PR husband, SG Citizen Wife

[iamaugirl]

Hi all, i would like to seek your advise on these.

We are currently both Singapore PRs and our residency will expire next year. Now, we are thinking that one of us(wife) should apply for citizenship and the other (husband) will remain a PR. The reason why we want it this way is because we are having trouble applying in school for my son and someone told me that you will be a priority if you are a SG citizen. Both of us doesnt really want to enjoy retirement here in SG and are planning to migrate somewhere else but not in the near future. At the moment, since both our jobs are at its best, we decided to stay here for a few more years. Any of you have done this or in the same situation as we are? Would there be any difference if the wife is a citizen, hub is PR-- like will our son still need to serve NS?? If i became a citizen, will my kids also become a citizen automatically? What are the implications of this? I know that it is difficult to renounce SG citizenship and it requires careful thinking before deciding to apply for it/renounce it.

I really appreciate if you can help advise on this to clear my mind of my worries before applying for SG Citizenzhip.

Many thanks to all of you and hoping to hear your advise,
Mamibols

[ksl]

Hi all, i would like to seek your advise on these.

We are currently both Singapore PRs and our residency will expire next year. Now, we are thinking that one of us(wife) should apply for citizenship and the other (husband) will remain a PR. The reason why we want it this way is because we are having trouble applying in school for my son and someone told me that you will be a priority if you are a SG citizen. Both of us doesn't really want to enjoy retirement here in SG and are planning to migrate somewhere else but not in the near future. At the moment, since both our jobs are at its best, we decided to stay here for a few more years. Any of you have done this or in the same situation as we are? Would there be any difference if the wife is a citizen, hub is PR-- like will our son still need to serve NS?? If i became a citizen, will my kids also become a citizen automatically? What are the implications of this? I know that it is difficult to renounce SG citizenship and it requires careful thinking before deciding to apply for it/renounce it.

I really appreciate if you can help advise on this to clear my mind of my worries before applying for SG Citizenzhip.

Many thanks to all of you and hoping to hear your advise,
Mamibols

We are basically in the same situation, so our daughter is travelling a very long distance to school, from 30 meters next to Paya Lebar Methodist area to Haig School. It is quite annoying.

Our problem started after she left the nursery for primary 1, because she wasn't PR at that time, and we couldn't find any school in the local area to take her. After PR status, we just keep applying, you must keep applying every 3 months they have told us, until a vacant position comes up.

Getting Singapore citizenship, I don't believe will help much, but volunteering to help out at the school of choice has its benefits, i have been told, it's like greasing the palm, although i wont drop so low, so i have decided just to put pressure on them all the time, I don't mind helping out at the school if they need any help, when my child is attending, but certainly not doing it, just to get her in.

I will use all the political weight i can, through the local MP and have done, it's quite challenging, but we are happy with her present school at the moment. Problem is also, that girls already attending the school open the doors, for sisters to get priority entry and citizenship will not change that rule, becuase I see PR kids attending anyway.

Which reminds me, to cross the road and give them some ear ache, and take my daughters exam results thanks!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hi all, i would like to seek your advise on these.

We are currently both Singapore PRs and our residency will expire next year. Now, we are thinking that one of us(wife) should apply for citizenship and the other (husband) will remain a PR. The reason why we want it this way is because we are having trouble applying in school for my son and someone told me that you will be a priority if you are a SG citizen. Both of us doesnt really want to enjoy retirement here in SG and are planning to migrate somewhere else but not in the near future. At the moment, since both our jobs are at its best, we decided to stay here for a few more years. Any of you have done this or in the same situation as we are? Would there be any difference if the wife is a citizen, hub is PR-- like will our son still need to serve NS?? If i became a citizen, will my kids also become a citizen automatically? What are the implications of this? I know that it is difficult to renounce SG citizenship and it requires careful thinking before deciding to apply for it/renounce it.

I really appreciate if you can help advise on this to clear my mind of my worries before applying for SG Citizenzhip.

Many thanks to all of you and hoping to hear your advise,
Mamibols

The child will NOT automatically receive citizenship if you take up citizenship. The child needs to be a citizen in order to enjoy priority, not you. However that won't happen unless you also get it.

With regard to NS, if the child (male) assumes citizenship then he is stuck. Full Stop! He WILL have to do NS no matter what because he will NOT be allowed to renounce his citizenship, once obtained, until he is 21 years of age. By that time he will have already done his NS unless you spirit him out of the country. Should you do that, he will become a deserter and will never be allowed back in the country Actually, that's not true. He will be allowed in and then picked and incarcerated as a deserter.

My son is of age now to do his NS but he's on a waiver till he completes his Diploma courses or bombs out, which ever comes first. My situation is a bit different but similar as my wife is a citizen and I'm a PR. The big difference is my child was born here to a Singapore mother which automatically makes him a citizen and NS liability come with birth here! He does have dual citizenship until he reaches 21 but his choice will be totally up to him. I cannot and will not live his life for him. He has to make is own bed in this life and he's the one who will have to sleep in it.

