Dependent Pass vs. Student Pass

[malcontent]

My employer who sponsors my EP has decided to start charging me $225 for DP fees. I was looking and noticed a Student Pass is only $60.

Any idea what the differences are between a DP and Student Pass? Is it more difficult to get a Student Pass? Are there less privileges? I checked online but the ICA website doesn’t tell much. I have to admit, I know practically nothing about the Student Pass.

[NYY1]

My employer who sponsors my EP has decided to start charging me $225 for DP fees. I was looking and noticed a Student Pass is only $60.

Any idea what the differences are between a DP and Student Pass? Is it more difficult to get a Student Pass? Are there less privileges? I checked online but the ICA website doesn’t tell much. I have to admit, I know practically nothing about the Student Pass.

I think Student Pass should be processed very quickly, subject to confirmation of enrollment in a school here. Mother/Grandmother can also get a pass to stay here with the student but that shouldn't be applicable in this case since you and your wife are still here (and she has staying power).

Not 100% sure but I would think the less privileges of Student Pass is must remain in school?, which again shouldn't be an issue for you.

[sundaymorningstaple]

The only real issue is if you have a son due to the NS issue. Yes, you can say, I'm on an EP. But your citizen wife is also on the birth certificate. While this is not an issue as you have both heard and read of my former boss's trials and tribulations with regard to his sons employment & NS issue. He also has a daughter two years older than the son in question re: NS. Their mother is a PR and the daughter took up PR (Not SGC like her father is) She is now the MD of the Father's company. The son cannot even get an EP here and he's holding an Oxford BSc & MSc Civil degrees but when he came back here he couldn't get an EP no matter how hard we tried. Why? Because they knew his father was a PAP Card carrying SGC. Instead of getting him PR, they kept him on a Student's visa from kindergarten through his finish at one of the Int'l schools. At which time he moved into he Dad's apartment in London throughout his BSc & MSc. It was only then when the issues arose (it came to a point they would only give him a 30 day visa SVP (holding a British Passport). He's now the MD of a subsidiary company opened in Yangon (so the son could stay closer to home here) as they will not let him stay in Singapore. Not even an LTVP. So a daughter isn't a real issue, but if you have a son.......

[NYY1]

The only real issue is if you have a son due to the NS issue. Yes, you can say, I'm on an EP. But your citizen wife is also on the birth certificate. While this is not an issue as you have both heard and read of my former boss's trials and tribulations with regard to his sons employment & NS issue. He also has a daughter two years older than the son in question re: NS. Their mother is a PR and the daughter took up PR (Not SGC like her father is) She is now the MD of the Father's company. The son cannot even get an EP here and he's holding an Oxford BSc & MSc Civil degrees but when he came back here he couldn't get an EP no matter how hard we tried. Why? Because they knew his father was a PAP Card carrying SGC. Instead of getting him PR, they kept him on a Student's visa from kindergarten through his finish at one of the Int'l schools. At which time he moved into he Dad's apartment in London throughout his BSc & MSc. It was only then when the issues arose (it came to a point they would only give him a 30 day visa SVP (holding a British Passport). He's now the MD of a subsidiary company opened in Yangon (so the son could stay closer to home here) as they will not let him stay in Singapore. Not even an LTVP. So a daughter isn't a real issue, but if you have a son.......

I've come across some of your prior comments.

I would think they are watching anytime there is a SC parent (mother or father), kid is born overseas, but not registered for SC by descent. For the females, there is no harm in taking both but the child will have to take the Oath by age 22. I guess if the female child can obtain PR it provides another option, as there is no forced decision between 21-22 years old (SC-PR abroad seems less likely than SC-foreign abroad though)? But the other route would be SC by birth and foreign by descent. Of course, this requires to be in SG at the time of birth.

Not sure about one parent PR and children that are not PR. For the PR-PR couple I would think it will cause problems in the future if a child is subsequently born and kept on foreigner status (boy specifically). Although there have also been some cases were child was not granted PR to PR-foreigner couple.

Regardless, in this case switch from DP to Student Pass seems about the same? Also seems like a lot of hassle for $165.

[malcontent]

The only real issue is if you have a son due to the NS issue. Yes, you can say, I'm on an EP. But your citizen wife is also on the birth certificate. While this is not an issue as you have both heard and read of my former boss's trials and tribulations with regard to his sons employment & NS issue. He also has a daughter two years older than the son in question re: NS. Their mother is a PR and the daughter took up PR (Not SGC like her father is) She is now the MD of the Father's company. The son cannot even get an EP here and he's holding an Oxford BSc & MSc Civil degrees but when he came back here he couldn't get an EP no matter how hard we tried. Why? Because they knew his father was a PAP Card carrying SGC. Instead of getting him PR, they kept him on a Student's visa from kindergarten through his finish at one of the Int'l schools. At which time he moved into he Dad's apartment in London throughout his BSc & MSc. It was only then when the issues arose (it came to a point they would only give him a 30 day visa SVP (holding a British Passport). He's now the MD of a subsidiary company opened in Yangon (so the son could stay closer to home here) as they will not let him stay in Singapore. Not even an LTVP. So a daughter isn't a real issue, but if you have a son.......

That is a good point to be wary of if one parent is an SGC. In our case, his mother has yet to apply for SGC, she is waiting to see how her sister fares with her SGC application. Although she wants SGC, she knows she has a slim chance with an EP holding ang moh husband and DP holding son.

Her sis applied for SGC last year, with her 3 PR boys, but her Malaysian Chinese PR husband doesn’t want to convert — if not for that last point they would probably be approved already. Her oldest son is doing NS now and has been accepted into NUS. The other two boys have even better results than him, so they will have no issue getting into NUS or the others.

There is probably some risk that our son would be denied EP in the future, and PR is probably out of the question. But I doubt he would have great career prospects here anyway. He is on the visual arts track.

[NYY1]

The only real issue is if you have a son due to the NS issue. Yes, you can say, I'm on an EP. But your citizen wife is also on the birth certificate. While this is not an issue as you have both heard and read of my former boss's trials and tribulations with regard to his sons employment & NS issue. He also has a daughter two years older than the son in question re: NS. Their mother is a PR and the daughter took up PR (Not SGC like her father is) She is now the MD of the Father's company. The son cannot even get an EP here and he's holding an Oxford BSc & MSc Civil degrees but when he came back here he couldn't get an EP no matter how hard we tried. Why? Because they knew his father was a PAP Card carrying SGC. Instead of getting him PR, they kept him on a Student's visa from kindergarten through his finish at one of the Int'l schools. At which time he moved into he Dad's apartment in London throughout his BSc & MSc. It was only then when the issues arose (it came to a point they would only give him a 30 day visa SVP (holding a British Passport). He's now the MD of a subsidiary company opened in Yangon (so the son could stay closer to home here) as they will not let him stay in Singapore. Not even an LTVP. So a daughter isn't a real issue, but if you have a son.......

That is a good point to be wary of if one parent is an SGC. In our case, his mother has yet to apply for SGC, she is waiting to see how her sister fares with her SGC application. Although she wants SGC, she knows she has a slim chance with an EP holding ang moh husband and DP holding son.

Her sis applied for SGC last year, with her 3 PR boys, but her Malaysian Chinese PR husband doesn’t want to convert — if not for that last point they would probably be approved already. Her oldest son is doing NS now and has been accepted into NUS. The other two boys have even better results than him, so they will have no issue getting into NUS or the others.

There is probably some risk that our son would be denied EP in the future, and PR is probably out of the question. But I doubt he would have great career prospects here anyway. He is on the visual arts track.

Just curious, why didn't they ever convert over the prior decade(s)? I guess if husband still doesn't want to convert the position likely would have been the same before. If there is a challenge, I think it is that the boys may just eventually apply on their own and would get it. Granting to someone that is near the end of working life is just taking on liability. Of course that's true of all family applications but I think the issue is whether you can get the younger ones anyways (or do they go somewhere else if not given SC). Regardless, still some chance so good luck! However, the same issues would apply to a single application older person (married but only applicant).

The board does seem to have some case of Student Pass getting EP after doing uni here (I think the case was were his PR kept getting rejected as the person was on student pass / never as PR as kid, i.e. no NS). So there may be more room there (vs. SC parent)? But as you say, maybe you/he doesn't care anyways.

[malcontent]

Just curious, why didn't they ever convert over the prior decade(s)? I guess if husband still doesn't want to convert the position likely would have been the same before. If there is a challenge, I think it is that the boys may just eventually apply on their own and would get it. Granting to someone that is near the end of working life is just taking on liability. Of course that's true of all family applications but I think the issue is whether you can get the younger ones anyways (or do they go somewhere else if not given SC). Regardless, still some chance so good luck! However, the same issues would apply to a single application older person (married but only applicant).

The board does seem to have some case of Student Pass getting EP after doing uni here (I think the case was were his PR kept getting rejected as the person was on student pass / never as PR as kid, i.e. no NS). So there may be more room there (vs. SC parent)? But as you say, maybe you/he doesn't care anyways.

It’s an interesting question. I think first and foremost, they have never really felt Singaporean, despite living here since primary school and attending local school. Also, I think youth might play into it, young people often don’t think too far down the road and believe the world is their oyster, and Singapore is just one city.

Fundamentally, I think a lot of people from neighboring countries struggle with giving up their former citizenship — they still have close family living there, and having citizenship could close the door on some possibilities like owning property or a business there, which a SGC cannot do. I have friends from India who have struggled with the same sentiments.

I would say they don’t see the government subsidies or financial incentives as being a real motivating factor — for one, they aren’t that generous, and secondly, it’s a trade off… there is a lot of give and take. One of the big takes is giving up former citizenship and any future opportunities that might benefit you.

Perhaps surprisingly, ease of travel… the visa free access that an SGC enjoys, is often sited as the #1 incentive to convert.

[MOCHS]

But I doubt he would have great career prospects here anyway. He is on the visual arts track.

It depends which route of visual arts, painting/sculpting or filmmaking/photography? For the latter, those skills can be combined with advertising/marketing for digital marketing which has a lot of positions right now. Those infographics in newspapers/magazines/social media requires an artist to illustrate too.

Had an artsy classmate from sec sch that did promo posters for SG’s McD. He dabbled in website designs too and is happy. Of course, since your son ain’t a PR or SC, next to impossible to be hired for such positions.

[Tanvir07]

thanks for help

[malcontent]

But I doubt he would have great career prospects here anyway. He is on the visual arts track.

It depends which route of visual arts, painting/sculpting or filmmaking/photography? For the latter, those skills can be combined with advertising/marketing for digital marketing which has a lot of positions right now. Those infographics in newspapers/magazines/social media requires an artist to illustrate too.

Had an artsy classmate from sec sch that did promo posters for SG’s McD. He dabbled in website designs too and is happy. Of course, since your son ain’t a PR or SC, next to impossible to be hired for such positions.

My son also has high pay expectations, which is why he no longer wants to study architecture, he says it doesn’t pay enough.

I will encouraging him to consider a double major in visual arts and entrepreneurship. He’s got the capability and mindset for it. I can’t imagine him being an employee.

I think the only path back to Singapore for him is to establish himself in the US first. He is talented, so after he has a proven track record, he might be able to come back here and clean up.