Long-distance relationships are hard, especially in the current pandemic, which has made travelling freely to and fro between different countries so much more difficult.
Having your partner with you daily to make the going less tough will certainly be a boost of serotonin, but it can be challenging if your spouse is not a permanent resident (PR) in Singapore, as this means that they can only stay in Singapore for a short period of time.
However, if your spouse is a permanent resident, they are not only entitled to stay in Singapore for the long term but also enjoy many other benefits.
In this article, we will cover four good reasons why you should apply for permanent residence for your spouse as well as how to do so.
4 Benefits of being a permanent resident in Singapore
Subsidised housing
Get access to apply for a rental HDB flat under the Family Scheme if you are a Singaporean and your spouse is a permanent resident. This comes with a monthly rent of as low as $26 per month for a 1-room flat, depending on applicant type and your monthly household income.
Access to CPF
The Central Provident Fund (CPF) is a compulsory savings programme that is funded by both employers and their workers (deducted from your salary). By being a permanent resident in Singapore, your spouse will qualify for the contributions, which can be used to fund retirement, housing, healthcare and education needs. In the event that your spouse decides to not renew their PR application, the CPF monies can be withdrawn.
More job opportunities
More companies in Singapore are looking to hire permanent residents as this takes away the extra hassle of having to apply for a work pass for foreign workers. Holding a PR status also means not having to re-apply for a work permit every single time your spouse decides to change jobs – saving the effort and lowering the risk of the work pass application being rejected.
Stay in Singapore for the long run
While your spouse can apply for a long-term visit pass, it is only valid for up to 2 years. On the other hand, being a permanent resident in Singapore lets your spouse stay on our tiny red dot for the long run. However, do take note that your spouse will have to apply for a Re-Entry Permit to retain their PR status if they wish to travel out of the country.
How to apply for permanent residency in Singapore for your spouse
Here comes the tricky part: applying for permanent residency in Singapore for your spouse.
The most common way to help spouses achieve a PR status is by applying under the sponsor scheme. Apart from familial ties, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will also evaluate your and your spouse’s merits based on economic contributions, educational qualifications and ability to integrate into our society.
You and your spouse will have to prepare documents according to ICA’s regulations too.
Other factors that may affect your spouse’s PR application include years of marriage, although not explicitly mentioned, as sham marriages are illegal in Singapore. Thus, your spouse may have to strengthen other parts of your application to increase the chances of securing a PR status if you are newlyweds.
This sounds like a tedious process, so it is understandable to feel overwhelmed. Thankfully, with the help of an immigration agency like Singapore Professional Immigration Consultancy, the process is made a lot easier.
Our consultants will guide you through the entire PR application process, including assisting you in preparing all required documents, advising you on any additional documents that may enhance your application, and helping you write a professional cover letter for your PR application. All of our consultant’s assessment procedures and results are kept confidential.
Who is eligible to apply for Singapore permanent residence for their foreign spouse?
While we have explored in detail what constitutes eligibility for Singapore permanent resident status, we must address this more specifically in terms of what makes a spouse eligible.
Foreign Investor Under the GIP
These criteria are much the same as has been discussed before—someone who invests specific amounts in the local economy as a foreign investor. As with any other application, you must provide supporting documents for your spouse. These applications are not submitted to the ICA but are rather managed through the Economic Development Board (EDB).
Employment Pass Holder or S Pass Holder
A spouse may be able to apply for Singapore PR based on their own merits if they hold an S Pass or Employment Pass. In this case, you will not be a sponsor, but you will need to provide certain documents for the application process. This means that the ICA takes your marriage into consideration during the processing of your spouse’s application.
Married to a PR Applicant Under PTS Scheme
Individuals applying to Singapore PR through the GIP or the Professional, Technical Personnel, and Skilled Workers Scheme may include a spouse in their application. In such cases, the spouse will be referred to as a dependant. It is essential that the marriage is legal.
