PR Approval Chance 2023

[sundaymorningstaple]

I left HRB end of 1977 and during that period of time I don't recall having had any instances personally with HRB clients. Having said that, I wasn't really tuned into all the audits cases especially considering most of cases were/are still handled from the Austin, TX office. After 1977 I no longer had any inside intel or even CCH and Prentiss Hall subscriptions so wasn't aware of any. I reckon it is highly possible though considering the pogrom that they are taking up with the overseas taxpayers, FATCA, and so forth in recent years. Throwing 80K more agents into the breach doesn't bode well either, I fear. I don't doubt the talk at all but I can't confirm/disprove it.

[malcontent]

I left HRB end of 1977 and during that period of time I don't recall having had any instances personally with HRB clients. Having said that, I wasn't really tuned into all the audits cases especially considering most of cases were/are still handled from the Austin, TX office. After 1977 I no longer had any inside intel or even CCH and Prentiss Hall subscriptions so wasn't aware of any. I reckon it is highly possible though considering the pogrom that they are taking up with the overseas taxpayers, FATCA, and so forth in recent years. Throwing 80K more agents into the breach doesn't bode well either, I fear. I don't doubt the talk at all but I can't confirm/disprove it.

I have always had a “healthy fear” of being audited one day and that drives me to keep my ducks in a row… but as you know, it’s near impossible to be sure every little thing is buttoned down, so I’ve always believed I would throw myself at their mercy and at least show I’ve done my utmost due diligence.

My last return was the thickest ever (at least a dozen pages), and included a new foreign tax credit carryover schedule that they recently came out with. I’ve got unused credits for each year going back all of 10 years, so it’s quite a job to keep track of, but at the moment I need them to keep my federal down to $0 which I’ve done every single year from the very beginning.

I keep my paper filing near and tidy, no calculation errors. I also get a W-2 from my employer (because of FICA) so that helps.

[Lisafuller]

I've been to enough audits by the IRS in the US that I could regal you with some real stuff of movies that the agents there used to pull. I used to be the District Director for H & R Block in Washington DC during the "long hot summer" when the blacks tried to burn down DC (1970's). Been to the offices of the IRS in Bailey's Crossroads in Virginia literally hundreds of times.

One thing I heard from people attending an IRS talk here once is that the chance of getting audited is high the first year you return back to the US, any truth to that?

I'm not sure if this counts, but we were randomly selected for federal asset verification while applying for FAFSA for our daughter.

[malcontent]

I've been to enough audits by the IRS in the US that I could regal you with some real stuff of movies that the agents there used to pull. I used to be the District Director for H & R Block in Washington DC during the "long hot summer" when the blacks tried to burn down DC (1970's). Been to the offices of the IRS in Bailey's Crossroads in Virginia literally hundreds of times.

One thing I heard from people attending an IRS talk here once is that the chance of getting audited is high the first year you return back to the US, any truth to that?

I'm not sure if this counts, but we were randomly selected for federal asset verification while applying for FAFSA for our daughter.

Wow, what did that entail?

[PartyLike-A-Russian]

ICA has 100's if not 1000's of field agents that you wouldn't know from adam as they don't wear uniforms and are locals and mixed easily in the field. If your file is assigned to caseworker, they may assign it to one of their field agents to suss out over a period of time. This is easy to do. They will compile their finding and opinions, e.g., appearance of genuine or forced interaction...

Sms, you mentioned ICA field agents several times here. And I guess ICA wouldn't publicly confirm or deny their existence. But as someone who has a habit of double-checking and verifying information, I'd love to ask. Is there any proof such agents exist?

[MOCHS]

Sms, you mentioned ICA field agents several times here. And I guess ICA wouldn't publicly confirm or deny their existence. But as someone who has a habit of double-checking and verifying information, I'd love to ask. Is there any proof such agents exist?

How do you think they arrest overstayers?

[PartyLike-A-Russian]

Sms, you mentioned ICA field agents several times here. And I guess ICA wouldn't publicly confirm or deny their existence. But as someone who has a habit of double-checking and verifying information, I'd love to ask. Is there any proof such agents exist?

How do you think they arrest overstayers?

Hmmm, valid point. ICA should have expiry dates of our passes.
For example, if there is a person whose expiry date is 15 May 2023 and there is no record of the person leaving through an immigration gate after 15th, the person is an overstayer. Then they can locate the overstayer using CCTV and mobile phone signal. Then field agents come and catch the person.

However, it it doesn't prove such agent can follow a PR applicant. I mean it's possible they do. But it's still not formal proof. Rather, it's an assumption based on another scenario (overstayers).

I'd rather believe ICA employees read this forum not out of curiosity, but as part of their duties.

