Spouse PR formalities

[blahblahpapaya]

Hello all, my wife's PR application has just been approved, and we are going to ICA to complete the formalities soon... For those who have done this before, what kind of questions do they usually ask?

[MOCHS]

There should be a list of things that you need to bring. Just follow that.

This is not an interview so no invasive questions would be asked. Formality is to verify paperwork and to officially issue the PR. If she’s not good in English then you can stay with her at the counter as the officer explains.

[epo_anonymous]

Hello all, my wife's PR application has just been approved, and we are going to ICA to complete the formalities soon... For those who have done this before, what kind of questions do they usually ask?

It’s for siting documents, fingerprints and iris scan. And payment.

The approval form should have all the paperwork necessary listed. You also need pictures.

[nomadinsg]

Hey OP - I was expecting some sort of interview too, having done this in another country where I was asked personal questions, and my answers would determine whether I got approved or not.

Here it's really just paperwork and completely devoid of ceremony. As long as your t's are crossed and your i's dotted, it's a done deal.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I believe Sg stopping using the PR interview technique in the late 1990's or shortly after the millennium. I got mine in 1995 and did have the interview before being granted PR (two officers in a small interview room for around 1.5 hrs if I remember correctly. Even then, while the issuance of PR was a go down to the ICA building, there was not any formalities as you aren't giving up anything. Bit different when giving up your former citizenship.

In reality, probably less than a hour (mine was a special case when they found out my assimilation here after being here for 13 years) spent well over 45 minutes gossiping and giving them a blow by blow of my activities considering for the most part of the 1st 8 years were spent offshore in the oilfields. That also was back in the day of physical paper applications, etc as well. The electronic revolution made face-to-face virtually obsolete. Covid and WFH proved that it was also more cost effective and efficient in most cases.

[MOCHS]

My current colleague quite liked the in-person appointments as the counter officer advised her to wait a year before applying for citizenship. Now the digital applications is a wait-and-see game.

[nomadinsg]

I believe Sg stopping using the PR interview technique in the late 1990's or shortly after the millennium. I got mine in 1995 and did have the interview before being granted PR (two officers in a small interview room for around 1.5 hrs if I remember correctly. Even then, while the issuance of PR was a go down to the ICA building, there was not any formalities as you aren't giving up anything. Bit different when giving up your former citizenship.

In reality, probably less than a hour (mine was a special case when they found out my assimilation here after being here for 13 years) spent well over 45 minutes gossiping and giving them a blow by blow of my activities considering for the most part of the 1st 8 years were spent offshore in the oilfields. That also was back in the day of physical paper applications, etc as well. The electronic revolution made face-to-face virtually obsolete. Covid and WFH proved that it was also more cost effective and efficient in most cases.

I suppose the digital approach completely eliminates the inevitable bias during interviews, though I would've been interested in what standard questions got asked. Did you get any questions along the order of "What's your standard order at a kopi tiam?"

[sundaymorningstaple]

I believe Sg stopping using the PR interview technique in the late 1990's or shortly after the millennium. I got mine in 1995 and did have the interview before being granted PR (two officers in a small interview room for around 1.5 hrs if I remember correctly. Even then, while the issuance of PR was a go down to the ICA building, there was not any formalities as you aren't giving up anything. Bit different when giving up your former citizenship.

In reality, probably less than a hour (mine was a special case when they found out my assimilation here after being here for 13 years) spent well over 45 minutes gossiping and giving them a blow by blow of my activities considering for the most part of the 1st 8 years were spent offshore in the oilfields. That also was back in the day of physical paper applications, etc as well. The electronic revolution made face-to-face virtually obsolete. Covid and WFH proved that it was also more cost effective and efficient in most cases.

I suppose the digital approach completely eliminates the inevitable bias during interviews, though I would've been interested in what standard questions got asked. Did you get any questions along the order of "What's your standard order at a kopi tiam?"

I had to at your last line. At the time of my PR interview I'd already been here 13 years, been married to a lovely Tamil/Singaporean lady for 12 of them (still married to 39 years later) and had been, at that point in time, part time acting with the old SBC (-->TCS-->MediaCorp today) as a part time actor for 7 years (I spent a total of 18 years doing Mandarin Drama Serials). So in answer to the question, when they saw the letter listing my appearances in Chinese Serials from SBC the question regarding food didn't really come up as we had all kinds of interest stuff to gossip about (thus the length of the interview in my case).

[nomadinsg]

I believe Sg stopping using the PR interview technique in the late 1990's or shortly after the millennium. I got mine in 1995 and did have the interview before being granted PR (two officers in a small interview room for around 1.5 hrs if I remember correctly. Even then, while the issuance of PR was a go down to the ICA building, there was not any formalities as you aren't giving up anything. Bit different when giving up your former citizenship.

In reality, probably less than a hour (mine was a special case when they found out my assimilation here after being here for 13 years) spent well over 45 minutes gossiping and giving them a blow by blow of my activities considering for the most part of the 1st 8 years were spent offshore in the oilfields. That also was back in the day of physical paper applications, etc as well. The electronic revolution made face-to-face virtually obsolete. Covid and WFH proved that it was also more cost effective and efficient in most cases.

I suppose the digital approach completely eliminates the inevitable bias during interviews, though I would've been interested in what standard questions got asked. Did you get any questions along the order of "What's your standard order at a kopi tiam?"

I had to at your last line. At the time of my PR interview I'd already been here 13 years, been married to a lovely Tamil/Singaporean lady for 12 of them (still married to 39 years later) and had been, at that point in time, part time acting with the old SBC (-->TCS-->MediaCorp today) as a part time actor for 7 years (I spent a total of 18 years doing Mandarin Drama Serials). So in answer to the question, when they saw the letter listing my appearances in Chinese Serials from SBC the question regarding food didn't really come up as we had all kinds of interest stuff to gossip about (thus the length of the interview in my case).

Haha thanks for the amusing read; had no idea you were an actor! So the interview was really a formality for you. I just wondered if they grilled people to make sure they were sufficiently integrated.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Integration is a subtle thing. It's not something you can use a Gantt Chart to completion. It is a subconscious thing that will naturally happen (or not-if you actively shun it). There is not any sort of template or guideline, as it were. Mine was totally unorthodox in both timing and approach. In fact it was, as noted, totally unconscious on my part and just happened (but at the same time after 41 years here I still do not/will not speak Singlish here.

[jalanjalan]

I vaguely remember the PR interview. My spouse and I went in together, thinking it would be like the movies and we'd have to prove we are a bona fide couple, but it was just normal questions we'd answered already on the application. The only thing I clearly recall was the young ICA agent lady remarking how our pocket-size marriage cert was cute. At that point we'd been married for less than a year and in SG for about 10 months. Different times!