Asia Business Centre (Asia Business Centre (AsiaBC) [HK+SG Bank Account Opening / Company Formation / Company Secretary / Accounting & Tax])

How to Make Singapore Your Home : Ultimate Guide to SG Permanent Residency Application

Our Singapore immigration processing service posts the roadmap of relocation, it begins at Singapore private limited liability company formation, following by application of Employment Pass, then Permanent Resident, and ultimately Citizenship.

Understandably, this topic is so vast that we cannot cover every concern of our clients, so we have gone over the service and provide supplementary information in the following posts:

Still, we have left some of our clients confused based on their feedback and query. Here are three of the inbound questions that have drawn our attention.

  • Is it easy to apply for Singapore PR?
  • How long does it take to get a Singapore PR?
  • Is there any fast track method?

Is it easy to apply for Singapore PR?

Our immigration strategy, which aims at obtaining Employment Pass initially, is currently the most do-able method for foreigners who have no family tie in Singapore to become a Singapore PR. Comparing this with EntrePass and Work Pass approaches, EntrePass requires the super-wealthy to entry, and Work Pass is no hope. However, our Employment Pass approach is strictly applicable to a business person who has a track record of running at least one profitable business overseas.

Another challenge is that the Singapore government has a major preference for younger candidates. The government has signaled its plan to become the most important country in Asia, maintaining a young workforce is undoubtedly a vital requirement to enter the race. If you are longing for an Asian country that has summer all-year-round for your retirement life, Singapore should not on your list.

So, back to the question. Singapore PR statue is not “easy” because the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoint Authority is carefully managing the population by selecting the best-fit candidate for more significant development of the country.

How long does it take to get a Singapore PR?

As Singapore is known as Southeast Asia’s most modern metropolis, the government has made the Employment Pass application and immigration procedures as PR to the public on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Immigration and Check Authority (ICA) websites respectively, which say an Employment Pass application and an RP application should need no more than eight weeks and four to six months to process repectively, provided that all the documentation is correct in general.

Apart from the official processing lead time, you also need to take all the preparation into account along with your EP and PR application form.

EP:

  • you must first incorporate a private limited liability company in Singapore as a subsidiary of your foreign company.
  • you develop your business presence in Singapore in the name of your Singapore company.
  • during your advancement in Singapore, your Singapore company must employ you as the manager with monthly salary not less than SG$3600 (that amount is a part of the official eligibility).
  • you must have accumulated at least six months of payroll records in Singapore.

PR:

  • after the EP issuance, you must have accumulated at least six months of payroll records in Singapore.
  • you need to translate all non-English documentation in English by professional translation service.
  • you have to include the business proof of your company and your personal C.V. / resume.
  • you have to write a professional cover letter in English.

In short, our estimated schedule for an Employment Pass application is at least 9 months and that for an EP hold to become a PR is at least one year in case all documentation is correct. The shortest timeframe for a foreigner to become Singapore

Is there any fast track method?

There is no fast track method in applying the EP and PR but getting the right documents at the first step must put your application at a higher chance of approval. A plus that many applicants can make is the submission of documents should have strong relevance to the approval criteria:

  • Qualification
  • Achievement
  • Skillset
  • Income
  • Marital Status
  • Children
  • Economic and social contribution to Singapore