Which category do i belong to?

[christoscy]

I have been living in Singapore for a year now and i am having trouble with my immigration status.
I do not work in Singapore, and i do not work for a Singaporean company abroad,i am not married to a local and i just like to live in the country.
I enter the country with a social visit pass and if i want to spend more than 30 days i need to spend a day at Immigration getting an extension.
I had to go throu an interview and the officer took about 15 minutes to understand the situation then said he didn t belive me and warned me how serius it is to be working in Singapore without a work permit.
It seems to me that unless you are willing to work or have a family here,you are not welcome for any long period of time or get any benefits like car ownership or HDB rental or buy.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I lived here for 11 years in a similar situation almost (the first year was just like you-right down to the occupation ). When I went for my PR interview I told the Immigration officer I'd lived here for 11 years on a tourist visa and also had one wife, two kids, and three cars all on a tourist visa I thought he'd crap himself until I explained the offshore oil exploration industry a bit to him.

Have to admit, nowdays you cannot get a local credit card or bank account with a tourist visa nor can you get a drivers license I don't think. Makes it a bit more difficult I must admit.

[Plavt]

You are correct about the bank account Sms, foreigners need to be PR or employed in Singapore.

[christoscy]

Fair enough HSBC have given me an account but no chance of a credit card,the only way to get one is to find a job here and get a work permit which i can not afford to do right now.
I am also allowed to rent a room in an HDB flat but not the whole unit.It is really difficult to beat he system in this country and suprsingly, having a good financial condition does not make you welcome in Singapore but if you have a degree of some sort they ll take you with open arms.
I also tried to explane the Offshore oil and gas Industry to the immigration officer but unfortunately he things that all the oil comes from Loyang Supply Base and platforms and such are creations of my fiction.

[greenrover]

Just wondering, if you won Toto and bought a condo would you be allowed to stay?.....

Or would you have to take the money and run....away!!! ))

I just keep travelling all over Asia and coming back often.

[sundaymorningstaple]

If I won that much money at TOTO you can be assured that I'd run even now! Wouldn't be able to hear anybody say "you know the way to changi!" as sound doesn't travel as fast as I'd be going!

[ksl]

Fair enough HSBC have given me an account but no chance of a credit card,the only way to get one is to find a job here and get a work permit which i can not afford to do right now.
I am also allowed to rent a room in an HDB flat but not the whole unit.It is really difficult to beat he system in this country and suprsingly, having a good financial condition does not make you welcome in Singapore but if you have a degree of some sort they ll take you with open arms.
I also tried to explane the Offshore oil and gas Industry to the immigration officer but unfortunately he things that all the oil comes from Loyang Supply Base and platforms and such are creations of my fiction.

There are a couple of points immigration are interested in, just like most of the banks, they want to know how you are surviving, is it legal! They are of course sceptical of story telling, without documentation to back it up.

No documents, then why should they take the risk of what you say to be true, it is no sweat for them to turn you away, and save their jobs.

A letter from your Company or your contract and one from your bank, where the income is paid, will help to smooth things over.

There main concern is if you stay over the 183 day period in Singapore, you must declare your outside income to Acra, because you become automatically resident for tax purposes, if you do this, I think they will just let you continue, because you will be paying tax on your income, If you are earning over the required amount, outside of Singapore, they may also consider you for PR.

Personally I would gather all the documentation, to prove you are self sufficient, and willing to pay taxes on your income if you over stay 183 days in anyone year, in singapore.

[donhay]

I have been in Singapore for almost 6 months on a social visit pass and the pass will soon expired . Have been looking for a job, but no luck so far. Will i be able to continue my stay in here? I'm lucky enough to own a private property here and rented it out. I have been living off the rent i collected monthly. What should i do to continue my stay here and with the job searching. Thanks

[sundaymorningstaple]

There main concern is if you stay over the 183 day period in Singapore, you must declare your outside income to Acra, because you become automatically resident for tax purposes, if you do this, I think they will just let you continue, because you will be paying tax on your income, If you are earning over the required amount, outside of Singapore, they may also consider you for PR

Nope, you don't have to declare it. It is if you are resident in Singapore over 183 days. You are not resident if you are on a tourist or social visit pass. Old oilfield hands like myself know this well.