 GMT
Dear all, I see many of these posts are in relation to a Singapore PR application. Would anyone know if the Upload button goes missing for citizenship applications as well? If so, how many days after that does one receive the outcome? Thank you.

Re: Singapore Citizenship Application - Application List Missing on Upload Additional Documents Page

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:43:07 GMT
~~Hope you had a positive outcome. Out of curiosity, how many days after the Upload button missing instance did you receive the outcome? Thank you.~~

Re: SC Singapore Citizenship application of Filipino-Chinese successful after 8 months!

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:23:58 GMT
Congrats ! Hope your citizenship journey is going well. Did your Upload Documents button mysteriously go missing before the application outcome? If so, when did it go missing and how many days after that did you receive the positive .....

Re: Finally got my Singapore Citizenship!

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:22:42 GMT
Congrats! Hope your citizenship journey is going well. Did your Upload Documents button mysteriously go missing before the application outcome? If so, when did it go missing and how many days after that did you receive the positive .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:11:50 GMT
Just curious, what withdrawal rate are people comfortable with for a 40+ year horizon? And is your goal to just not run out of money or to protect the real .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:08:23 GMT
Just curious, what withdrawal rate are people comfortable with for a 40+ year horizon? And is your goal to just not run out of money or to protect the real .....

Re: Retirement Funding Optimization

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 10:57:32 GMT
Just curious, what withdrawal rate are people comfortable with for a 40+ year horizon? And is your goal to just not run out of money or to protect the real value of the portfolio?

Also, does anyone think renting in retirement is a good idea? A paid off house lowers your annual needs .....

Re: Don't let your overseas drivers license expire!

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 10:56:41 GMT
For .....

Re: Don't let your overseas drivers license expire!

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 10:44:26 GMT
For those who left Singapore but kept your local bank account, did any of you change the address on the account to your new overseas address? .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 02:30:46 GMT
I ask my wife jokingly she can "march down" for me and she thinks I am crazy haha My wife is a little crazy like that. She is .....

Re: Don't let your overseas drivers license expire!

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 02:19:01 GMT
For those who left Singapore but kept your local bank account, did any of you change the address on the account to your new overseas address?

I’m just wondering what (if any) implications there would be to doing this. Would this put the account at risk of termination?

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 01:39:29 GMT
@Bean123 assuming you are around ~30-35, you will more likely than not get PR at some point. All things considered, you may have been part of the group that .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 01:35:22 GMT
We were .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 06:57:34 GMT
We were married less than 1 year when i applied. And there is your answer. You applied too soon after marriage which can be .....

Re: My citizenship journey

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 06:45:33 GMT
Alright thank you

Re: My citizenship journey

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 05:32:08 GMT
Nope. Can't recall, but it was fairly quick. I think my wife was at home when the courier reached home.

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 04:07:21 GMT
On one hand, there are some things in life where you don't know if you don't ask. Similarly, giving up only guarantees you won't be successful.

At the same time, people could probably learn to write in a humbler way or at least think about how their words may be perceived. But that .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 04:02:55 GMT
assuming you are around ~30-35, you will more likely than not get PR at some point. All things considered, you may have been part of the group that is better off waiting a bit longer after marriage before applying. At the same time, .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 02:55:53 GMT
I know it sounds a little audacious to march down there, but as a PR/citizen sponsoring an immediate family member and getting rejected unexpectedly, speaking to an officer can help you understand what concerns or missing information they have.

In the case of our daughter’s PR .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 02:50:19 GMT
Thanks for your comment.

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:40:58 GMT

Assuming you’ve been married at least 2 years, your spouse should march down to the ICA and request to speak to an officer. My wife has done this in at least 4 situations over the years when she believed she should have gotten a different outcome (1 was our daughter’s PR .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:05:01 GMT
It’s already clearly stated in the ROM document that foreigners married to Singaporeans are not automatically granted any long term visas.

If every Singaporean with a foreigner spouse can just “march down” to demand a favourable outcome, ICA is gonna be swamped .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 03:08:22 GMT
We have no kid yet. I am dejected and have no clue what to do . Assuming you’ve been married at least 2 years, your spouse .....

