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PR Rejection
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PR Rejection
Hello everyone,
I applied PR in June and I've just been rejected. I am a bit down as I do project myself in Singapore.
My profile is the following:
- I applied together with my wife
- I have been working in Singapore for 8 years while she has been here for 4 years
- We are both early thirties
- I am from Germany and she is from Korea
- I work in an international bank and she works in the F&B industry
- We are both in local contracts, our salaries are standard for our respective industries and experience
- This is my second application, I applied by myself in 2015, before we were married
- We received the letter that mentions we can still reside and work in Singapore
It feels quite hard for caucasian to have successful PR applications recently. Has anyone shared a similar experience this year, any counterexample? Is there any way to have more details on the cause of the rejection?
Thank you
I applied PR in June and I've just been rejected. I am a bit down as I do project myself in Singapore.
My profile is the following:
- I applied together with my wife
- I have been working in Singapore for 8 years while she has been here for 4 years
- We are both early thirties
- I am from Germany and she is from Korea
- I work in an international bank and she works in the F&B industry
- We are both in local contracts, our salaries are standard for our respective industries and experience
- This is my second application, I applied by myself in 2015, before we were married
- We received the letter that mentions we can still reside and work in Singapore
It feels quite hard for caucasian to have successful PR applications recently. Has anyone shared a similar experience this year, any counterexample? Is there any way to have more details on the cause of the rejection?
Thank you
Re: PR Rejection
Although race can influence some decisions, most likely is the feasibility of either of you to be replaced by locals? Do your particular skill sets truly differentiate and elevate you above locals/ regional talent? Something that cannot be learnt or acquired through experience in the role? Do you have proof through overachievement, reflected by promotion or compensation?
You may have to look deep inside and critically assess what you really bring to the table.
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You may have to look deep inside and critically assess what you really bring to the table.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
There's always room for one more
- Strong Eagle
- Moderator
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Re: PR Rejection
I'm of the opinion that you are penalized by white expats such as me, who held PR for 7 years, then went home. I don't think white expats have the same staying power. We are generally from from first world countries and often have lots of resources left behind that we can return to.
Parenthetically, I might add that perhaps this is one reason Indians find it so difficult to gain PR... not that it's necessarily a first world country... it's getting there... but that Indians can readily pull up roots and head home... for marriages, for pregnancies, for jobs, for parents. Again, it's the staying power.
Your challenge, in my view, is to convince the gahmen that you are not like me, that is, that you won't be leaving any time soon. But, that, too, is going to be difficult because banks have a history of moving managers about.
Parenthetically, I might add that perhaps this is one reason Indians find it so difficult to gain PR... not that it's necessarily a first world country... it's getting there... but that Indians can readily pull up roots and head home... for marriages, for pregnancies, for jobs, for parents. Again, it's the staying power.
Your challenge, in my view, is to convince the gahmen that you are not like me, that is, that you won't be leaving any time soon. But, that, too, is going to be difficult because banks have a history of moving managers about.
Re: PR Rejection
Its statistics and numbers. Let than 500 whites are approved every year based on the last time I checked the immigration report (2% of 25,000 PR applications).
I not lawyer/teacher/CPA.
You've been arrested? Law Society of Singapore can provide referrals.
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You ran away without doing NS? Shame on you!
You've been arrested? Law Society of Singapore can provide referrals.
You want an International School job? School website or http://www.ISS.edu
Your rugrat needs a School? Avoid for profit schools
You need Tax advice? Ask a CPA
You ran away without doing NS? Shame on you!
Re: PR Rejection
Just need to keep plugging away .... show that you have the staying power!!!Alexander0 wrote:Hello everyone,
I applied PR in June and I've just been rejected. I am a bit down as I do project myself in Singapore.
My profile is the following:
- I applied together with my wife
- I have been working in Singapore for 8 years while she has been here for 4 years
- We are both early thirties
- I am from Germany and she is from Korea
- I work in an international bank and she works in the F&B industry
- We are both in local contracts, our salaries are standard for our respective industries and experience
- This is my second application, I applied by myself in 2015, before we were married
- We received the letter that mentions we can still reside and work in Singapore
It feels quite hard for caucasian to have successful PR applications recently. Has anyone shared a similar experience this year, any counterexample? Is there any way to have more details on the cause of the rejection?
Thank you
It is what it is , and I can imagine you are a bit bemused when the person who is serving you at the chicken rice stall is probably a PR. You will question , what really is it that the Government is looking for in its residents, its not about skills and money , they are looking for something that they are not telling.

