SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
Singapore Expat Forum and Message Board for Expats in Singapore & Expatriates Relocating to Singapore

Yes.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Yes.

http://www.mha.gov.sg/news_details.aspx ... hxecv3Y%3D

I did some searching and found this on the MOHA website.

Waiver of Monetary Bond


7. The monetary bond requirements for Singaporean males (11 years old and above, and have yet to enlist for full-time NS) who accompany their parents on overseas employment will be waived. Instead, they will be bonded by deed with two sureties. This aims to facilitate regionalisation and strengthen family cohesion. A monetary bond will still be required for those who go overseas for other reasons (e.g. studies), to ensure they return to fulfil their NS obligation.

8. Parents who had earlier furnished a monetary bond and meet the new criteria for bond by deed will be given the option to convert to a bond by deed. SIR (Singapore Immigration and Registration) and CMPB (Central Manpower Base) will be writing to parents over the next 3 months to offer the conversion option. Eligible parents can come forward to SIR or CMPB to convert their monetary bond to a bond by deed.

Looks like you have you answer. Not quite sure what the two sureties required are though. Hopefully, you aren't signing your worldly goods away in the believe that your son won't do a runner while overseas. Gonna have to keep 'em on a tight leash I reckon. Thanks for the update and we all would appreciate a further update if it all goes smoothly. (let us know what the sureties are).

Deleted

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Looks like you have you answer. Not quite sure what the two sureties required are though. Hopefully, you aren't signing your worldly goods away in the believe that your son won't do a runner while overseas. Gonna have to keep 'em on a tight leash I reckon. Thanks for the update and we all would appreciate a further update if it all goes smoothly. (let us know what the sureties are).

Got a call from CMPB, they advised that my son can leave Singapore just apply for an Exit Permit (out of SG > 3mths), but once he is 16.5, must start applying for Surety.

He will be granted deferment only if he does not take a course that will lead to a associate diploma. So be careful what course of study you're taking. Call CMPB.

Here is a quote taken from Dr Ng's speech regarding deferment.

Therefore, Mindef will only grant deferment for pre-enlistees to gain their basic educational qualifications of 'A' levels, polytechnic diploma, or below. This is reasonable as most of our 18-year-old NS enlistees would either have completed their basic qualification programme or are about to complete it," Dr Ng said.

"As university degrees are considered higher educational qualifications, deferments for university studies will no longer be allowed. This new policy for deferments has been in place from the end of last year,"

http://www.getforme.com/previous2006/07 ... n_more.htm

Deleted

Here's some info regarding the two sureties:
1. must be above 21 years old
2.must be either singaporePR or singaporean
3. gainfully employed
4. at least one is staying in singapore

Taken from official form to apply for surieties from CMPB.

Also both parents of pre-enlistee must be either singaporean or singPR in order to be eligible, and father and siblings must not have defaulted from NS.

Your bond is either S$75K or half of your total household income (ie mother's and father's income combined divide by two), whichever is HIGHER.

Firstdown80, since your son is 15, he'll either start 1st year highschool or 2nd year highschool (ie grade 9 or grade 10)depending on whether he has the academic knowhow already. Typically highschoolers start at 14years of age. He'll have to go back to do NS once he's done with the 4-years highschool. No choice... like my son.

Bear in mind also of highway robbery -- you'll have to pay the singapore bank that's holding the bank guarantee (the bond) 1.5%pa as long as the bond is active, plus a slew of "one-time-charges" which I'm not even sure what they are (because the bank can't even give me a straight answer!!!) but it is in the range of a couple of hundreds of dollars. PAP gahmen lives up to its name-- Pay-And-Pay.

My advise -- go apply for the free 1year 364 days first time exit permit, then when that expires start paying for the bond!! (Unless you have 2 sureties lined up).

Deleted

Is that so, MS? Then that banker whom I spoke to long distance did not know what he's talking about. He told me I gotta pay 1.5% pa on the $75K, and "some other one time fees" but that the $75K will be also put in a fixed deposit in which I can reap the interest. Don't all make sense to me for it looked like giving you money on one hand and taking money on the other.