Re: DP opening business abroad - taxation

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 02:19:35 GMT
Hi,

I'm filing the normal tax declaration every year, though prepared by an agent. I guess you need to check the countries of your overseas employers and what tax treaty they have. I did write to MoM to get a confirmation on my situation. But otherwise, I don't do anything .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:59:29 GMT

~~Hi bro. Fellow Vietnamese here. I came accross your post and I created an account .....~~

Re: SAIS vs OFS

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:41:05 GMT
Nice in-depth review.

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:53:13 GMT
Hi bro. Fellow Vietnamese here. I came accross your post and I created an account just to reply to you.

I also received my rejection around October 2024 after 27 months waiting. I graduated from SMU and have been working as a data engineer for 8 years. Salary is around 110k year ( .....

Re: My citizenship journey

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 07:43:20 GMT
Noted will do.

Do you remember how fast you got the courier? That's where u can upload the cert onto ICA rite? I have to be at home personally to sign rite?

Re: My citizenship journey

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 06:58:06 GMT
,I presume the Indian IC that you are referring to is the Aadhar card? If so, keep it - there are plenty of reasons why you might need it!

On a similar note, my wife still has her Malaysia MYKad.

Re: My citizenship journey

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 06:15:47 GMT
Update: Went for BLS at CBD area. Its cash. No credit no debit. Price list on BLS website doesn't match the price they ask. Paid $213. Took me about an hour to settle everything. Surrender cert when they ask for ur parents name, put the exact name that is written in your passport. For example if .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 05:41:48 GMT
We have seen similar posts, for example, I recall an Indonesian Chinese that didn’t know they should simply list Chinese as their race… so I don’t think your case is unprecedented. We have also seen cases where race was changed to Chinese and the applicant was challenged by the ICA to .....

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:50:25 GMT
@an.nguyen did you get any response?

Seems like 6 months commitment is only on paper with conditions, situation remains same after with the .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:34:24 GMT

Appreciate your comment.
I think there is totally no issue of living and eating styles for us since we have been here for one and half decades. I living in HDB and not sending my kid to international schools.
I wanted to .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:24:18 GMT
As for integration part, we did some volunteers work when we got a helper to look after my son. My wife did some blood donations .....

Re: Career Coaching

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 06:14:05 GMT
@Strong Eagle, I appreciate your detailed response—it really highlights the challenges foreigners face when trying to break into the Singapore job market. While it does sound incredibly difficult, I think there are a few avenues worth exploring, even if they come with no .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:40:07 GMT
Lol seriously? Physical appearance is a way for the ICA to verify that you are Chinese? I look Caucasian, but my IC says Indian - I wonder why I never thought of getting myself some white privilege by turning up at Kallang and changing my identity to Caucasian.

Re: SAIS vs OFS

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:38:04 GMT
Hi Everyone,

So this is the 2nd week of my son studying in his new school, which is OFS (1st time ever he studies in an International school as well).
He told me that he found it fun, joyous, and has a supportive surrounding when he got home at the 1st day (totally different when .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:40:28 GMT
~~Just to add in that, I've applied PR a few times only with wrong race and all are rejected. I think this time should be right race after investing 14 years in SG.~~

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:24:19 GMT
Thank you for your comment. I understand that reapplying PR within 6 months is considered appeal application. As ICA mentioned in website that, "if there are changes to your circumstances, you may submit fresh application". So, I just .....

Re: Citizen approval chance

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:19:04 GMT
Congrats .

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:09:40 GMT
did you get any response?

Seems like 6 months commitment is only on paper with conditions, situation remains same after with the updated system.

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 07:18:44 GMT
If everything else is the same except race, and no pay raise or change in job, then I’m gonna lean towards maybe not.

There are plenty of PRCs who get rejected for PR too.

ICA looks at many other factors, not just race alone. How integrated are you with SG .....

Re: Citizen approval chance

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 05:24:24 GMT
Approved around a week or two later the submission of proof!

Re: British expat in SG looking for advice on opening a UK bank account (in my name).

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 02:50:52 GMT
I had some issues with Wise just last week. Normally the send time is near instant for USD to SGD, but for some reason they are now saying it’ll .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 02:25:24 GMT
Thank you for reply
~~We are following all Chinese traditions like CNY praying, ancestors praying, etc because my grandparents came from China during second world war. For .....~~

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 01:00:48 GMT
What languages do you speak and how is your child classified?