[malcontent]

Around 10 years ago I unknowingly became an overstayer when I hadn’t noticed my EP had expired and my employer forgot about it. I wouldn’t even have found out had it not been for a weekend trip to Bintan where they caught me — I was over 30 days over at the time, but they were nice about it, only fined me for the 30 days. It was around $1500 if I remember right (I passed the bill to my HR and had them reimburse me, but it’s still on my record of course). Not sure what impact that will have on me in the future, but after getting my initial EP rejected twice and my PR rejected as well, I’m clearly not wanted here… I just don’t seem to take the hint

[MOCHS]

after getting my initial EP rejected twice and my PR rejected as well, I’m clearly not wanted here… I just don’t seem to take the hint

From what I remember from your post history, all these rejections happened in the late 90s when you just arrived in SG, isn’t it? Things operated differently back then. If they truly don’t want ya, you wouldn’t still be on EP for 20+ years. IMO you probably applied for PR way too soon and should have waited a couple of years after working/marriage.

[malcontent]

after getting my initial EP rejected twice and my PR rejected as well, I’m clearly not wanted here… I just don’t seem to take the hint

From what I remember from your post history, all these rejections happened in the late 90s when you just arrived in SG, isn’t it? Things operated differently back then. If they truly don’t want ya, you wouldn’t still be on EP for 20+ years. IMO you probably applied for PR way too soon and should have waited a couple of years after working/marriage.

I’d say my EP renewals over the years are more indicative of my employer wanting me; but true enough - I haven’t tried reapplying for PR in over 20 years.

Of course, my comment was intended to be partly in jest. But here are the brass tacks… how much I am wanted (or unwanted) here is relative to who you compare with. Had I been a Malaysian Chinese, my EP would have almost certainly been approved on the first attempt. When I was first hired, it was with a batch of 3 others (identical jobs, identical pay) and one was Malaysian Chinese — he had no issues at all. When I applied for PR (around 3 years later) my BIL who is Malaysian Chinese was approved for PR around the same time that I applied, and he had a lower paying job. Both of us were yet to be married at the time. Keep in mind, PR was much easier to get back then. I believed that my odds of approval were decent at that time.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not bitter about it, I believe everything happens for a reason. Had I been approved for PR back then, I probably would have job hopped and missed out on the great career I had by sticking with my employer. And because of that career, I found no need to reattempt PR, especially since my employer provides a substitute for CPF.

[Lisafuller]

One thing I heard from people attending an IRS talk here once is that the chance of getting audited is high the first year you return back to the US, any truth to that?

I'm not sure if this counts, but we were randomly selected for federal asset verification while applying for FAFSA for our daughter.

Wow, what did that entail?

Nothing too crazy, we just have to submit a couple additional forms to the school and then she has to come in to the admin office once she's there to sign off on some documents. I understand that they do this randomly to scare everybody into providing accurate financial information, and obviously we haven't misreported any numbers so we've got nothing to worry about. Just a bit of a pain.

[Lisafuller]

ICA has 100's if not 1000's of field agents that you wouldn't know from adam as they don't wear uniforms and are locals and mixed easily in the field. If your file is assigned to caseworker, they may assign it to one of their field agents to suss out over a period of time. This is easy to do. They will compile their finding and opinions, e.g., appearance of genuine or forced interaction...

Sms, you mentioned ICA field agents several times here. And I guess ICA wouldn't publicly confirm or deny their existence. But as someone who has a habit of double-checking and verifying information, I'd love to ask. Is there any proof such agents exist?

I think if there's proof that they exist, then they haven't done their job well.

[Lisafuller]

Sms, you mentioned ICA field agents several times here. And I guess ICA wouldn't publicly confirm or deny their existence. But as someone who has a habit of double-checking and verifying information, I'd love to ask. Is there any proof such agents exist?

How do you think they arrest overstayers?

I don't think it would require agents for them to clamp down on over stayers. Tech here (and worldwide) is so advanced that there is a record of anybody entering or leaving any global territory.

[Lisafuller]

Sms, you mentioned ICA field agents several times here. And I guess ICA wouldn't publicly confirm or deny their existence. But as someone who has a habit of double-checking and verifying information, I'd love to ask. Is there any proof such agents exist?

How do you think they arrest overstayers?

Hmmm, valid point. ICA should have expiry dates of our passes.
For example, if there is a person whose expiry date is 15 May 2023 and there is no record of the person leaving through an immigration gate after 15th, the person is an overstayer. Then they can locate the overstayer using CCTV and mobile phone signal. Then field agents come and catch the person.

However, it it doesn't prove such agent can follow a PR applicant. I mean it's possible they do. But it's still not formal proof. Rather, it's an assumption based on another scenario (overstayers).

I'd rather believe ICA employees read this forum not out of curiosity, but as part of their duties.

I imagine it would be very problematic for the ICA to admit to having agents out tracking people, but it's safe to assume that these agents exist. I would think, though, that their primary focus is not overstayers, but rather people who have entered illegally/criminal persons of interest.

[Lisafuller]

Around 10 years ago I unknowingly became an overstayer when I hadn’t noticed my EP had expired and my employer forgot about it. I wouldn’t even have found out had it not been for a weekend trip to Bintan where they caught me — I was over 30 days over at the time, but they were nice about it, only fined me for the 30 days. It was around $1500 if I remember right (I passed the bill to my HR and had them reimburse me, but it’s still on my record of course). Not sure what impact that will have on me in the future, but after getting my initial EP rejected twice and my PR rejected as well, I’m clearly not wanted here… I just don’t seem to take the hint

Certified fugitive!