I've given him all the opportunity and encouragement and explanations that can be done without sounding biased in either direction. I started these talk on an annual basis from around the time he was 6 years old so that the decision and thought had to come from him. He's still here as he figures, just like I do, that with NS having been done, He can stay here or go elsewhere, the choice is his, and not theirs. Even if he gives up his citizenship here and go to the US, he would have a easier time of returning here should he desire, with him having already performed NS here. Best of both worlds I think.

[naori]

Hi all, i would like to seek your advise on these.

We are currently both Singapore PRs and our residency will expire next year. Now, we are thinking that one of us(wife) should apply for citizenship and the other (husband) will remain a PR. The reason why we want it this way is because we are having trouble applying in school for my son and someone told me that you will be a priority if you are a SG citizen. Both of us doesnt really want to enjoy retirement here in SG and are planning to migrate somewhere else but not in the near future. At the moment, since both our jobs are at its best, we decided to stay here for a few more years. Any of you have done this or in the same situation as we are? Would there be any difference if the wife is a citizen, hub is PR-- like will our son still need to serve NS?? If i became a citizen, will my kids also become a citizen automatically? What are the implications of this? I know that it is difficult to renounce SG citizenship and it requires careful thinking before deciding to apply for it/renounce it.

I really appreciate if you can help advise on this to clear my mind of my worries before applying for SG Citizenzhip.

Many thanks to all of you and hoping to hear your advise,
Mamibols

The child will NOT automatically receive citizenship if you take up citizenship. The child needs to be a citizen in order to enjoy priority, not you. However that won't happen unless you also get it.

With regard to NS, if the child (male) assumes citizenship then he is stuck. Full Stop! He WILL have to do NS no matter what because he will NOT be allowed to renounce his citizenship, once obtained, until he is 21 years of age. By that time he will have already done his NS unless you spirit him out of the country. Should you do that, he will become a deserter and will never be allowed back in the country Actually, that's not true. He will be allowed in and then picked and incarcerated as a deserter.

My son is of age now to do his NS but he's on a waiver till he completes his Diploma courses or bombs out, which ever comes first. My situation is a bit different but similar as my wife is a citizen and I'm a PR. The big difference is my child was born here to a Singapore mother which automatically makes him a citizen and NS liability come with birth here! He does have dual citizenship until he reaches 21 but his choice will be totally up to him. I cannot and will not live his life for him. He has to make is own bed in this life and he's the one who will have to sleep in it.

I've given him all the opportunity and encouragement and explanations that can be done without sounding biased in either direction. I started these talk on an annual basis from around the time he was 6 years old so that the decision and thought had to come from him. He's still here as he figures, just like I do, that with NS having been done, He can stay here or go elsewhere, the choice is his, and not theirs. Even if he gives up his citizenship here and go to the US, he would have a easier time of returning here should he desire, with him having already performed NS here. Best of both worlds I think.

I wanted to ask... as a permanent residence with a sg citizen spouse do you receive the same benefits as appose to both partner being sg citizen?

[sundaymorningstaple]

NO!

In recent years (now that I'm getting to an age where I might just need it) they have cut the medical subsidies that PR used to enjoy (same as Citizens). Also, I never receive any of the freebie handouts that the government give to citizens during elections or before budgets or any other time the government needs to rally the population around them for some reason or another (usually a foretelling of something bad going to happen to them - and the government will be getting it all back and then some!) As a PR they just take and never give. Yet our sons, if PR's will have to do NS. So while we have some benefits (like the ability of buy an HDB property (resale flat) we don't get treated the same as the other family members who ARE citizens.

sms

[naori]

but if your wife is a singaporean citizen does that make your son an automatic citizen?
won't you get the same benefits besides health subsidies?

so would you chose to become a sg citizen eventually?

[sundaymorningstaple]

No.

I've already spent over a quarter of a century here.

Instead of treating me better after I've given them what they've wanted (My knowledge) all these years, now they are punishing me by taking away those things that now that I'm older, I may well need. Talk about ungrateful.

But the ones I really blame is not the government, but the "PR's of convenience" who take up PR only so they don't have to leave the country when they get retrenched. These are the one's who make it hard on those of us who were/are here for the long haul (this my 5th recession here). One does not have to take up citizenship to show their support to the country. I pay the same taxes as citizens do. I'm an Executive Member of our local Group GRC Residents Committee, I do my part for my community/estate. For many years I paid more than ordinary citizens as I earned a lot more. (no more ). In the last 5 years any gratefulness I've had toward Singapore they have done a good job destroying it for me. Now? I can't hardly wait for the last two things keeping me here to be fulfilled. When that's happened I'm outta here. And you can bet the departure gate at Changi hasn't got a hope in h*ll of hitting me in the @ss on the way out!

And Yes, my son is a Singapore Citizen by birth. But that was planned and not by accident. We had the choice of having him born in the US or in Malaysia. It was by long term planning why we chose Singapore for his mother to have him, just as it was our decision to have him school here as well. This is his home. This is his mother's home. It is just my residence. My flat is my home, the country is not.

sms

[drachen]

That is not quite right about the son having to serve the army. I read up on the issue as I was concerned about this issue for my still infant son!

A son has a right to PRship until he is 16 (age of enlistment). Then it is his or parent's choice to remain a PR/Singapore citizen. If he does not want to enlist, he can take up his parents' original country's citizenship and renounce his ability to take up Singapore citizenship in the future.