The C bucket is obviously larger. At the same time, they know you've just changed your race (although you are certainly allowed to do so, one may ask why / how does someone really identify themselves).

Could go .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 03:23:16 GMT
Race helps in the CMIO count, but how much cultural affinity do Burmese Chinese have with locals? Is it more like Thai Chinese where they tend to be more Thai than Chinese? I’ve only known one Burmese Chinese, they seemed well integrated, but they came very young.

Re: Eligibility for Citizenship - Residency requirement?

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 09:37:41 GMT
That's interesting, this answers the question of why the ICA website said I'm eligible to apply for citizenship. I've been living in Singapore continuously for the past 13 yrs this year (since I was a poly student), though I only got my PR last month. I don't really have an answer for your .....

Eligibility for Citizenship - Residency requirement?

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 08:17:39 GMT
I was going through the official requirements for citizenship as per Singapore's Constitution. See below.

Foreigners over the age of 21 may become Singapore citizens by naturalisation after residing in the country for at least 10 of the 12 years preceding an application .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 03:33:53 GMT
Hi All

I'd like to know my PR chances for reapplying after race changed to Chinese. Here is my rejected profile:

Husband
Race: Burmese (Change to Chinese during the application is pending)
Nationality: Myanmar
Age: 37
Annual income: 100k
Education: .....

Re: British expat in SG looking for advice on opening a UK bank account (in my name).

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 08:35:13 GMT
BTW, send time from SGD to USD is typically around 2 business days and arrives via ACH, not a wire (which is good, because many US accounts charge inbound wire fees).

Re: British expat in SG looking for advice on opening a UK bank account (in my name).

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 08:32:59 GMT
I had some issues with Wise just last week. Normally the send time is near instant for USD to SGD, but for some reason they are now saying it’ll take 4 business days.

At first they were only doing the 4 day wait with accounts that were not verified with Plaid (which is a 3rd party .....

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 07:13:37 GMT
Like the old saying, it’s not the high cost of living, but the cost of living high. I know this to be true as a single person. Housing you can .....

Re: Thoughts/advice for relocating back to SG with spouse and child

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 06:58:48 GMT
What citizenship does your son currently have? Japanese? Not sure how it would work now to apply for Singapore citizenship if he's already holding .....

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 05:29:21 GMT
I’ve .....

Re: Thoughts/advice for relocating back to SG with spouse and child

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 03:07:31 GMT
What citizenship does your son currently have? Japanese? Not sure how it would work now to apply for Singapore citizenship if he's already holding another country passport - can it be done directly without first becoming a PR?

Re: Chances of PR

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 03:02:02 GMT
Slim but probably still worth a try. There is still a possibility that they might take you in.

Re: My citizenship journey

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 03:00:24 GMT
Off the top of my head, yes they accept cash. Maybe NETS as well but don't bet on it. I think they mention it in their website. I don't recall a temporary IC. The oath taking date I believe is technically the day that you are confirmed to be a Singapore citizen (with the same IC number assigned .....

Re: Chances of PR

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 05:28:46 GMT
Slim.

Re: My citizenship journey

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 05:21:55 GMT
My parents told me BLS only accepts cash and that was when they went to renew passport back in 2020. Is it still the same now?

Re: British expat in SG looking for advice on opening a UK bank account (in my name).

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 05:21:07 GMT
Wise can be entirely done online. Like PNGMK, I've been using Wise since they first set up here. I do my transfers the opposite route from yours, e.g. sending USD from a US account to a SGD account. Easy-Peasy. I'm 77 and started drawing US SS at 70. It's direct deposited into my US bank (which .....

Re: My citizenship journey

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 05:18:58 GMT
I read through all. I guess i will just put the date of my oath taking. I assume that's the day i will get that temporary IC?

Re: Thoughts/advice for relocating back to SG with spouse and child

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 04:59:08 GMT
ICA and MOM both ALWAYS leave a side door for themselves to cover any extenuating circumstances of applications that go longer the necessary. It's ironic because if it does they will not give you the reason for doing so which for all intents and purposes makes the original statement not much .....

Re: Underfloor Heating Intelligence Singapore

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 04:47:17 GMT
I was born and raised in the mid east coast of the US MD/VA/DC area. Winters down to -15F in the winter and +42C in Baltimore/DC quite often during the dog days of August (coupled with smog as well) Had heating but as young adult I only used box fans in the windows in summer (in fact, I've lived .....

