Considerations for EP to LTVP

[alayou]

Hi everyone, looking for advice from people who may have been in the same situation, or know well the intricacies of ICA and passes . I looked through this forum in detail and already learned a lot, but each situation is unique I guess!

Some context:

• Me: European national, EP holder for 15+ years, income SGD 150k+ per annum

• Spouse: SC, no income

• Married for 10 years, 1 kid. Singapore is our home and we clearly have ties here.

• I never applied for PR (personal choice). I did hold a PEP a while back, so can't get another now.

Now, I am being made redundant and considering applying for LTVP/LTVP+ to be able to continue living in Singapore while securing another job. I am still on EP right now, and will be on STVP after my last day. I will also receive severance payment. Needless to say, there is some time pressure to the situation.

My questions are therefore:

• 1. Since my spouse has no income (i.e. no IRAS statement available) does that restrict her ability to sponsor my LTVP application, or the outcome of it (even though we will have enough $$ aside to last a while here)?

• 2. Read in this forum that LTVP processing time varies greatly (which is understandable). Assuming I don't get an outcome on an LTVP application by the time my STVP expires, what's my best way forward? Apply for STVP extension(s)? Leave the country for a while and come back on a regular tourist visa?

• 3. Finally, I also heard that LTVP+ has an income ceiling. Meaning I should be earning less than X to be able to work on a LTVP+. Any truth to that? (Of course, obtaining an EP with the new job is still the best scenario, but trying to cover all bases here, given EP quotas)

Thanks for any information you can share!

[MOCHS]

1. LTVP is based on the Singaporean’s ability to financially support their foreigner spouse. If she has no income, how can she support you then?

Why didn’t you take PR if you’re married to a SC and (I presume) a SC child? It would have made your life so much easier.

We only know of one member (Sunjackal) who got a one-year LTVP when his SC spouse was unemployed BUT he was relocating from UK to SG which is different from your case.

2. You can certainly try to extend STVP but visa runs will not work in the long term.

3. Where on earth did you hear this from? Are you mistaking MOM-issued LTVP for ICA-issued LTVP? There is no income ceiling to speak of.

[smoulder]

For #3, I get the feeling that you heard some anecdotal evidence that some employers sometimes short change employees who are on LTVP in terms of the salary they offer them. I don't think that it's any official directive from the gahmen.

[malcontent]

Why didn’t you take PR if you’re married to a SC and (I presume) a SC child? It would have made your life so much easier.

I’m in a similar situation being on EP for the last 25 years but married to a PR.

Although I did apply for PR over 20 years ago, it was before marriage and was rejected. I haven’t reapplied since. Had I been granted PR back then, it would have worked out. But due to the way the defined benefit plan (CPF substitute) was computed by my employer, I had to get PR in the first 5-10 years or I’d pass the “point of no return” where PR just doesn’t make financial sense. And that is exactly what happened.

Nowadays I prefer being on EP, especially given how they have cut back on the benefits of PR, it makes it even less attractive. I’ve been with the same employer all these years. I don’t expect to move and have plenty of job security.

The only benefit I can think of that would be something worth considering is if PR could help me retain the right of abode when we move to the US while my kids attend university in the coming years. Unfortunately, PR can’t even do that for me — the REP renewal would probably be rejected after I move overseas. So sadly, there really is absolutely no incentive for me to apply, and it would only hurt me financially.

Bottom line — I can imagine why the OP wouldn’t want to apply for PR, it’s not always all it’s cracked up to be.