Question on race in visa applications

[Eltharius]

Hi,

I'm currently a student in NUS with ASEAN Scholarship. Is about to graduate and have already secured a job+EP and is planning to apply for PR in a few years. In all previous applications (Student Pass/EP) I list my race as others because I'm from Thailand. I've since asked around my family and discovered that I should have counted as Chinese based on my ancestry (I'm most likely at least 90% Chinese), but I lack the documentation proof of descent that could be easily traced back to China (Thailand was not quite friendly to its Chinese population back then). Would a genetic test of some sort work as a proof?

Also, when would be a good time for me to submit my first PR application?

[Sbk]

1. Without any concrete proof of your Chinese ancestry like your parents birth certificate showing they are Chinese you will can’t declare yourself as Chinese to ICA when you apply PR.

2. The best time for your to apply for PR will be after filling for income tax at-least twice. More is better.
Obviously if you can prove your of a Chinese ancestry it should play in your favour if not you will be competing under the “others” category which is less than 1.5%

[Lisafuller]

I’m not sure if the ICA accepts genetic testing. You will most likely need some form of documentation that proves your parents were Chinese.

[PNGMK]

I would switch to Chinese race. The benefits are significant. Prepare stat decs from your older relatives explaining the story with dates if possible (even if "In the Qing Dynasty my great great grandfather sailed to Siam" style).

[malcontent]

It is pretty well known fact that Chinese Thais are among the most ethnically and culturally integrated of all overseas Chinese. This is why many Thais of Chinese origin (the OP is case in point) often do not even think of themselves as Chinese, but merely as Thai. I don’t believe this fact is lost on the Singapore authorities, however it may still be beneficial for you to identify as Chinese, as this could help drive the desired statistics.