Re: Happy New Year

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 04:25:23 GMT
It's real peaceful here now! Nobody gets a little crazy here these days? :twisted: Happy New Year Madwolfie. It's only .....

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 03:30:43 GMT
SG imports virtually everything. We don’t produce much (other than eggs and some veggies and fish), so we can’t really compare the price of groceries .....

Re: Singapore PR Application - CPF access

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 02:01:19 GMT
For some people the applciation status is showing as pending and for some it is showing processing application.

Re: Singapore PR Application - CPF access

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 01:50:18 GMT
Its showing “ Processing application”. What does pending means?

Re: Singapore PR Application - CPF access

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 01:20:54 GMT
Hi ~~can i ask if the application status is showing currently processing or pending when you click on enquire status ?~~

Need Advice on My Singapore PR Profile

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 12:17:24 GMT
Hello Everyone,
Reading a lot of cases on this forum and thought I might post my own. Please help me assess my profile and give pointers.

Nationality: Indian
Place of Birth: India
Race: Indian
Gender: Male
Age: 24 Years Old
Marital Status: .....

Re: My citizenship journey

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 07:13:46 GMT
Read through the posts - I have written about how I renounced Indian citizenship.

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 12:32:16 GMT
SG imports virtually everything. We don’t produce much (other than eggs and some veggies and fish), so we can’t really compare the price of groceries if country X is already producing its own milk, fruit, meat, etc in the first place.

At least we don’t have to do mental .....

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:42:22 GMT
I’ve been going back and forth between Singapore and California over the past 4 months now as we settle in to our new (fire rimmed) home .....

Re: Singapore PR Application - CPF access

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 05:19:45 GMT
Application is still processing, no updates since submission in July 2024

Re: Singapore PR Application - CPF access

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 05:00:24 GMT
~~can i ask if received outcome for your application ?~~

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 03:55:33 GMT
I’ve been going back and forth between Singapore and California over the past 4 months now as we settle in to our new (fire rimmed) home. Although things like eating out at a restaurant is generally more, grocery prices are usually less. Even Jasmine Thai rice, US$17.99 at Costco for 25lb .....

Re: My citizenship journey

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 02:50:19 GMT
Hello, currently im on my final stage. Thank you so much for posting about ur journey here. Helped me be at ease. Did u surrender ur passport after u attained citizenship? Because im also stuck at the 2nd form for surrendering my indian passport. I cant fill it in unless i actually got .....

Re: Curious question: Why such long processing timelines?

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 02:02:59 GMT
It's unlikely due to a massive number of applications and only a few officers.

ICA both approves and rejects applications "quickly" (~6 months or even quicker for some groups). At the same time, both approvals and rejections come in the 18-24 month timeframe.

If the .....

Re: Curious question: Why such long processing timelines?

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 01:52:00 GMT
Because there are hundred thousands of application every year, and only a handful of officers doing the job?

Regarding your last point, are you ok with AI approve or reject your application, or influence the decision of the processing officer? Because I definitely wont. I mean it’s .....

Curious question: Why such long processing timelines?

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 06:31:17 GMT
I am just curious. Wondering why there are such long processing times for PR and SC applications? What are they actually checking? I find it hard to believe that it takes more than a few months for them to do background checks. Won't there be an algo for all of this? Especially with all the .....

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 01:17:59 GMT
As noted, this post was from four plus years ago. Also, the cost items mentioned are certainly worth considering (especially out of pocket school fees if you would otherwise be paying nothing in a public school).

That being said, with the exception of a car, costs in Singapore are .....

Re: Frustration Over PR Rejection

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:42:10 GMT
Dont retire , definitely not at 45 yrs old. If you intend to send your child overseas to further study , it will cost a lot !

Re: PR approval Chances for Indian

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:36:18 GMT
Chances not good at all. Many Indians have $30,000 or more a month mostly in software some both husband and wife earning that much. So many Indians and it is miniority race so the quota is much less.

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:32:01 GMT
I think your chances will be good, Indonesian Chinese, young and male with good career prospects , if rejected dont worry apply again later , I have seen Malaysian Chinese male applied 10times and got it at the 10th attempt!

