REP renewal for retired PR

[jamie9vardy]

Think this question comes up once in a while.

https://mothership.sg/2020/02/parliamen ... lications/

Sun said that for retired PRs, it is understandable if they do not have a declaration of employment since they are retired.

Thus, she said, the criteria for the renewal of the re-entry permits of retired PRs depends on other criteria – not being away from Singapore for prolonged periods of time and have family roots here.

According to Sun, the government generally approves the re-entry permit applications of retired PRs “in recognition of their past contributions to Singapore”.

[Addadude]

Good to know! Thanks.

[smoulder]

If you are a pr and plan to retire here, why wouldn't you just become a citizen and remove the uncertainty? Curious what reasons would stop you other than you applying for citizenship and being rejected in which case the writing is probably on the wall anyway.

[bcheng74]

Thank you. That’s useful information


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PNGMK]

As we have thought for awhile. SMS will appreciate seeing this.

[jamie9vardy]

If you are a pr and plan to retire here, why wouldn't you just become a citizen and remove the uncertainty? Curious what reasons would stop you other than you applying for citizenship and being rejected in which case the writing is probably on the wall anyway.

Well, some may want to enjoy the best of both worlds by remaining a citizen of where they came from, while continuing as an SPR. Then a few of them realise that since I’m going to retire here, I shall convert to be a Singaporean. However, sometimes that realisation comes a tad too late and their SC applications are rejected, especially some of those in their late 40’s to 50’s. So the next best option is to renew REP for as long as they could.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I can tell you what the potential problem it. As a PR, I've known for some time that over the age of 55 you do not have to be employed to get an REP but that is generally based on Family Ties PR. I'm now 72 but I just retired 10 months ago. As long as I have family ties here I'm okay.

However. And this is the kicker. I cannot confirm the transition to SGC, but I can give you a reason why they probably wouldn't. Why should the government give you SGC after you retire? You are no longer contributing to Singapore. They have already sucked all the juices out of you and just left a husk that will soon, if not already, require medical attention. Lot's of it. Why, when your health is deteriorating, would it make sense to give you SGC and add a burden to Singapore in Medical Subsidies as you already know, they've cut PR's subsidies down to virtual zero already. Would not make sense in the OTT pragmatic view of everything by the government.

[smoulder]

I can tell you what the potential problem it. As a PR, I've known for some time that over the age of 55 you do not have to be employed to get an REP but that is generally based on Family Ties PR. I'm now 72 but I just retired 10 months ago. As long as I have family ties here I'm okay.

However. And this is the kicker. I cannot confirm the transition to SGC, but I can give you a reason why they probably wouldn't. Why should the government give you SGC after you retire? You are no longer contributing to Singapore. They have already sucked all the juices out of you and just left a husk that will soon, if not already, require medical attention. Lot's of it. Why, when your health is deteriorating, would it make sense to give you SGC and add a burden to Singapore in Medical Subsidies as you already know, they've cut PR's subsidies down to virtual zero already. Would not make sense in the OTT pragmatic view of everything by the government.

Yes I totally get that. I wouldn't expect the government to be doling out citizenship to retirees for the reasons that you stated. My question was really to try and understand why people didn't take up citizenship when they were younger. Jamie did provide a good answer. I'm guessing that some of the older PRs may not have predicted that it would come to this stage....

[bro75]

There was a time when SGC was easier to get even after just 1 year of being PR.
I did not apply for SGC as I was single and had no plans for the future. I also did not predict the tightening criteria for both PR and SGC approvals that came in 2010. In hindsight, I should have applied for SGC then.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yes I totally get that. I wouldn't expect the government to be doling out citizenship to retirees for the reasons that you stated. My question was really to try and understand why people didn't take up citizenship when they were younger. Jamie did provide a good answer. I'm guessing that some of the older PRs may not have predicted that it would come to this stage....

Yeah, I'm one of them. I never had intention of retiring here. But unfortunately mid-way through 2018 I had a major upset in my retirement in as much as I had my farm in the US stolen from me when my Mother passed away in June 2018. That left me completely adrift as I'd been working on that for 35 years due to Singapore property laws and US taxes, etc. Suffice it to say, I currently only have a Bank account in the US and nothing else to go back to. At the age of 70 it's pretty rough, except that I know I can stay here as my two kids opted for Singapore citizenship when they came of age and are both married and I have a couple of G. Sons now as well, so it's not all bad. But knowing I cannot change it rubs me the wrong way occasionally.

[PNGMK]

I have no intention of taking up SC. I considered it in my 40's though.

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

I have a Scottish colleague whose a PR and have been here since late 80's, and he mentioned that he didn't apply when was asked to apply for citizenship, and when now he sees things a bit differently, he tried to apply but was rejected. I'm not sure his exact age, but assume it's 60 plus minus 2 years.

I personally think about applying SC only when I'm stuck at immigration queue in Bangkok or other slow border country, just to get the APEC Business travel card to cut the queues, but usually after a few drinks on flight I'll forget the idea. Based on what I read my REP renewals are quite safe anyway.

[Addadude]

Despite being a PR for just about 15 years, I've never been particularly tempted to become a SC.

1) I don't like the idea of being forced to give up my original citizenship - I regard it as part of my heritage.

2) As a EU citizen I have access to plenty of relatively low-cost countries to retire to (if I can persuade my SO of course, which will be a tall order)

3) Personal experience has taught me not to plan so far ahead. In my life, invariably things have happened to throw all my long-term plans aside. I'm sure SMS can attest to that! (However, I certainly am putting aside as much savings and investments as I can for a slower-paced future.)

As things currently stand, it looks like I'll be retiring in Singapore, so jamie9vardy's initial post is certainly good news.

[CashewNut]

Although you have no employment income as a retiree, i guess you may well have income from CPF LIFE and other sources. It makes sense that authorities renew REP in that case.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[singaporeflyer]

Although you have no employment income as a retiree, i guess you may well have income from CPF LIFE and other sources. It makes sense that authorities renew REP in that case.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

What other sources? Rental income, Dividends etc wont be counted as a regular source of income.