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British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

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TropicalExpat
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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by TropicalExpat » Wed, 12 Aug 2020 9:59 am

Sunjackal wrote:
Sat, 08 Aug 2020 2:10 am
We both work for a Casino Group in the UK. It is owned by Guoco but the company itself doesn’t have any presence in Asia. Not exactly the most secure looking industry post Covid - but plenty of transferable skills.
I think casinos will eventually pick up, as Chinese love to gamble and the government in opening the two integrated resorts backed this horse.

I'm sure your skills are transferable but Singapore is fortunate that it is the highest paid country in the region so the talent flocks here regionally, which might make it tough. Especially with the focus on retaining local staff.

Reverting back to your point about CPF, I suspect she probably didn't contribute as she was employed abroad (unless she was employed as an expat in the UK). But it's probably less of an issue.

Just focus on supporting her to get a job and at home. Once she has returned, just get her to apply for your PR and then you'll be sorted. As long as she has a job in Singapore you should get your PR.

Good luck in any way you approach this. It's a difficult time for everyone so I wish you all the best!

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by Sunjackal » Sun, 18 Oct 2020 10:40 pm

Hi.

There’s a little update - so hopefully you can advise me.

She’s got a job with a Singaporean company. Due to Covid she can work remotely, so we are going to go back to the UK and wrap up our affairs.

In the interim, when we return back to SG - should I get her to apply for LTVP and go for a LOC or just go straight in with a PR application?

I don’t want to sit around and do nothing for 6 months. Can you do the LTVP/LOC route whilst waiting for PR?

Thanks!

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PNGMK
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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by PNGMK » Mon, 19 Oct 2020 9:01 am

LTVP will come first. Yes you can trigger both at once I believe. PR will take a long long time but LTVP is pretty straight forward.
I not lawyer/teacher/CPA.
You've been arrested? Law Society of Singapore can provide referrals.
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Your rugrat needs a School? Avoid for profit schools
You need Tax advice? Ask a CPA
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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by Pinkpanther » Tue, 01 Dec 2020 8:05 pm

You won't be eligible to apply for PR straight away. The route will be as follows - STVP, LTVP, LTVP+ and PR. It will be a couple of years before the LTVP can be converted to LTVP+ and then some more years to PR status (if at all successful). Given the high number of fake marriages (with the aim to get PR or citizenship), the ICA want to see many, many years of stability in a marriage before they grant PR. It is a long road to PR for the spouse of a citizen.

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by PNGMK » Wed, 02 Dec 2020 6:26 pm

^ no more LTVP+ now - one less step but an absolutely min of 3 years IMO from zero to PR.
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!

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by Pinkpanther » Wed, 02 Dec 2020 9:58 pm

PNGMK wrote:
Wed, 02 Dec 2020 6:26 pm
^ no more LTVP+ now - one less step but an absolutely min of 3 years IMO from zero to PR.
Interesting. When did they do away with it?

A relative (Singaporean) married a woman from another ASEAN country in 2016 and she arrived in Singapore on an STVP. After about 6 months, she got an LTVP and this was upgraded to LTVP+ last year (mid 2019) after 3 years of marriage. LTVP+ has a validity of 3 years (renewable by another 5 years) and gives you access to subsidised healthcare, the right to work, etc. She's not applied for PR yet (can't or hasn't, I'm not sure which, even though she has a Singaporean child now). On the other hand, EP/DP holders can apply for PR and become PRs much sooner. A European friend received her PR exactly a year after she arrived in Singapore. We received ours very quickly too. Contrary to what people think, it is a much longer road to PR for the spouse of a citizen.

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by Sunjackal » Wed, 03 Feb 2021 7:34 pm

Situation has changed somewhat for us as the wife was made redundant whilst on maternity leave.

We have applied for PR whilst still in the U.K. We’ve decided that she will look after the boy for the first few years - and I’ll work full time.

Not sure if it’ll work out or not - but we are in the midst of finalising the property purchase anyhow, and then I’ll just need to find work. I would guess it’ll be easier as a PR than on LTVP but we can try.

As for your point about sham marriages.. we’ve been married for 5 years and have a young baby. Pretty convincing, I think. Plus they can see that I’ve been in and out of Singapore multiple times a year with her since 2012. Not worried about that.

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by singaporeflyer » Wed, 03 Feb 2021 11:36 pm

Pinkpanther wrote:
Wed, 02 Dec 2020 9:58 pm
Contrary to what people think, it is a much longer road to PR for the spouse of a citizen.
No. Not really. In my personal view,The criteria is easier if the applicant is a spouse of SC after 2 years of marriage.