Anyway ... chin up and get on with your life.
Life is short, paddle harder!!
Re: PR Rejection
The one skill that neither of them bring is the most important one , you are not malaysian chinese and and on a sliding scale down to other ethnic chinese.BBCDoc wrote: Do your particular skill sets truly differentiate and elevate you above locals/ regional talent?
You may have to look deep inside and critically assess what you really bring to the table.
Therefore the reflection this fella and his wife need to do is , how to become ethnically chinese



Life is short, paddle harder!!
Re: PR Rejection
PR is a stepping stone to citizenship. Accordingly the govt wants a cross section of people : nurses, waiters, teachers, IT etc etc. They can't all be high earning bankers. Chinese, Indians, Malaysians etc all likely to take up citizenship than those who just want to be here as glorified "expats".
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Re: PR Rejection
Looks like the current population race ratios are likely to remain...
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/s ... r-eurasian
Clearly Singapore isn't some kind of international meritopia.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/s ... r-eurasian
Clearly Singapore isn't some kind of international meritopia.
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- Newbie
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Re: PR Rejection
Thank you all for your answers. Indeed, although my position is not the most attractive to Singaporeans, my skillset is clearly not irreplaceable.
It is always demotivating to see the younger members (different ethnic backgrounds) of my team get their PR approved on their first try, after only spending few years in Singapore. To answer to Barnsley: even with all my goodwill, I do not think I could ever convince anyone that some of my ancestries come from China
.
I do understand the position of the government, and the fact that they are looking for profiles that are more likely to commit on the long term. I was however hopeful that spending 8 years in Singapore could be seen as a form of commitment. I guess the next logical step for us would be to have a child and apply together as a family in few years.
It is always demotivating to see the younger members (different ethnic backgrounds) of my team get their PR approved on their first try, after only spending few years in Singapore. To answer to Barnsley: even with all my goodwill, I do not think I could ever convince anyone that some of my ancestries come from China

I do understand the position of the government, and the fact that they are looking for profiles that are more likely to commit on the long term. I was however hopeful that spending 8 years in Singapore could be seen as a form of commitment. I guess the next logical step for us would be to have a child and apply together as a family in few years.
Re: PR Rejection
Would you consider giving up your nationality to become Singaporean?Alexander0 wrote:Thank you all for your answers. Indeed, although my position is not the most attractive to Singaporeans, my skillset is clearly not irreplaceable.
It is always demotivating to see the younger members (different ethnic backgrounds) of my team get their PR approved on their first try, after only spending few years in Singapore. To answer to Barnsley: even with all my goodwill, I do not think I could ever convince anyone that some of my ancestries come from China.
I do understand the position of the government, and the fact that they are looking for profiles that are more likely to commit on the long term. I was however hopeful that spending 8 years in Singapore could be seen as a form of commitment. I guess the next logical step for us would be to have a child and apply together as a family in few years.
Re: PR Rejection
What exactly is a Eurasian?BigginHill wrote:Looks like the current population race ratios are likely to remain...
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/s ... r-eurasian
Clearly Singapore isn't some kind of international meritopia.
- jamie9vardy
- Chatter
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- Joined: Mon, 11 Apr 2016 11:12 pm
Re: PR Rejection
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasians_in_SingaporeCashewNut wrote:What exactly is a Eurasian?
Re: PR Rejection
Interesting survey, the one, the article is based on, with some data included at the bottom of the page (on dating and such).BigginHill wrote:Looks like the current population race ratios are likely to remain...
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/s ... r-eurasian
I found the first table probably most interesting although variation between the 3 ethical groups is not that significant:
https://static.straitstimes.com.sg/site ... survey.jpg
So Chinese are more polarized between seeing themselves exclusively as being Singaporeans or Chinese rather then both at the same time, while Indians just opposite.
Is it because Indians are in some sort of self-deny or Chinese just see being Singaporean as being basically Chinese (ethnically)?
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Re: PR Rejection
Few points that I found interesting about the statistics:
- I did not expect such high acceptance of other ethnic backgrounds
- It is interesting that none of the CMI races consider their own as the most "truly Singaporean"
- Why would Indonesian not be part of this list? They remain on the top of the list of the foreigners that invest in Singapore (https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/5 ... perty-2017)
Regarding the question on the citizenship: I thought about it, and I am not certain yet. What I could imagine is that one of us (my wife or I) keeps his birthplace citizenship while the other one becomes Singaporean. I would also like my future kids to attend public school, which is virtually impossible without PR.
- I did not expect such high acceptance of other ethnic backgrounds
- It is interesting that none of the CMI races consider their own as the most "truly Singaporean"
- Why would Indonesian not be part of this list? They remain on the top of the list of the foreigners that invest in Singapore (https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/5 ... perty-2017)
Regarding the question on the citizenship: I thought about it, and I am not certain yet. What I could imagine is that one of us (my wife or I) keeps his birthplace citizenship while the other one becomes Singaporean. I would also like my future kids to attend public school, which is virtually impossible without PR.
- sundaymorningstaple
- Moderator
- Posts: 39766
- Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
- Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot
Re: PR Rejection
Your are not likely to gain SGC using that scenario as ICA will see through that as there will be little valid reason for one parent to remain as a PR and not apply for SGC as a family unit. Good luck. You'll need it.Alexander0 wrote: Regarding the question on the citizenship: I thought about it, and I am not certain yet. What I could imagine is that one of us (my wife or I) keeps his birthplace citizenship while the other one becomes Singaporean. I would also like my future kids to attend public school, which is virtually impossible without PR.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
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