Singapore Expats

Former PR wishing to return

Do you have a question about National Service (NS) in Singapore? Discuss it here.
Post Reply
Liquorice
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:05 pm

Former PR wishing to return

Post by Liquorice » Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:25 pm

Question for the likes of Mad Scientist (if he is still around).
I would like to know the chances of a Personalised Employment Pass being approved, should I take up a job offer in Singapore.

Background info:
- Male, born in 1971, in U.K, to a British father and Singaporean mother;
- British citizen (N.B. No right to Singapore citizenship under Singapore law back then);
- Lived in U.K from birth to Mar 1980;
- Upon breakdown of parents' marriage, moved with mother and younger brother to Singapore in Mar 1980;
- Initially on LTSVP. Granted PR in June 1980;
- Studied in local Singapore schools from Mar 1980 to Dec 1989;
- Mother and stepfather emigrated to Europe in Dec 1987, leaving brother and I in Singapore to finish off O levels and A levels respectively;
- Called up for medical check-up to Bukit Gombak in June 1989;
- Sat for A Levels in Nov-Dec 1989;
- Left Singapore for Europe in Dec 1989, 2 weeks before my 18th birthday, and before NS enlistment;
- Wrote to Singapore authorities to renounce my Singapore PR in 1990. Renouncement was accepted;
- Got my law degree from London University, and have had a pretty good career since then.
-Have lived in various countries ín Asia and Europe in the last 30 years;
- I have been on social visits of less than 30 days at least 8 times over the last 30 years. I have never been detained or questioned about my NS status by the Singapore authorities;
- Over the years, I have received a number of Singapore job offers, However as I make very good money where I am now, the employers have been unable to match my requirements;
- There is a good chance that I will soon receive an interesting job offer from a European renewable energy utility looking to set up their APAC HQ in Singapore. The position would be as the Regional CEO;
Last edited by Liquorice on Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:48 pm, edited 3 times in total.

User avatar
PNGMK
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9076
Joined: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 9:06 pm
Answers: 10
Location: Sinkapore

Re: Former PR wishing to return

Post by PNGMK » Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:32 pm

That job sounds wonderful. Damn shame you won't get it.

The Singapore govt has a long memory. CEO - meh - dime a dozen.

Specifically you were a 2nd gen PR with an NS obligation. If they let you back then they have no leg to stand on when forcing other 2nd gen PR to do NS. They will all point at you and say "The CEO of that European Renewable Energy company got PR after skipping out on NS" and with some justification they will be pissed. Don't think you can't be doxxed mate.
I not lawyer/teacher/CPA.
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!

Liquorice
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:05 pm

Re: Former PR wishing to return

Post by Liquorice » Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:42 pm

Hi PNGMK- thanks for the reply.
Just to clarify- I don't want to get my PR back. I am asking if I can get a PEP (personalised Employment Pass).
Your advice pretty much confirms my hunch. Although I do know of at least 1 case similar to mine. He was the same age cohort, Malaysian dad, Japanese mum. He had a blue IC as well, renounced it and pursued his studies in Australia. Several years later he returned to Singapore, and got his PR back. This was in the 90s, so I guess the govt policy has tightened up since then.

User avatar
singaporeflyer
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 4270
Joined: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 9:49 am
Answers: 1

Re: Former PR wishing to return

Post by singaporeflyer » Wed, 22 Apr 2020 6:01 pm

Liquorice wrote:
Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:42 pm
Hi PNGMK- thanks for the reply.
Just to clarify- I don't want to get my PR back. I am asking if I can get a PEP (personalised Employment Pass).
Your advice pretty much confirms my hunch. Although I do know of at least 1 case similar to mine. He was the same age cohort, Malaysian dad, Japanese mum. He had a blue IC as well, renounced it and pursued his studies in Australia. Several years later he returned to Singapore, and got his PR back. This was in the 90s, so I guess the govt policy has tightened up since then.
There have been many cases where people who have escaped from serving NS by renouncing their PR, are not given anything more than a 30 day social visit pass, only if their family lives in SG.

This should answer your question.

TropicalExpat
Chatter
Chatter
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu, 28 May 2020 5:02 pm
Answers: 1

Re: Former PR wishing to return

Post by TropicalExpat » Fri, 10 Jul 2020 1:05 pm

Liquorice wrote:
Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:42 pm
Hi PNGMK- thanks for the reply.
Just to clarify- I don't want to get my PR back. I am asking if I can get a PEP (personalised Employment Pass).
Your advice pretty much confirms my hunch. Although I do know of at least 1 case similar to mine. He was the same age cohort, Malaysian dad, Japanese mum. He had a blue IC as well, renounced it and pursued his studies in Australia. Several years later he returned to Singapore, and got his PR back. This was in the 90s, so I guess the govt policy has tightened up since then.
What happened in the end? Did you get the PEP?

I imagine if you skipped NS you wouldn't get it.

Liquorice
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:05 pm

Re: Former PR wishing to return

Post by Liquorice » Sat, 21 Nov 2020 12:05 am

Hi all,
I turned down the job, as the terms were not attractive. So PEP was never an issue.

User avatar
malcontent
Manager
Manager
Posts: 2613
Joined: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 11:52 am
Answers: 8
Location: Pulau Ujong

Re: Former PR wishing to return

Post by malcontent » Sun, 22 Nov 2020 3:17 pm

I do know two cases of PRs who renounced before NS. One successfully got an EP here after graduating from a U.S. university with a degree in chemical engineering. He only stayed a few years and did not try to get PR back. The other also came back after graduating from a U.S. university with a business degree and got an EP and even got PR back after a few years (still in SG today). Mind you, these two cases were back in the late 90’s early 00’s.

From my experience with the EP, it’s less about you and more about the company... why do they need you versus someone else. If the company has a good case, it will likely be approved. Unless you have done something that blatantly flouted the rules, I would say an EP should be doable, as long as the company can show they need you.
Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it - Niels Bohr

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “National Service”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests