Passport renewal

[Wd40]

For kids schooling, this is probably the biggest expense that you have no way to avoid here without citizenship (short of not having kids or sending them back to your home country for education). Public schools here have become very expensive for non-citizens to attend, as much as half-price the price of international.

Actually it is not even about the cost. Local Schools in SG have very very few seats for foreigners, like not more than 5% of the seats are given to foreigners. Rest of them which is like a huge number are forced to go to intl schools. My daughter is in grade 4 and studies in an Indian intl school and it is one of the cheapest here and it costs $10k a year. For my 120k salary this is not huge, for 1 child, but yeah schooling is problem here unless you are high end expat. Or you need to be a low end foreign worker and leave your family at home.

GIIS? How does she like it? I know you are from India but is there a specific reason you picked it over other International Schools?

GIIS is atleast twice as expensive I think it is 22k a year. I picked the cheapest and I picked Indian intl school because it is going to be seamless when we move to India, syllabuswise. Also all Indian kids so lots of familiarity for my daughter. Without living in India she knows so much about India, going back will be a piece of cake.

All this because we were denied PR as well as denied a seat in local school. So with that context in mind this is the next best thing.

[smoulder]

Wd40 would you consider applying for a PR again?

[Lisafuller]

Actually it is not even about the cost. Local Schools in SG have very very few seats for foreigners, like not more than 5% of the seats are given to foreigners. Rest of them which is like a huge number are forced to go to intl schools. My daughter is in grade 4 and studies in an Indian intl school and it is one of the cheapest here and it costs $10k a year. For my 120k salary this is not huge, for 1 child, but yeah schooling is problem here unless you are high end expat. Or you need to be a low end foreign worker and leave your family at home.

GIIS? How does she like it? I know you are from India but is there a specific reason you picked it over other International Schools?

GIIS is atleast twice as expensive I think it is 22k a year. I picked the cheapest and I picked Indian intl school because it is going to be seamless when we move to India, syllabuswise. Also all Indian kids so lots of familiarity for my daughter. Without living in India she knows so much about India, going back will be a piece of cake.

All this because we were denied PR as well as denied a seat in local school. So with that context in mind this is the next best thing.

I see, are you planning on moving back to India in the near future?

[Wd40]

Wd40 would you consider applying for a PR again?

Already applied 5-6 times and now I am 42 years old, I don't see any positive change in my circumstances that will make them consider my application favourably. So it would be a waste of time.

[Wd40]

GIIS? How does she like it? I know you are from India but is there a specific reason you picked it over other International Schools?

GIIS is atleast twice as expensive I think it is 22k a year. I picked the cheapest and I picked Indian intl school because it is going to be seamless when we move to India, syllabuswise. Also all Indian kids so lots of familiarity for my daughter. Without living in India she knows so much about India, going back will be a piece of cake.

All this because we were denied PR as well as denied a seat in local school. So with that context in mind this is the next best thing.

I see, are you planning on moving back to India in the near future?

Yes, I am targeting 2023/24 as the year to go back to India. I can kind of see already, some major changes to the EP process due to the ongoing anti foreigner sentiment. There could be nationality level caps, age related caps. etc So I doubt it is going to become any easier to continue staying here on EP.

Also, careerwise my motivation is quite low already. I am pretty much financially independent, so I don't have the fire in the belly anymore to keep learning and working hard. So all those factors point towards another 2-3 years of easy going stay here. Beyond that I am kind of preparing to move.

[smoulder]

GIIS? How does she like it? I know you are from India but is there a specific reason you picked it over other International Schools?

GIIS is atleast twice as expensive I think it is 22k a year. I picked the cheapest and I picked Indian intl school because it is going to be seamless when we move to India, syllabuswise. Also all Indian kids so lots of familiarity for my daughter. Without living in India she knows so much about India, going back will be a piece of cake.

All this because we were denied PR as well as denied a seat in local school. So with that context in mind this is the next best thing.

I see, are you planning on moving back to India in the near future?

I believe that you would be more than financially independent if you were to move to India. Which city are you planning to move to?

[Wd40]

GIIS is atleast twice as expensive I think it is 22k a year. I picked the cheapest and I picked Indian intl school because it is going to be seamless when we move to India, syllabuswise. Also all Indian kids so lots of familiarity for my daughter. Without living in India she knows so much about India, going back will be a piece of cake.

All this because we were denied PR as well as denied a seat in local school. So with that context in mind this is the next best thing.

I see, are you planning on moving back to India in the near future?

I believe that you would be more than financially independent if you were to move to India. Which city are you planning to move to?

Bangalore.

[malcontent]

GIIS is atleast twice as expensive I think it is 22k a year. I picked the cheapest and I picked Indian intl school because it is going to be seamless when we move to India, syllabuswise. Also all Indian kids so lots of familiarity for my daughter. Without living in India she knows so much about India, going back will be a piece of cake.

All this because we were denied PR as well as denied a seat in local school. So with that context in mind this is the next best thing.

I see, are you planning on moving back to India in the near future?

Yes, I am targeting 2023/24 as the year to go back to India. I can kind of see already, some major changes to the EP process due to the ongoing anti foreigner sentiment. There could be nationality level caps, age related caps. etc So I doubt it is going to become any easier to continue staying here on EP.

Also, careerwise my motivation is quite low already. I am pretty much financially independent, so I don't have the fire in the belly anymore to keep learning and working hard. So all those factors point towards another 2-3 years of easy going stay here. Beyond that I am kind of preparing to move.

Sounds like you need a new job, one that you genuinely enjoy and have passion for, not just for making money.

I was interviewing a candidate earlier this week who works in private banking… wealth management, portfolio management, etc - sounded kind of interesting to work in that space.

I know you’ve got some passion for investing. Have you thought about a career change?

[Wd40]

I see, are you planning on moving back to India in the near future?

Yes, I am targeting 2023/24 as the year to go back to India. I can kind of see already, some major changes to the EP process due to the ongoing anti foreigner sentiment. There could be nationality level caps, age related caps. etc So I doubt it is going to become any easier to continue staying here on EP.

Also, careerwise my motivation is quite low already. I am pretty much financially independent, so I don't have the fire in the belly anymore to keep learning and working hard. So all those factors point towards another 2-3 years of easy going stay here. Beyond that I am kind of preparing to move.

Sounds like you need a new job, one that you genuinely enjoy and have passion for, not just for making money.

I was interviewing a candidate earlier this week who works in private banking… wealth management, portfolio management, etc - sounded kind of interesting to work in that space.

I know you’ve got some passion for investing. Have you thought about a career change?

I do have passion, but that is because I like money. Who doesn't like making money, right?

But passion is one thing and being good at it is another thing. In SG getting a job like that is impossible due to EP issues. I can try it in India.