zzm9980 wrote:sundaymorningstaple wrote:The definition of Permanent Resident is "one who decides to stay IN SINGAPORE PERMANENTLY. The commonly used definition is applicable here as well. Permanent Resident never has to be renewed. It is exactly what it says.
Now, for the naysayers before they start........
Should you DESIRE TO TRAVEL ABROAD......
You need a re-entry permit. Leaving the country without a re-entry permit is tantamount to declaring to the Government that you are voluntarily giving up your Permanent Residency.
You see, if you never leave Singapore, you DO NOT NEED a Re-entry Permit and you are free to stay here as long as you desire, e.g., permanently, hence you have been given Permanent Residence.
You want to leave, you need a re-entry permit. Simple really. Even if your re-entry permit is only renewed for one year and then they don't renew it, you are still welcome to stay here as long as you want. But you cannot leave the country without it as that will be a declaration that you are voluntarily giving up your PR (yeah, they are forcing the issue, but it is you who is leaving voluntarily, so you don't have a leg to stand on.
Right, but does the gahmen ever actually post that somewhere? I know it's meant to be more than a temporary stepping stone (to anything other than SC), but the ease with which the gahmen lets PR give it up and get their CPF refund, etc, makes me think even the gahmen doesn't hold the definition as strictly as some on this forum.
If you have spend any time in the strictly speaking forum on the NS issue, you will not, it's NOT that easy to give up your PR if you have acquired it via 2nd Generation processes and you are a male. 1st Generation PR's if not going to leave any contribution to the country, I could understand the government saying okay, you want to go, go. Make room for someone who actually WANTS to be here. But as your male offspring has benefited from the facilities and education here, they must pay their dues if they want the right to come back here again.
Remember, this is still a small island with limited space. Why should they force people to remain here as PRs only to possibly be wards of the state if the economy tanks. On the reverse, there are lots of PRs here who are welcome to stay as long as they want but are not eligible for Citizenship. There are others who come from countries that allow multiple citizenships and also refuse to relinquish that right. Singapore could actually solve a lot of it's problems by allowing multiple citizenship as a lot of immigrated Singaporeans would probably return as the real world loses it's appeal to them.
I also wonder why people say it's not fully explained. It is. In fact, everything I've stated, most already know from the government, but, like the NS issues, it not written in layman's terms in a point by point outline to make it easy. They allow that PRs or potential PRs are "talented" (or used to be :-/ ) and are sufficiently well read to be able to understand that. Those that cannot understand, well, they are probably less than desirable to start with.
The CPF is YOUR money. Why should they keep it? You pay the same tax rates as citizens, if you leave permanently, they cannot keep your own money. That would be similar to keeping your bank accounts. The CPF fund is your OWN retirement funds. It is used by the government and for that right they pay a tidy interest rate as well as guarantee the funds will be there. The employer contributions are also your funds as they are part of the contract you have with your employer. Again, not the government. If you leave AND withdraw your CPF (you are not required to do so) be advised you can leave it there and it will continue to draw the same interest rates until such time as you do withdraw it. However, should you do so, you will make it harder for yourself should you with to return to Singapore later as like everything else here, there is a little codicil that requires you to replace ALL the funds and any additional interest it would have accrued if it hadn't been withdrawn. They make it easy for you, but the payback is a bit rougher. But it still your decision. I don't skirt the issue.