Singapore permanent residency (PR) is an immigration status that is second only in privilege to Singapore citizenship. 

Singapore PRs can live, work, study and retire in Singapore indefinitely. 

They have access to more of the rights and privileges that citizens enjoy. These span areas that include: employment, housing, education, children’s education, access to loans and business opportunities. 

At the same time, they have similar responsibilities and obligations of citizens. For instance, young male PRs have an obligation to serve in the military (national service) upon reaching 18 years old. 

PRs also have to contribute a percentage of their salary towards the Central Provident Fund – a social security scheme to help citizens and PRs set aside savings for their retirement. Employers also contribute to your CPF. 

You can apply for PR if you fall into any of the following categories:

• You’re working here on a valid Employment Pass (EP), S Pass or Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)
• You’re a spouse of a Singapore citizen or Singapore PR
• You’re below 21 years old and the unmarried child of a Singapore citizen or Singapore PR
• You’re the aged parent of a Singapore citizen
• You’re studying here on a student pass and have completed national exams such as PSLE, GCE ‘N’/ ‘O’/ ‘A’ Levels or The Integrated Programme (IP). 
• You’re a foreign investor, entrepreneur or family office principal in Singapore with $2.5 million to invest locally
  (see: Global Investor Programme through the Economic Development Board at this link.)
• You’re a foreign artist with professional experience and exceptional achievements in Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Design and/or Media (see: Foreign Artistic Talent Scheme at this link.)

Not counting the preparation time for your application which varies from individual to individual, the ICA typically takes about 4 to 6 months to review the application you’ve submitted. 

We’ve also seen applicants wait for their results for a short two months and even up to one and a half years. 

The status is permanent unless you renounce it yourself, or it is revoked by the authorities for serious offences. 

With that said, you are required to renew your Re-Entry Permit (REP) every five years. 

This permit is needed whenever a PR travels overseas. It enables the PR to retain their permanent residence while outside of Singapore. If you stay overseas without a valid REP, you will lose your PR status. 

This really depends on perspective. But it’s a fair, and fairly common question. 

Listening to the man on the street, many applicants do find getting an approval relatively difficult. That’s because many have applied multiple times but were still rejected. 

About 30,000 applicants get approved annually. While tens of thousands of applications are submitted. With limited supply, high demand for PR and competition from other qualified applicants – obtaining your PR status can seem challenging. 

So to give yourself the best chance of success, we recommend that you pay close attention to the preparation of your application. As they say: “the devil is in the detail”. Make sure all your merits are reflected clearly and accurately, you provide required information completely and transparently, and that there are no mistakes, gaps or inconsistencies in your paperwork. 

If you are a Singapore permanent resident or citizen, you can apply for your spouse as their sponsor and apply under Form 4SC.

You can include your child(ren) in the application as well. They have to be unmarried, below the age of 21 years old and born within the context of a legal marriage or legally adopted by you. 

The main steps for applying include:

1. Completing application Form 4SC 
2. Organising and preparing the compulsory documents required 
3. Submitting your application on the ePR system 

Here’s the official link where you can submit your application and download the necessary forms.

To learn more about the eligibility, evaluation criteria, and steps to applying for PR for your foreign spouse, read our guide here.

For more custom advice specific to your profile and situation, we recommend you set up a one-on-one consultation with us here.

If you hold a valid EP, SP or PEP, you can apply under the “Professionals, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers” scheme. 

You can include your spouse or any unmarried children who are below 21 years old in your application.

Since you have to submit six months of your salary slips for your application. You should work in Singapore for at least six months before applying. 

The main steps for applying include:

1. Completing application Form 4A
2. Organising and preparing the compulsory documents required 
3. Submitting your application on the ePR system 

Here’s the official link where you can submit your application and download the necessary forms.

To learn more about the evaluation criteria, tips on the application process, and general insights to strengthen your application – sign up for our free ebook here. We’ll send a copy direct to your inbox. 

For more custom advice specific to your profile and situation, we recommend you set up a one-on-one consultation with us here.

You can appeal ICA’s decision by submitting an appeal letter addressed to the Controller of Immigration. You have to submit the appeal within six months from the date on the results letter from ICA. 

To learn more about preparing a PR appeal, read our guide here.

Alternatively, you can also wait six months after receiving the results to submit a new application for consideration.

Yes you can. There is no limit to the number of applications that you can submit. 

If you don’t get approved in your first attempt, you could get approved on your subsequent attempts. For some applicants, the journey to obtaining their PR status is indeed a longer one.

ICA will issue a letter confirming that you’re no longer a Singapore PR. You can withdraw your contributions to the Central Provident Fund.

Visit their official site for the full procedures.