PR REP Renewal

[TheRobot]

Hi Guys,

I am a PR (PTS) and I need to renew my REP soon. I have a few questions to ask from all the experienced people here. I would appreciate your views/help please.

1. The company I worked for, when I got my PR, left Singapore 3 years back for financial reasons.
2. I have still been working for them in Singapore on contract basis. Doing liaison work, market research, sourcing etc, but as a self-employed.
3. Since the company left Singapore, the amount of income I earn from them dropped 50%.
4. However my wife (who received her PR under mine), who did not work for the first 2 years of our PR, has been working in Singapore (for the past 3 years) and our combined income is almost the same.
5. I payed income tax and contributed to CPF for the first 2 years, and continue to pay tax and Medisave as a self-employed for the past 3 years.
6. My wife has been contributing to CPF and paying tax the past 3 years.
7. I registered a sole proprietorship few days back so that I will have an official/proper business at ACRA under my name.

Q1. What are the chances of my REP getting renewed?
Q2. Does my wife's job/income/tax/CPF count for our renewal?
Q3. The eREP renewal seems to ask more questions than going to ICA and getting it done the old fashioned way. Any advantage or disadvantage?
Q4. If they ask me whether I was employed in Singapore for the past 3 years, what should be my answer?
Q5. If they ask me for my company name/address, what do I say? The new business I just registered? Or the overseas company that paid me for the past 3 years?
Q6. Can a PR under the PTS scheme become a self-employed and continue to renew REP?

Thank you.

[singaporeflyer]

Hi Guys,

I am a PR (PTS) and I need to renew my REP soon. I have a few questions to ask from all the experienced people here. I would appreciate your views/help please.

1. The company I worked for, when I got my PR, left Singapore 3 years back for financial reasons.
2. I have still been working for them in Singapore on contract basis. Doing liaison work, market research, sourcing etc, but as a self-employed.
3. Since the company left Singapore, the amount of income I earn from them dropped 50%.
4. However my wife (who received her PR under mine), who did not work for the first 2 years of our PR, has been working in Singapore (for the past 3 years) and our combined income is almost the same.
5. I payed income tax and contributed to CPF for the first 2 years, and continue to pay tax and Medisave as a self-employed for the past 3 years.
6. My wife has been contributing to CPF and paying tax the past 3 years.
7. I registered a sole proprietorship few days back so that I will have an official/proper business at ACRA under my name.

Q1. What are the chances of my REP getting renewed?
Q2. Does my wife's job/income/tax/CPF count for our renewal?
Q3. The eREP renewal seems to ask more questions than going to ICA and getting it done the old fashioned way. Any advantage or disadvantage?
Q4. If they ask me whether I was employed in Singapore for the past 3 years, what should be my answer?
Q5. If they ask me for my company name/address, what do I say? The new business I just registered? Or the overseas company that paid me for the past 3 years?
Q6. Can a PR under the PTS scheme become a self-employed and continue to renew REP?

Thank you.

Please refer to the link below and read the section "Additional Documents Required for SPRs under the Professionals/Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers (PTS) Scheme"

http://www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=152" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This should answer some of your questions

[Wd40]

I wonder why you did think about this when your company moved out. You had 3 years to find a proper full time job and restore your salary from 50% to 100%.

[TheRobot]

177 views and just two comments! Thank you singaporeflyer & Wd40 for your comments. Wd40, I did not look for another job because as I said in the post, the combined income of me and my wife were almost the same as before. We were earning enough. I worked at my own time mostly from home. As long as I earn in Singapore and pay taxes, I thought it should be good enough to remain as a PR, am I wrong?

[Wd40]

I am not sure, but just my thoughts. The PR was given on the basis of PTS scheme and a certain salary level that you had and not as an entre pass guy with your current salary. So there is an element of risk considering your profile is now different from what you were when your PR was applied for.

50% your salary and 50% wife salary is good for you since your tax liability gets significantly reduced due to the tiered tax system, for eg at $100k salary income tax is $5650 but at $50k salary it is only $1250 so you see it is not good for the IRAS.

[JR8]

177 views and just two comments!

Don't take that negatively. Volume is such that many people read every post. But until such a point one don't know whether one might be qualified to reply. Members here are discouraged from replying with 'advice' unless they feel well informed on any particular matter - a positive as it avoids conjecture, misinformation and time-wasting. Your question is quite a specialist area, so I'm not surprised at the Read/Reply ratio.

Best of luck!

[x9200]

Hi Guys,

I am a PR (PTS) and I need to renew my REP soon. I have a few questions to ask from all the experienced people here. I would appreciate your views/help please.

1. The company I worked for, when I got my PR, left Singapore 3 years back for financial reasons.
2. I have still been working for them in Singapore on contract basis. Doing liaison work, market research, sourcing etc, but as a self-employed.
3. Since the company left Singapore, the amount of income I earn from them dropped 50%.
4. However my wife (who received her PR under mine), who did not work for the first 2 years of our PR, has been working in Singapore (for the past 3 years) and our combined income is almost the same.
5. I payed income tax and contributed to CPF for the first 2 years, and continue to pay tax and Medisave as a self-employed for the past 3 years.
6. My wife has been contributing to CPF and paying tax the past 3 years.
7. I registered a sole proprietorship few days back so that I will have an official/proper business at ACRA under my name.

