Stateless person PR renewal

[roye123]

Hi all,

I just wanna check with you guys anyone experience before renewing on PR status on Sponsorship basis without a Nationality??

Background
Basically my mum has been a PR for 23years all these while she has been renewing her PR status through her own merit. But I am a SC now, and ICA do allow sponsorships through children but during this time she might be stateless, due to the fact that she won't be renewing her passport/renouncing her foreign citizenship.

So just want to find out if this makes any sense?

[bcheng74]

Saying that someone is stateless because passport is not renewed or citizenship is not renounced doesn’t make sense at all.


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[roye123]

What i meant was if my mum renounced her citizenship, therefor will be stateless. Will it have any impact if let say she renew her PR through sponsorship?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Most countries will not accept renunciation of citizenship unless the person trying to renounce can show proof of citizenship (or in principle approval) to them first. This is to prevent the causation of Statelessness.

[roye123]

Thank you for the reply. That makes sense. What if she do a renewal on her PR based on an expired passport, does it have any implications?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Having an expired passport is not a loss of citizenship, it's only a loss of a travel document. She will probably be required to renew her passport as I think she needs a valid travel document to to renew the re-entry permit. She is not required to renew her PR, only the Re-entry Permit. You don't really need the re-entry permit unless you are planning to come back into Singapore. While in Singapore, it is not needed (I went without one for 15 months a few years ago). But if you leave Singapore without valid re-entry permit you will be telling ICA that you are giving up your PR as you will not be allowed to return as a PR without a valid re-entry permit. You will be required to return your NRIC to ICA before you leave.

I'm not sure what the problem is. Why doesn't she just renew her passport? What is the issue?

[roye123]

She is currently holding a Tonga Protected Person Passport, if you google it will give you a better light.

Those were the days when my dad decided to venture out of our home country and decided to start a business in SG. Over the years i grew up here and served the Army. During this time my dad actually went back to hong kong and got back his passport. But my mum remained as the TPP.

She did he last renewal on the TPP 5 years ago in hong kong. In about 6 months time it is going to expire, so i emailed the HK embassy enquiring more info on the process. Which they replied and said they no longer handle TPP cases anymore. All the exisiting TPP people have to go back to Tonga and seek approval from their goverment and king.

My take is There isnt any point renewing the passport if she doesnt even intend to retire there or visit there. She has tried applying SC for 2 times which failed. So right now just wantrd to find out if she decided to renounce/not renew her TPP what are the odds of continueing staying in SG as PR through my sponsorship.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Interesting. I learned something about 'for sale' passports and the fact that Tonga is no longer issuing them. I think, at this juncture, you are going to have to make a trip down to ICA along with your mother and all the relevant documents and ask to see an officer (not just a front line clerk) in order to get more information on how to proceed with this. It is beyond our scope here, to be honest. As a PR, she should only need to stay in Singapore. But if she ever want to go to JB or Batam, that is when the issue will arise. You need to get her sorted, possibly by applying for her citizenship here in Singapore. But you will need to take her to ICA (or your father or all of you). I'm not even sure she can even renew the passport now based on one website indicating massive legislation changes are taking place with a newly elected parliamentary government that has taken powers away from the King. You might also want to research more in that area as well.

However it goes, I would greatly appreciate it if you can keep us abreast of what transpires, should we ever get another case like this.

[PNGMK]

What nationality was your mother originally? Or was she stateless before obtaining a TPP? Where was she born and what citizenship were her parents at the time?

[roye123]

Original citizenship/nationality was China. Born in Shanghai.

[PNGMK]

Original citizenship/nationality was China. Born in Shanghai.

Does she have any way to reclaim PRC citizenship so she is covered?

[roye123]

I dont thinkso. As long as you renounced you can't get it back.

[PNGMK]

Have you contacted a Tonga consulate or embassy anywhere else apart from HK? I suggest their New Zealand one is probably the best place. From what I can see you can have her TPP renewed - it's just in HK that you can't do that now.

[roye123]

Have tried beijing consulate but no response. Will try NZ and Sydney next.

[PNGMK]

Have tried beijing consulate but no response. Will try NZ and Sydney next.

NZ represents Tonga where Tonga cannot act on her own behalf. You could ask the NZ Embassy (high comm) in Singapore as well.