Singapore Expats

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Barnsley
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Post by Barnsley » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 4:22 pm


I have met people who used government funds to study English in Leicester .
Are you sure they weren't sent as a punishment?

Apologies to all folks from Leicester ... it is a toilet though....

Although Filbert Street holds great memories of getting coined for 90mins by the Leicester youth back in the day when watching the footy :cool: [/quote]
Life is short, paddle harder!!

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Post by ecureilx » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 4:23 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Cue "lying" Indian diplomat.
who lied?

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Post by the lynx » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 4:47 pm

Barnsley wrote:

I have met people who used government funds to study English in Leicester .
Are you sure they weren't sent as a punishment?

Apologies to all folks from Leicester ... it is a toilet though....

Although Filbert Street holds great memories of getting coined for 90mins by the Leicester youth back in the day when watching the footy :cool:
Between paying to study substandard school for a degree that worth nothing outside of Malaysia because that's what you can afford, and studying English overseas (even if it is crappy by your standard) funded by government, I'd rather do the latter for the benefit of being able to use that as stepping stone to something better.

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Post by Brah » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 10:59 pm

Beeroclock wrote:
Girl_Next_Door wrote:I don't plan to retire in Singapore but Singapore is currently a great place for me to earn my retirement pot.
+1
Are you two serious?

You must be expats.

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Post by Beeroclock » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 11:17 pm

Brah wrote:
Beeroclock wrote:
Girl_Next_Door wrote:I don't plan to retire in Singapore but Singapore is currently a great place for me to earn my retirement pot.
+1
Are you two serious?

You must be expats.
serious yes , expat no (if you mean the full expat package kind where company pays rent, schooling etc etc )

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Post by Brah » Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:20 pm

Beeroclock wrote:
Brah wrote:
Beeroclock wrote: +1
Are you two serious?

You must be expats.
serious yes , expat no (if you mean the full expat package kind where company pays rent, schooling etc etc )
Yes, that's what I meant. I have no idea how non-expats, especially double-taxed Americans, can actually save money here vs. other places.

May I ask what you do for a living?

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Post by Hannieroo » Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:45 pm

The Americans don't get taxed as harshly now, we have a lot of US friends who are venturing overseas since the change.

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Post by Brah » Sun, 16 Mar 2014 5:50 pm

Never heard that Hanni, and we still get double-taxed.

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Post by Hannieroo » Sun, 16 Mar 2014 8:53 pm

I believe that the first 100k is now tax free and housing can be tax deductible. I must admit I only half listened, I can ask my friend. They left the states last summer for KL based on the fact they wouldn't go bankrupt.

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Post by gailwynand » Thu, 03 Apr 2014 11:29 pm

Fortan wrote:I have Singaporeans in my team that are split into two groups. The ones that have always been living in Singapore and the ones that have either studied abroad or have spent parts of their career working abroad. There is a distinct difference in their mentality. If I had to hire someone today and two applicants turned up with similar qualifications, I would hire the Singaporean who has spent time outside the red dot any time. Not sure whether that is politically correct but that is how I feel.
I know many people in hiring roles who think exactly the same. The gulf between Singaporeans with and without foreign experience is massive especially in terms of communication skills. This is true even if the person studied at a local university and just went abroad for a short time during their studies.

I don't think it's that politically incorrect an opinion, there's a reason why the local universities have so many study abroad programs, there are so many government scholarships for foreign study, etc.
Hannieroo wrote:I believe that the first 100k is now tax free and housing can be tax deductible.
This has always been the case, it's just that the tax deductible amount goes up every year and it just now is getting to be over 100k.

Hope they aren't buying property though, unless they fancy paying capital gains tax every time the USD-MYR exchange rate moves around.

On the other hand Americans don't have to pay ABSD if we buy property here, also we are the only foreign nationality allowed to buy property in Thailand, so there :p

Also, I have no idea if the OP is still reading, but the US has a special H1-B visa for Singaporeans with a separate quota than the regular H1-B and looser requirements. It's one of the best visa programs that the US has and is better than what Canadians get under NAFTA, for example.

I would guess that this program explains why I have never heard of an American having EP issues here..