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by ProvenPracticalFlexible » Thu, 04 Feb 2021 12:43 pm

singaporeflyer wrote:
Wed, 03 Feb 2021 11:36 pm
Pinkpanther wrote:
Wed, 02 Dec 2020 9:58 pm
Contrary to what people think, it is a much longer road to PR for the spouse of a citizen.
No. Not really. In my personal view,The criteria is easier if the applicant is a spouse of SC after 2 years of marriage.
Yes, indeed, but of course it's a bit simplified to look only the marriage alone, as the foreign spouses nationality, education, employability in Singapore etc makes a big impact too. Same for the Singaporean spouse's education, employability etc. and of course the exisiting or future potenial children.

in simple terms: which of the following spouses is going to get PR:

Foreigner from developed country like UK, USA, Australia (especially if the Singaporean already lived/studied there)

vs. Foreigner from developing country like India or Philippines?

with common sense it going to be much harder for the latter to get accepted. This is not much to do about race (others and Indians have a tough times anyway), but simply the Singaporean spouse is much more likely to move to EU, UK, US, Australia etc with the spouse, and very unlikely to move to the poorer Asian countries to follow true love.

I'm pretty sure ICA has enough stats on this and can make informed decisions what is the risk of losing the Singaporean family to overseas.

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by PNGMK » Thu, 04 Feb 2021 1:50 pm

Sunjackal wrote:
Wed, 03 Feb 2021 7:34 pm
Situation has changed somewhat for us as the wife was made redundant whilst on maternity leave.

We have applied for PR whilst still in the U.K. We’ve decided that she will look after the boy for the first few years - and I’ll work full time.

Not sure if it’ll work out or not - but we are in the midst of finalising the property purchase anyhow, and then I’ll just need to find work. I would guess it’ll be easier as a PR than on LTVP but we can try.

As for your point about sham marriages.. we’ve been married for 5 years and have a young baby. Pretty convincing, I think. Plus they can see that I’ve been in and out of Singapore multiple times a year with her since 2012. Not worried about that.
You'll need to do this:

Apply for LTVP online (from overseas) sponsored by your spouse -> travel to Singapore - apply to MOM for a LOC to work under the LTVP -> find job -> work for two tax assessment periods -> apply for PR - get rejected -> reapply for PR until obtained -> work -> retire -> die.
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!

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by Sunjackal » Thu, 04 Feb 2021 3:31 pm

Can’t apply for the LTVP from abroad. We tried it on her Singpass but it wants my disembarkation number etc - which cannot provide as I am not there.

Have just decided to apply for PR directly. Will basically be the same process as you suggested, just that I’ll have to wait to get back into SG before I apply for the LTVP.

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by ProvenPracticalFlexible » Thu, 04 Feb 2021 7:14 pm

Sunjackal wrote:
Thu, 04 Feb 2021 3:31 pm
Can’t apply for the LTVP from abroad. We tried it on her Singpass but it wants my disembarkation number etc - which cannot provide as I am not there.

Have just decided to apply for PR directly. Will basically be the same process as you suggested, just that I’ll have to wait to get back into SG before I apply for the LTVP.
Would have done the same, and well my time was different, and now of course the Covid has changed things, so even 2-3 years old stuff doesn't mean much, but for reference I know 2 cases that got their PRs approved that way; applied while overseas (after min 2 year's of marriage), moved to Singapore, got LTVP-LOC and looked and found jobs, and while working here, after some time got the PR approval. But of course every case is different, and now covid times makes it even more unpredictable what happens to the applications.

and as said by malcontent your biggest challenge is to find that job.
On the adapting to way of live and daily stuff in Singapore, I would warn the otherwise if your wife as I understand has stayed some time overseas. She will have a bigger reverse-culture shock, as everyone thinks she's local and it is all easy for Singaporean to move back home. You are likely with open minded attitude and coming here willingly adapt better, plus people give you more sympathy for your troubles to having to adjust and move here (not talking about random people but your wife's family, relatives and friends).

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by Sunjackal » Thu, 04 Feb 2021 8:09 pm

Actually looking at picking up a remote job in the short term, as it means I don’t have any major pressure to find something immediately within SG - as I presume it’ll be challenging in the interim.

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by malcontent » Thu, 04 Feb 2021 9:16 pm

PNGMK wrote:
Thu, 04 Feb 2021 1:50 pm

Apply for LTVP online (from overseas) sponsored by your spouse -> travel to Singapore - apply to MOM for a LOC to work under the LTVP -> find job -> work for two tax assessment periods -> apply for PR - get rejected -> reapply for PR until obtained -> work -> retire -> die.
Speaking of that last point, a good friend of mine up and died on me a little over a year ago. I’d never been to a funeral here before and was rather shocked at the process. Basically they had the open casket sitting in the middle of what appeared to be a garage. No speeches, no formalities, nothing nice about it... just pay your respects and go. Not the way I’d want to be remembered, but ok!
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

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Re: British - Moving to SG (Wife is SC)

Post by PNGMK » Fri, 05 Feb 2021 5:02 am

Yes I was surprised at open casket funerals. Lex Barker was the last one I went to. His widow has a commendation letter from QEII next to the casket. He has fought communists in the Emergency and Konfrontasi in the SBS. Drank himself to death.
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!

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