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 06:13:43 GMT
Well, there's no doubt in my mind that even without quota, MOM has a very good handle on the percentages of EP's versus locals in every company... but it's not a published statistic that I can find anywhere.

But, I think the approach is a bit more subtle than points and such. The .....

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 03:16:06 GMT
The post is from 4 years ago… You can easily search

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 02:40:52 GMT
The post is from 4 years ago… You can easily search ~~to see what happened next.~~

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:41:31 GMT
I would be more worried about the remuneration and the expat package being offered. While the cost of housing in the Bay Area is close to Singapore, it is not going to be apples to apples. The cost of owning a car and going to school is very significant, not just double, many multiples higher .....

Re: Moving from Bay Area to Singapore

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:24:02 GMT
Don't do it. Nothing like the US for Indian expats.

Re: SC application

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:17:26 GMT
Very high. Through spouse sponsorship.

Re: Citizenship approval 2022 - single female in 30s

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:10:56 GMT
A big factor could have been that your mother is already a citizen.

Re: Chances of PR

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:58:48 GMT
Do you have kids? And do they live in Singapore?

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:49:23 GMT
What you describe is true, but it’s not due to the rigged system, it is due to brainwashing and group think. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met people who are sold on this idea that the safety in Singapore somehow makes it worth the high cost of living. But this is not unique to .....

Re: British expat in SG looking for advice on opening a UK bank account (in my name).

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:45:52 GMT
~~Wise's location is quite far from Orchard Road, where I work, so having an account with them doesn't seem very convenient .....~~

Re: Chance for getting Singapore citizenship

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:25:38 GMT
Very high chance. Quite sure you will get it if you apply.

Re: Is it possible to get IPA extended for one more additional month over previous extension due to health emergency

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:19:52 GMT
Yes, write to the ICA. They are usually very reasonable if an applicant provides evidence.

Re: Applied PR Before Covid19 But Never Approved

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:04:01 GMT
That does not sound right. Did you follow up with the ICA?

Re: Singapore Citizenship application - Pending over 9 months

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 07:48:47 GMT
Hi ~~What was your application outcome?~~

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 07:46:42 GMT
Hi, mine too pending after 6 months, applied in July. Apparently, we do not have other options than waiting i think.

Please share if anyone get updates.

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 07:20:00 GMT
I submitted my PR application in early July 2024, and it has now been over six months with no updates from the ICA. The system indicates that the .....

Re: Citizen approval chance

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 06:46:54 GMT
Please do let us know about the SC application outcome.

Re: REP renewal

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 06:45:16 GMT
So, you are not living with your wife right now? Who was the main sponsor in your PR application? If you are living away from Singapore, they will most likely renew yours for 1 year, and if you don't come back within that year, they will .....

Re: Rental Dispute Over Hidden Noise Issues

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 06:45:02 GMT
The .....

Re: British expat in SG looking for advice on opening a UK bank account (in my name).

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 04:26:30 GMT
Use wise

Re: Can Singapore citizens work in International Schools in Singapore?

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 03:30:07 GMT
Singlish as an option is efficient and to the point. In Singapore, and possibly Malaysia, it has its use case. In fact, code-switching can actually be quite useful, both in social and even in professional settings.

But if all you have is Singlish, you're not going to be taken .....

Re: Citizenship approved on first application

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 03:21:28 GMT
Well done AussieSG.

Can I ask, I take it that Oz doesn't have a public pension plan that all Aussies auto-opt into? Presumably, if it did, any Aussie renouncing citizenship would forfeit whatever they'd accumulated in that plan. But I'm guessing that's a non-issue?

Re: Rental Dispute Over Hidden Noise Issues

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 03:17:34 GMT
I find this situation and the early termination case interesting. Personally, I don't agree with the claims about violating the "peaceful enjoyment" clause or not disclosing information.

At the same time, I understand how damages are being computed (tenants are trying to make the .....

Re: Spouse of PR

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 02:49:57 GMT
~~[quote=Path2Family post_id=897211 time=1736384514 .....~~

Re: Spouse of PR

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 02:42:08 GMT
Yes, but as long as they show that she was employed at the time of application, I think it should be OK? Because that is what they are basing .....

Re: Can Singapore citizens work in International Schools in Singapore?