Q1. What are the chances of my REP getting renewed?

Nobody knows but having 50% cut in your salary is surely not a positive thing. Aslo not a positive thing you did nothing to restore it (I am with WD40 on this one). Personally I think it will be renewed but it could be like a 1y renewal.

Q2. Does my wife's job/income/tax/CPF count for our renewal?

I don't think so unless he income level is very high.

Q3. The eREP renewal seems to ask more questions than going to ICA and getting it done the old fashioned way. Any advantage or disadvantage?

How do you know what they are going to ask you at ICA?

Q4. If they ask me whether I was employed in Singapore for the past 3 years, what should be my answer?

If you are on an employment contract you are not a self-employed. But self-employed or not it does not matter as long as it was legal and you paid taxes.

Q5. If they ask me for my company name/address, what do I say? The new business I just registered? Or the overseas company that paid me for the past 3 years?

Both? Unless you are going to ICA within a few days.

Q6. Can a PR under the PTS scheme become a self-employed and continue to renew REP?

Why not?

Thank you.

The bottom line: There is nothing you can do at this point. Have some hopes but be prepared for a shorter renewal period and to look for a better paid job or leaving the country.

[Aragorn2000]

The worst case is slightly better than leaving the country. As a PR, he can stay in Singapore indefinitely as long he doesn't travel out of Singapore and return without a valid REP. So even if ICA doesn't renew his REP, he can still stay in Singapore as long as it takes to find a better job. He has to forgo overseas holiday though. "Staycation" is the new thing!

[sundaymorningstaple]

This is fact. I was without an REP from 2004 through most of 2005 (15 months in total) but never left the country so was not a problem. Subsequently, however I was told by the officer, upon re-applying, that as I was over 55 I did not need a job to renew my REP but I don't think that this applies to those who obtained their PR on the PT Scheme (I am on family ties scheme). But it is true, that you don't need a re-entry permit in order to keep your PR. They are two different things, but they are intertwined but one is not necessarily contingent on the other.

[x9200]

The worst case is slightly better than leaving the country. As a PR, he can stay in Singapore indefinitely as long he doesn't travel out of Singapore and return without a valid REP. So even if ICA doesn't renew his REP, he can still stay in Singapore as long as it takes to find a better job. He has to forgo overseas holiday though. "Staycation" is the new thing!

I know it, but is it really an option if he is not willing to change his financial status? Now, after 3y on the depleted salary, what are his chances to recover within any reasonable period especially that he does not feel he needs it?

[TheRobot]

Thank you all for the comments.

How do you know what they are going to ask you at ICA?

x9200, I am assuming based on the questions in Form 6 and Notes - REP

Ok so from what I understand so far, non of you or any (PTS) PR you know had his/her REP (fully) renewed with a lower income than that of his PR application? AND it doesn't matter even if the combined total income between you and your spouse adds up to the same, or whether you are now self-employed or an employee. As long as you remain in Singapore, your individual minimum income is locked to the same amount. Yes?

If this is the case, I guess I shouldn't apply for REP renewal now. I better look for a job with the same pay first and then apply for REP renewal. Living here with an expired REP is not an issue (as sundaymorningstaple has said).

Thank you all once again.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Thank you all for the comments.

How do you know what they are going to ask you at ICA?

x9200, I am assuming based on the questions in Form 6 and Notes - REP

Ok so from what I understand so far, non of you or any (PTS) PR you know had his/her REP (fully) renewed with a lower income than that of his PR application? AND it doesn't matter even if the combined total income between you and your spouse adds up to the same, or whether you are now self-employed or an employee. As long as you remain in Singapore, your individual minimum income is locked to the same amount. Yes?

If this is the case, I guess I shouldn't apply for REP renewal now. I better look for a job with the same pay first and then apply for REP renewal. Living here with an expired REP is not an issue (as sundaymorningstaple has said).

Thank you all once again.

I reckon you don't count zero income then, izzit? Frankly, once you have PR, there is not a minimum nor maximum income that I know about when it comes to REP renewal, just that you have a job that you can verify. Lot's of PR's took massive cuts during the 1979 Asian Financial meltdown and are still here and I'm sure a goodly number of them were probably up for renewal at some point during that three years.

[TheRobot]

Sharing my outcome for anyone else who may have the same questions:

I renewed my REP in late December 2014. sundaymorningstaple was correct. It doesn't matter how much you earned before and how much you earn now. As long as you are (1) Living in Singapore (2) Earning an income from Singapore (to be proved by your income tax notice(s) of assessment), your REP will be renewed for 5 years.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Thanks for the update, TheRobot. And thanks for the re-confirmation on requirements. I'm sure there are readers with that same scenario out there, lurking. Cheers and congrats.

[maneo]

Sharing my outcome for anyone else who may have the same questions:

I renewed my REP in late December 2014. sundaymorningstaple was correct. It doesn't matter how much you earned before and how much you earn now. As long as you are (1) Living in Singapore (2) Earning an income from Singapore (to be proved by your income tax notice(s) of assessment), your REP will be renewed for 5 years.

Have had a similar outcome.
My income in SG has been significantly reduced for over 2 years now, but my REP submitted (online) 2 weeks ago was approved in just 2 days.