Former Second Gen SPR, Now Applying for EP - Huge Delays?

[dubyawhy]

Hi Everyone,

My EP application has been pending for 4 months now, and I'm quite nervous. My fiancée applied for an EP at the same time and was approved after 1 week, and we have very similar backgrounds, the only difference being that I was also a former Singapore PR. We have taken all steps to expedite but now wondering if something is fishy... I wanted to ask this board to see if anyone is kind enough to shed some light on what might be the problem.

I am American. My mother is a first-gen Singaporean citizen, and I lived in Singapore for 2 years around 2005-2006, aged 9-10. During this time I received Singapore PR status through my mother. I then left Singapore without getting an REP (my mother wasn't aware of the requirement). She was ok having my SPR expire as she did not think I would ever return to Singapore. We did not leave with the intent to escape NS. I was only 10. My mother had no idea and I was too young to know about REPs. We also never renounced PR.

Now it's 2020 and I'm applying for an EP, and there have been delays after delays. I may lose this job because of this or have to start in their New York office, while being separated from my mother and fiancée.

I know this is probably going to be a waiting game but I was wondering if anyone had any idea or experience as to what might be happening? ICA/MOM has not been forthcoming about reasons for delays. Thank you!

EDIT: My background is pretty clean. 2 degrees (including law degree) at reputable university. 3 years of work experience. Salary is over 3x the EP salary requirement, so that's not the issue. This PR thing is the only thing that could draw eyeballs.

[mtnut]

Seems like you have already zeroed in on the likely cause. Although you didn't formally renounce your PR, believe there are two scenarios:

1) as a 2nd gen PR, you renounce your PR without serving NS. Future applications to live/work in SG likely to be denied.

2) you don't renounce your PR, and thus you need to serve NS.

Recall some relatively recent news coverage too (found one here)

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/j ... ld-skip-ns

[dubyawhy]

Thank you for your reply... I was afraid of this! Nobody in my family even remembered I had Singapore PR until I confirmed this with MOM.

Do you think I could appeal as a special case, given I only had PR for a brief period when I was 10? My mother didn't know to apply for an REP for me. If it is at least clearly not my fault, is there a chance I can succeed?

[the observer]

This will open a huge can of worms.

It will be construed as a loophole, to be thoroughly exploited.

But I’m no gahmen spokesperson. Hence I can’t speak for them. I’m just relaying how they work.

Penalties are harsh in Singapore for a reason, in the past at least. As a deterrent

[malcontent]

According to the ICA, you lose your PR if you stay outside Singapore without a valid REP. Since you in-fact did this, then by their own rules, your PR “should” be considered lost. Since this presumably occurred prior to age 13, I would think that goes in your favor. The fact that your mother was an SC may “look bad” but doesn’t create any NS obligation in and of itself.

I think the only way they can really pin any NS obligation on you is fact that you didn’t actually renounce. Obviously it would have been a lot cleaner had you renounced, but even then - you are a former PR that has not completed NS; you would be deemed to have avoided NS no matter the circumstances or intentions. Any former PR that has not completed NS should expect future immigration challenges, EP or otherwise.

My brother-in-law renounced his PR and managed get an EP in the early 2000’s after freshly graduating from university in the US, but apparently things have changed since then.

[mtnut]

According to the ICA, you lose your PR if you stay outside Singapore without a valid REP. Since you in-fact did this, then by their own rules, your PR “should” be considered lost. Since this presumably occurred prior to age 13, I would think that goes in your favor. The fact that your mother was an SC may “look bad” but doesn’t create any NS obligation in and of itself.

While fair, the issue is that any parents of second gen PR could then ostensibly just leave SG without doing the paperwork/process, which is surely not what they want to be seen to encourage as a loophole.

OP, when did your REP expire? I think you need to lay out the detailed circumstances to MOM (+ICA when necessary), and then hope for a bit of leniency.

[PNGMK]

Nope. Not going to happen quickly I think OP. Your paperwork is sitting on some white horse desk right now waiting for a decision but the winds are against you.

It's a massive loophole if the Indians here can just ship their kids off home and "forget" they had PR and an NS obligation.

[x9200]

Do you think I could appeal as a special case, given I only had PR for a brief period when I was 10? My mother didn't know to apply for an REP for me. If it is at least clearly not my fault, is there a chance I can succeed?

I don't really think your case is any special. Must be literarly hundreds such cases each year.