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 02:04:57 GMT
Yes, ~~Singaporeans can and do work in many international schools, so please don't restrict yourself! That said, you will need to move get international certifications.~~

Re: British expat in SG looking for advice on opening a UK bank account (in my name).

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 01:54:57 GMT
I am an American expat in SG, looking for a bank that converts my monthly income in SGD to USD and transfers the USD to my U.S. bank account, of course hoping for the best exchange rate and misc fees.

May I know which bank did you end up using?

Thanks!

Re: Rental Dispute Over Hidden Noise Issues

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 01:53:37 GMT
~~Do update us on the outcome, it would be interesting to know.~~

Re: Can Singapore citizens work in International Schools in Singapore?

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 01:45:19 GMT
~~[quote=sundaymorningstaple post_id=829274 time=1595586566 .....~~

Re: Spouse of PR

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 01:01:54 GMT
No .....

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:53:38 GMT
Actually the game is rigged against Singaporeans, because Singaporeans are made to believe that, it is a very bad world out there and as soon as you step out you will either get raped or mugged. So Singaporeans are forced to live in high cost of living and perpetually be on the hamster wheel to .....

Re: Rental Dispute Over Hidden Noise Issues

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:30:03 GMT
Yeah I don't think Aussie is speaking from a point of expertise.

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 03:10:56 GMT
^^^^^^
EP's don't have quotas. Small companies have to abide by the same EP requirements as anyone else. Why do you think small startups .....

Re: Rental Dispute Over Hidden Noise Issues

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 01:05:16 GMT
The maxim caveat emptor applies, meaning “buyer beware”. The landlord has probably not done anything wrong in the eyes of the law. The law .....

Re: Spouse of PR

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 01:00:21 GMT
No additional employer documents are usually required unless immigration requests them. If PR is approved, one of the .....

Re: Spouse of PR

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:33:44 GMT
Losing your job shouldn't affect your husband's PR application if the sponsorship was already submitted and met the requirements. No additional employer documents are usually required unless immigration requests them.

Re: Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 05:52:12 GMT
Yes, I think you may reach out to the ICA to ask for an update, but please also expect a standard response. Under the new system, we don't know if the ICA is able to provide a more detailed update when applicants reach out. Let us know here if you do reach out and what the response was.

Re: Finally got my Singapore Citizenship!

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 03:43:44 GMT
Congrats AussieSG!

In general, all the estimated wait times they give you are the worst case scenario. I was on a clock because I had urgent travel coming up, so at every stage I would just keep trying once every morning and it usually works out much shorter than the official .....

Seeking Advice: PR Application Pending Beyond 6 Months

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 03:00:38 GMT
I submitted my PR application in early July 2024, and it has now been over six months with no updates from the ICA. The system indicates that the usual processing time is within six months, but it also mentions that some applications might take longer.

I’m unsure about what to do .....

Re: Citizenship approved on first application

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:05:48 GMT
Congrats, OP. Did your spouse take up SC as well? Out of curiosity, how did you make the decision of taking up SC v/s keeping Australian .....

Re: Citizenship approved on first application

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:04:07 GMT
Congrats. Do you have family and if so, I presume they were part of the application?

Also, are you a naturalised Australian .....

Re: Citizenship approved on first application

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 01:44:38 GMT
Congrats. Do you have family and if so, I presume they were part of the application?

Also, are you a naturalised Australian citizen?

Re: Citizenship approved on first application

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 01:34:32 GMT
Congrats, OP. Did your spouse take up SC as well? Out of curiosity, how did you make the decision of taking up SC v/s keeping Australian citizenship with PR (which is typically the Singaporean dream, I believe?)?

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 07:35:22 GMT
^^^^^^
EP's don't have quotas. Small companies have to abide by the same EP requirements as anyone else. Why do you think small startups would be treated differently?

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:41:06 GMT
~~[quote=Wd40 post_id=897187 time=1736247461 .....~~

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:13:26 GMT
Decent chance in my opinion. But if you want a higher chance, work in Big Tech. The reason why your EP took so long to get .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:03:57 GMT
mate, you're Indo Chinese. You're young and you have a high salary considering your age. Just apply.

If rejected, apply again .....

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:01:12 GMT
Actually, the fact that Singaporeans have the lowest fertility rate and don't want to have kids, actually tells you everything you need to know about the .....

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:57:41 GMT
Actually, the fact that Singaporeans have the lowest fertility rate and don't want to have kids, actually tells you everything you need to know about the "privilege" of being born in Singapore, doesn't it? 😊

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:23:40 GMT
Being bottom percentile any where is horrible.
Being top percentile any where is great.

So let’s ignore the tails and .....

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 09:52:56 GMT
I think it is wise to do geo arbitrage - to earn in Singapore and spend in cheaper countries. I think you would not want to be .....

Citizenship approved on first application

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 09:18:39 GMT
Got my IPA today! Took around 14 months.

Married, no kids.
Aged 46.
Indian race. Australian nationality.
PR for 12 years.
In SG for total of 20 years.
CFO of a MNC.
Salary - 40K per month. Never been unemployed ever.
Condo owner for 10 years .....

Re: Rental Dispute Over Hidden Noise Issues

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 08:54:23 GMT
The maxim caveat emptor applies, meaning “buyer beware”. The landlord has probably not done anything wrong in the eyes of the law. The law requires you to do your due diligence and sign the contract at your own risk. If you had noise concerns then you should’ve included a statement in the .....

Re: Long-Term Visit Pass and Permanent Residence applied within a single application

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 06:30:25 GMT
I submitted it end of October’24. Have you checked if can submit separate LTVP application simultaneously when this is .....

Re: Finally got my Singapore Citizenship!

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 04:55:19 GMT
Congratulations! I also recently received IPA for citizenship. Did you not have to wait 3 days from the date of the IPA before you could log on to sgjourney?

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:49:33 GMT
Being bottom percentile any where is horrible.
Being top percentile any where is great.

So let’s ignore the tails and talk about the middle of the bell curve.

I think there’s a chance your future generations may end up. “Everyone wishes for success, but .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:12:22 GMT
Decent chance in my opinion. But if you want a higher chance, work in Big Tech. The reason why your EP took so long to get approved is because you work for a startup. ICA can be quite superficial here, they will go by "brand names" from what I have observed.

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:09:25 GMT
I think it is wise to do geo arbitrage - to earn in Singapore and spend in cheaper countries. I think you would not want to be a fresh grad in China, Vietnam or India nowadays. There are just too many of them competing for few jobs, and they will never be able to buy properties with just their .....

Re: Finally got my Singapore Citizenship!

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 01:17:53 GMT
Changes since last application, I don't know which ones, if any, are relevant to my application
1. I started working for a GLC, I used to work for .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 01:12:44 GMT
mate, you're Indo Chinese. You're young and you have a high salary considering your age. Just apply.

If rejected, apply again after 6 months. if you don't get it the first time, you will the 2nd or 3rd time.

Re: "The game" in Singapore is rigged by the government for the citizens

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:46:00 GMT
You are right in your assessment. However, if you look around you, it is not like you will find a lot of people who are happy. So success or "making it" is a relative vs what is your expectations out of life and vs everyone else around you.

If you are born in Vietnam or India, in a .....

Re: PR Approval Chances 2025

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:26:46 GMT
If you’ve been lurking here for a while, then you know the answer. You also know that having a tiny SSB investment isn’t going to sway things .....

Re: Citizenship chances for a family with kids studying in international school

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 08:15:06 GMT
Switching to local schools isn't mandatory for citizenship approval, but showing integration into Singaporean society, including local education or other community involvement, can strengthen your application. Since your eldest is approaching PSLE, it’s reasonable to avoid switching schools .....

Re: Long-Term Visit Pass and Permanent Residence applied within a single application

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 06:26:50 GMT
I submitted it end of October’24. Have you checked if can submit separate LTVP application simultaneously when this is processing?

Re: Long-Term Visit Pass and Permanent Residence applied within a single application

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 05:54:38 GMT
I’m also in the same situation. Just wondering what might be the result. Please do let know Hi Sara

Still the .....

Re: Joining Secondary school from International School

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 05:48:25 GMT
My son is in Grade 5 currently, in an international school. He is Nov-2013 born. If he were in local school, he would be taking PSLE this .....

Spouse of PR

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 05:33:41 GMT
Hello knowledgeable members,

I finally received my PR in 2023. In early 2024, we applied for my husband's PR with me, the PR as the 'sponsor'.

Unfortunately, before Christmas, I lost my job and am on gardening leave. We still have no outcome on my husband's PR application .....