Guess things will become clear as I go through the process. I will be doing this bank guarantee/bond business very soon, since we've been denied deferment.

You're right about the fly-back thing. CMPB said to me "even one day come back to touch the soil still counts" and I can reapply for another 1 year 364 days.

Deleted

ScatterBrain wrote:Here's some info regarding the two sureties:
1. must be above 21 years old
2.must be either singaporePR or singaporean
3. gainfully employed
4. at least one is staying in singapore

Taken from official form to apply for surieties from CMPB.

Also both parents of pre-enlistee must be either singaporean or singPR in order to be eligible, and father and siblings must not have defaulted from NS.

Your bond is either S$75K or half of your total household income (ie mother's and father's income combined divide by two), whichever is HIGHER.

Firstdown80, since your son is 15, he'll either start 1st year highschool or 2nd year highschool (ie grade 9 or grade 10)depending on whether he has the academic knowhow already. Typically highschoolers start at 14years of age. He'll have to go back to do NS once he's done with the 4-years highschool. No choice... like my son.

Bear in mind also of highway robbery -- you'll have to pay the singapore bank that's holding the bank guarantee (the bond) 1.5%pa as long as the bond is active, plus a slew of "one-time-charges" which I'm not even sure what they are (because the bank can't even give me a straight answer!!!) but it is in the range of a couple of hundreds of dollars. PAP gahmen lives up to its name-- Pay-And-Pay.

My advise -- go apply for the free 1year 364 days first time exit permit, then when that expires start paying for the bond!! (Unless you have 2 sureties lined up).

thanks for putting the points clearly.

really good to have someone who has been there and done it.

did your son have to take any test before entering high school? shouldn't it be grade 11 & 12?

did you manage to get in-state tuition?

did you get the H1B or H1B1 visa?

Mad Scientist wrote:

ScatterBrain wrote:Is that so, MS? Then that banker whom I spoke to long distance did not know what he's talking about. He told me I gotta pay 1.5% pa on the $75K, and "some other one time fees" but that the $75K will be also put in a fixed deposit in which I can reap the interest. Don't all make sense to me for it looked like giving you money on one hand and taking money on the other.

Guess things will become clear as I go through the process. I will be doing this bank guarantee/bond business very soon, since we've been denied deferment.

You're right about the fly-back thing. CMPB said to me "even one day come back to touch the soil still counts" and I can reapply for another 1 year 364 days.

SB, I am here to help BUT if the things that I do know b4 has changed, I apologise.
Let's break this up on a few points so that you can understand how it works
1. Govt Bond under MINDEF does not exist for this things.
2. BG has to be place in a bank. You cannot do FD, TD, DD or even coupon gurrantees unless it is linked to BG
3. Local Bank , DBS should be able to provide you this. Only thing is the name on the BG I cannot recall.
4. BG fees is only about $25. that's it, Bugger all
5. You can put it under TD for that period of time that your son leave Singapore with a clause link to your BG. This in fact will earned you some interest. The banker that spoke to you should be shot and left dead!!
6. Once your son landed here for a day, if he defaulted on his NS, he will be committing two offence. Expired Exit Permit and NS Default Liabilities
It is a kind of "I got you now and you got nowhere to run" plus your money as the guarrantor. He has no choice as his exit permit is NOT extended.
He can continue study as long and prolong his stay in US as long as he is NOT doing tertiary education which is a NO-NO and which will result in immediate return to serve NS
Even by defaulting , money's gone ,he still has to serve the NS
Does this makes sense to you ?

this is scary....

deleted

Deleted

Hi MS,

Thanks for the background check. We did apply for that deferment but was denied anyway, even though we wrote the cover letter stating all the facts (inc being PR of another country) but CMPB said no-can-do, and I-can't-tell-you-why-because-its-all-a-big-secret and ya-need-to-post-bond.

I've also checked re the Banker's Guarantee(aka the bond) and indeed it WILL cost an arm and a leg. Check this out -- DBS will charge 1.5% per year, UOB will charge 1% per year -- and that's just about $1125 down the drain on a $75000 bond EVERY YEAR. Didn't I say gahmen is P-A-P?
And we haven't even talk about "admin fees" yet...

You got yours cheap, man!