Is it possible to retire in Singapore as PR forever?

[ROTI ABON]

Hi all ,
I was wondering is it possible to retire ( Basically stay in Singapore until old & die ) as a PR ?
Because i read many cases persons who has been in PR for many years but their citizenship are rejected.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'm in the process of testing the system. I've been here for 41+ years and a PR since 1995. I retired at 71.5 years of age in early 2019. Will see how it goes.

For the record, I've never applied for SGC so cannot help on that point.

[NYY1]

The following is the latest reply from the government (posted here before). Personally, under any reasonable circumstances, I think spouse of an SC has somewhere between zero and negligible risk. I think it is also easy to theorise which retired PRs are the safest and which ones have the most risk (for continued REP renewal, should conditions ever change).

https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/parlia ... velopment/

[Wd40]

I'm in the process of testing the system. I've been here for 41+ years and a PR since 1995. I retired at 71.5 years of age in early 2019. Will see how it goes.

For the record, I've never applied for SGC so cannot help on that point.

Congratulations SMS on the retirement. Would love to know how is your typical day?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Thanks, WD! 3 years of covid and a wife with dementia? Now you know why my Moderating hours are so strange.

Having said that, I'm a very active member of our RC (Resident's Committee) as an officer and a member our C2E program (Community Emergency and Engagement Committee) and will be celebrating my 15th Anniversary with the RC in December. Oh, for our readers, who love to find stuff to poo-poo me about volunteering when going for PR, I've been a PR for 27 years but only the last 15 here in the RC and I've never used any of the perks as I waited until my kids were adults and I was given a company car by my employer till I retired so couldn't use the parking perks or the school perks for the kids. I have a history of charity work going all the way back to my mid 20's in Washington DC including 3.5 years with UNHCR here in ASEAN resetting the VN boat people. I do it because I can and not for what I can get. I give up a lot more than I'll ever receive, except for the satisfaction of helping others (makes a good moderator as well).

[sundaymorningstaple]

The balance of my time is often spent in my workshop which, for being in an HDB flat, is pretty well equipped. I designed and built everything my self right after I retired and it all sits in my weatherproofed balcony. I'm a 3rd generation woodworker but neither me nor my dad did it for a living but was a lifelong hobby. His father, however, was a master tool & die maker for Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore. He passed when I was a preteen, but I've inherited his hand tools and his 100 year old toolbox and it's here with me now.

[Wd40]

The balance of my time is often spent in my workshop which, for being in an HDB flat, is pretty well equipped. I designed and built everything my self right after I retired and it all sits in my weatherproofed balcony. I'm a 3rd generation woodworker but neither me nor my dad did it for a living but was a lifelong hobby. His father, however, was a master tool & die maker for Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore. He passed when I was a preteen, but I've inherited his hand tools and his 100 year old toolbox and it's here with me now.

Wow! Thats a really cool hobby you have and I am sure it is very satisfying thing to do. My daughter loves to play chess and then while watching Chess videos in youtube, she also bumped into videos of people making wooden chess boards and pieces. They looked very impressive. There is always a different charm of using real physical Chess board and pieces than playing online.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Very true regarding using tactile chess pieces. Particularly wooden pieces which have a certain feel about them.

[jalanjalan]

Hi all ,
I was wondering is it possible to retire ( Basically stay in Singapore until old & die ) as a PR ?
Because i read many cases persons who has been in PR for many years but their citizenship are rejected.

Yep, possible. I was PR for about 25 yrs until age 50 then became SC. But I could have stayed PR forever according to the prevailing rules (of course rules may change..).

Gahmen said this about PRs retiring:
"For PRs who have retired, we will generally renew their REPs, in recognition of their past contributions to Singapore."

and

"About 2% were rejected, largely because they were absent from Singapore for a prolonged period, and furthermore had no family roots here."

Source: https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/parlia ... velopment/

[malcontent]

Hi all ,
I was wondering is it possible to retire ( Basically stay in Singapore until old & die ) as a PR ?
Because i read many cases persons who has been in PR for many years but their citizenship are rejected.

Yep, possible. I was PR for about 25 yrs until age 50 then became SC. But I could have stayed PR forever according to the prevailing rules (of course rules may change..).

Gahmen said this about PRs retiring:
"For PRs who have retired, we will generally renew their REPs, in recognition of their past contributions to Singapore."

and

"About 2% were rejected, largely because they were absent from Singapore for a prolonged period, and furthermore had no family roots here."

Source: https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/parlia ... velopment/

This is true. My PR parents-in-law (in their 80’s) were told as much — they were among the 2% that were rejected. My wife appealed and got their REPs approved in the end, but they were told to either employ a minimum of 5 Singaporeans or stay more than half the year here to avoid the risk of REP rejection in the future. They originally got PR under an old GIP scheme in the 1980’s (back then, you could pretty much just buy one apartment here —that alone was enough of an “investment”).

[PNGMK]

I think this will be tightened given Singapore's drive towards productivity. I am not betting on it as a retirement strategy.

[malcontent]

I think this will be tightened given Singapore's drive towards productivity. I am not betting on it as a retirement strategy.

Yep, I’ve said it before… screws only get turned one direction here — tighter.

This is why it’s hard to fault people for wanting/having a plan B… when you don’t know when your affections will stop being reciprocated, separation anxiety is only natural… and if you’re smart, you’ll have a mitigation strategy (or two). Even after the ultimate “embrace” of citizenship, it’s probably hard to shake off that mentality - kinda like PTSD.

[jalanjalan]

not directly related to retirement but there are some proposed amendments announced just recently:

"The proposed amendments could mean PRs will have six months to apply for a re-entry permit. If they are successful, they remain a PR."
and
"The Bill also proposes to remove the right to make statutory appeals to the Minister for Home Affairs for PR-related decisions."

source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ ... its-expiry

[Lisafuller]

Hi all ,
I was wondering is it possible to retire ( Basically stay in Singapore until old & die ) as a PR ?
Because i read many cases persons who has been in PR for many years but their citizenship are rejected.

Absolutely possible, though obviously some are safer than others.

[Lisafuller]

I'm in the process of testing the system. I've been here for 41+ years and a PR since 1995. I retired at 71.5 years of age in early 2019. Will see how it goes.

For the record, I've never applied for SGC so cannot help on that point.

You don't intend to apply for citizenship, do you? I figure you've got a good thing going, so no point messing all of it up.