Married to Singapore PR or Singapore Citizen
If you are already a Singapore PR or Singapore citizen, then your spouse is also eligible to apply for Singapore permanent resident (PR) status. In this case, as long as you are legally married, your spouse can apply under the Family Scheme. It should be noted that the Singapore authorities are extremely strict with this kind of application and the actual success rate is low because of the number of people who engage in sham marriages for the purpose of attaining Singapore citizenship or permanent residence status or an entry permit. Should a spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR, or the Singapore citizen or PR themselves ever be found guilty of entering into a fake marriage for the purpose of fooling the ICA, they can be fined, spend time in jail, or both.
Is there a child in your legal marriage?
Generally speaking, having a legal unmarried child under the age of 21 can be beneficial to your application with your spouse. This only applies to unmarried children who are not already citizens or PRs. The one catch about applying with a child is that the child must either be legally adopted or be born within the context of a legal marriage. Consider also the following in terms of PR applications involving children:
National Service
An essential element to consider before you decide to include your children in your Singapore PR application is that all male children under the age of 18-years who attain PR status or become Singapore citizens are liable for full-time National Service once they turn 18. This law is enforced by the Enlistment Act. Once their two years of full-time NS is complete, they will continue with service in the form of Operationally Ready National Service for an average of 40-days per year, until the age of 40 for some ranks and 50 for other ranks. Male children who do not have permanent residency are not required to serve NS. If they later choose to apply for PR as adults through an S Pass or EP, then they will no longer be liable for NS. Any action that a male child takes to avoid NS if they are a PR or citizen can adversely affect the rest of the family living in Singapore, so it should be very carefully considered.
Bringing Balance to the Old-Age Support Ratio
The prospect of bringing children into your PR application along with your spouse is an exciting prospect for Singapore authorities as it can bring balance to the ageing population of the country. Especially in a future context, they want to bring balance to the ratio between working adults and the number of elderly that require support.
Combined Strengths in Your Family Profile
It is likely that your children will be seen as assets towards the country’s future, which can be valuable to your family profile for PR applications. It also serves to indicate to the ICA that you are serious about settling in Singapore for the rest of your life.
Children from your current marriage or a previous marriage can be considered as long as the marriage was legal and the child was born within the context of such a legal union. At this point, the ICA does not consider illegitimate children.
Risks to Hopeful Singapore PRs attempting Applications
While there are many risks that can affect an application, there are some that stand out, and you should be aware of them so that they may be avoided. Firstly, if you are married to a Singapore PR or citizen, and you elect to apply through a scheme that the ICA might consider ineffective for your position. It is best to consult with a professional agency to get a better idea of the best possible application journey for both you and your spouse.
With the introduction of the new e-Service, many people attempt applications without being adequately prepared and then end up making mistakes or not fully understanding how the e-PR System works. This includes, but is certainly not limited to: Using someone else’s Singpass account without realizing that you must use your own valid Singpass account for the application; even completing your details on someone else’s account is not allowed. The other major mistake made on the e-System is missing documents required for your application or otherwise uploading them in the wrong order.
A select few individuals who try to apply for PR have small differences between their birth certificate and other documentation, especially foreign affairs documents, because of name changes or discrepancies in the spelling of a name, etc. It is essential that any discrepancy is supported by explanatory notes or other documents because if they are picked up by ICA but not addressed by the applicant, it will lead to a negative outcome as authorities are always concerned about fraud.
When uploading the individual’s qualifications, some people either upload the wrong qualifications or upload them in the incorrect order. Generally speaking, only the highest qualification is required, but under certain circumstances, more than this must be included. It is best to consult a professional to better understand how this might work.
Changes in contact details that are not reported to the ICA during the processing time can also lead to problems. Any change in address or contact details must be reported. This is one of the basic requirements for the process.
Omitting essential explanatory notes can also cause problems and can make the application that you submit seem incomplete. Before you submit your application, you should spend time checking everything, following categories one by one and going through each one to make sure that everything is there, correct, in the right order, and easy to read.
We are a PR application agency in Singapore that provides consultations to ensure your application is in tip-top form and error-free to increase your chances of securing an approved Singapore PR.
Reach out to us to get a free consultation today!
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