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Post by AndrewV » Fri, 04 Apr 2014 3:44 pm

With regards to the working Visa in the US, the H1B allows Singaporeans to work 1.5 years in the U.S and renew for another 1.5 years (total of 3). After which you have to go back as the visa can't be extended beyond that (the H1B has a 6 year limit). Seriously, many people around the world would love to have this kind of facility, not many Singaporeans make use of it.

Just to chip in my 5c, I lived in Canada for a while, and for me there is no place like Singapore. Yes, the people aren't that nice and it is not as naturally beautiful as Canada, but we have built up our own little bubble here. We do a lot of volunteer/charity work and Singapore is a good place to practice your religion in peace. Don't look for external influences to give you happiness, sometimes you can build up a simple happy life with just the right frame of mind...

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Post by Barnsley » Fri, 04 Apr 2014 4:56 pm

AndrewV wrote:With regards to the working Visa in the US, the H1B allows Singaporeans to work 1.5 years in the U.S and renew for another 1.5 years (total of 3). After which you have to go back as the visa can't be extended beyond that (the H1B has a 6 year limit). Seriously, many people around the world would love to have this kind of facility, not many Singaporeans make use of it.

Just to chip in my 5c, I lived in Canada for a while, and for me there is no place like Singapore. Yes, the people aren't that nice and it is not as naturally beautiful as Canada, but we have built up our own little bubble here. We do a lot of volunteer/charity work and Singapore is a good place to practice your religion in peace. Don't look for external influences to give you happiness, sometimes you can build up a simple happy life with just the right frame of mind...
Agreed
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Post by gailwynand » Fri, 04 Apr 2014 6:53 pm

AndrewV wrote:With regards to the working Visa in the US, the H1B allows Singaporeans to work 1.5 years in the U.S and renew for another 1.5 years (total of 3). After which you have to go back as the visa can't be extended beyond that (the H1B has a 6 year limit).
True, but once you're in, your employer can then transfer you to H1B at their leisure. Yes you're then subject to the normal H1B quota but they can put your application in on day 1.

Then, once you have an H1B, you can get a green card fairly easily assuming your employer knows what they are doing and you have a good lawyer.

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Re: Want to Leave

Post by taxico » Fri, 04 Apr 2014 8:53 pm

earthfriendly wrote:
taxico wrote: you might just be in the minority of singaporeans that CAN successfully make a new life overseas...
I have come across many Singaporeans who are happily settled and enjoying the natural landscape, vastness, cultural aspect and opportunities offered in USA. They are quite at ease with the lifestyle here and do not like the prospect of having to fight the crowd of SG. And they are here because they enjoy the lifestyle, not because of some grandiose idea or fantasy about USA or using it as a stepping stone.
there are some of course, but i recall a government talking head recounting many who wish to return but are unable to (or something to that effect).

i don't believe singaporeans use other countries as a stepping stone - there is simply no need for it (a stepping stone to...?). and... would an ex-singaporean paint a true picture to you?

i believe MOST singaporeans are genuinely spoiled by PAP and are unable to make lives work the way they thought it would overseas and given the choice without penalty, would return... that's my impression anyway, and i've lived in a fair number of cities with singaporeans young and old that have settled there (even the ones who are no longer citizens long to be able to go back to singapore for 6 or 9 months) - they tend to live in areas with lots of asians or in college towns (some would say they are the same thing).

these are people who have spoken to me in confidence as an american who has gone through NS (as opposed to having been classified as deserters like some were), in my capacity as a physician (for those who are home sick or depressed), or an academic (students that regretted going overseas), and even once as a career counsellor... or simply another like-minded individual looking for singapore food in a faraway land. whether given enough time such quiet pangs of regret they have will go away, i am unsure... perhaps.

again, i know some who have settled in happily and comfortably, but i would only go as far to say that these were people who genuinely disliked singapore and/or have a partner that is unwilling or unable to relocate to singapore.

at the end of the day, to resettle in a foreign country without kinship support within commutable distance is not easy. we've all lived out side of our country of origins for one reason or other and we know what it feels like. the difference is we have the option of "going home" if we don't like it because we know we don't have to make it work if we so choose.
Last edited by taxico on Fri, 04 Apr 2014 8:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Brah
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Post by Brah » Fri, 04 Apr 2014 8:56 pm

Honest question - why you don't capitalize the start of your sentences?

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