PR and Citizenship timelines for P2 Employment pass holders

[Slover]

Hi

I have just come to Singapore this month on P2 Employment pass. I am a graduate from NTU and worked in Singapore from 1995-2005. I then went back to my country. I have come back to Singapore again and have decided to settle down here and apply for my PR and Citizenship as soon as possible. I have close family ties in Singapore. I would like to know:

1. When can I apply for my PR ?
2. Would my 10 years working in Singapore and Singapore Education count in my application?
3. How long after getting PR can I apply for Singapore citizenship?

I would like to hear timelines from fellow P2 Employment pass holders on:

1. How long after working in Singapore did they apply for PR?
2. How long did it take after PR application to get it?
3. When did they apply for Singapore citizenship and how long did it take to get it approved?

Hope to hear your experience.

[sundaymorningstaple]

One piece of data you neglected to give us.

Your ethnicity.

[Slover]

I am an Indian by race but I am born and brought up and a citizen of Mauritius

[sundaymorningstaple]

So, your ethnicity is Indian. Nationality if immaterial as demographics based on race, do not count nationality at all. Every country in the world has large "Chinese" populations as well as "Indian" populations.

Technically, you can apply after you have been on an EP for 6 months. However, for the past year or two you would need to generally be here on an EP for at least 2 years. Wouldn't matter that you went to school here or not. Quite a few have done and were subsequently rejected this past year. If you should manage to get PR within 3 years, it will generally take up to a point in times after you are on your second REP, e.g., more than 5 years as a PR.

Again, this is for non-ethnic Indians. Due to the demographic spread here having been increased by 2% in the Indian population since 2000, the gahmen are trying to reduce that back to the pre-IT push percentages that traditionally have hovered around 7~8 percent. This means a lot of Indians have, especially in the past year since the last GE, met with blunt rejections both for PR and Citizenship.

I'm not trying to burst your bubble, but I'm not going to sit here behind this keyboard and blow smoke either. Just laying it out as it is happening.

sms

[Slover]

Thank you Sundaymorningstaple

I dont want to take advantage of others bad luck but I am sure with the IT bubble burst, there must be a load of Indians who are slowly leaving Singapore as well? Or are they still trying to stick on?

Is there anything I can do to improve my chances?

A friend of mine who is an Indian told me he got his PR easily after being in Singapore for 6 months . He is a Teacher in the Government schools and another friend who is a lecturer in NUS got it easily too. Is there a preference for people working in Government or Statutory boards over private companies in the PR application?

[JR8]

[Random aside]

Something I've noticed since being back from my wanders...

The number of people here who are almost frantic to get some SGn status, be it PR or citizenship. Never mind the end before the means, more the end by any means.

Been here 12 months rejected for PR, how can I get it now!!? And a dozen iterations. Such frantic urgency, simply living in SG on an EP and having a good job appears to not be enough.


- To the OP, this is not aimed at you, just an overall impression of this week.

[Slover]

Thank you JR8

I stayed in Singapore for 14 years and it is only now that I have returned and decided I would like to stay in Singapore for the rest of my life. So it is not an sudden or immediate decision.

In my opinion that I have being a Singaporean is the fact that

• I see Singapore being a world leader one day. The country has a lot of future
  My close relatives are all here.
  I can buy a HDB at a lower price as the resale market is too expensive
  I am open to government jobs and subsidies

[singaporeflyer]

Thank you JR8

I stayed in Singapore for 14 years and it is only now that I have returned and decided I would like to stay in Singapore for the rest of my life. So it is not an sudden or immediate decision.

In my opinion that I have being a Singaporean is the fact that

• I see Singapore being a world leader one day. The country has a lot of future
  My close relatives are all here.
  I can buy a HDB at a lower price as the resale market is too expensive
  I am open to government jobs and subsidies

If you are so serious you would not have left in 2005. Also you would have applied for PR during those 10 years? Why didnt you do so?

Suddenly back to SG and looking for immediate PR and Citizenship is not fair.

U have mentioned the reasons why you want citizenship. Most of the reasons are of benefit to you.

What do you give back to SG?

[JR8]

Thank you JR8 ...
In my opinion that I have being a Singaporean is the fact that

• I see Singapore being a world leader one day. The country has a lot of future

How do you think a 40 mile wide island run by an old man and his family will become a world leader? You say it has a 'lot of future' but what does that mean in English?

Is Bahrain going to become a world leader, a la Singapore and if not why not? How about the other little family run tyrannies that are around?


p.s. Anyway, as I originally said my comment was not aimed at you in the slightest way. More an impression of the general clamor for status that I note, having been away for a few weeks and returned here once again with fresh eyes.

[zzm9980]

Thank you JR8 ...
In my opinion that I have being a Singaporean is the fact that

• I see Singapore being a world leader one day. The country has a lot of future

How do you think a 40 mile wide island run by an old man and his family will become a world leader? You say it has a 'lot of future' but what does that mean in English?

I think that point was just thrown in to deflect from the third and forth points, which are the real reasons.

Damn, there I go being cynical and angry again.

[JR8]

I think that point was just thrown in to deflect from the third and forth points, which are the real reasons.

Damn, there I go being cynical and angry again.

I thought the same, that was why I invited clarification (which will not be forthcoming). In the end I reckon it all comes down to the pursuit of $$$.


Anyway enough, I'm supposed to be making an effort to have a positive and non-grumpy/non-cynical day today

[Slover]

I have been a silent reader in this forum for some time. I have noticed that if there are 10% readers who give proper replies to the queries be it good or bad news, there are 90% readers who are more interested in mudslinging and demoralizing the inquirer rather than giving any informative answers. It is ironical that after all their mudslinging and not answering any of the Op’s queries, the OP decides to abandon the topic and then he is accused of not answering their questions. I really feel this is going to lower the quality of this forum.

Inspite of all that I have observed, I decided to give it the plunge and as expected other than sundaymorningstaple who gave an informative reply the rest are mudslinging. I like to tell them; please do not judge a person whom you don’t even know. Life is complicated and there are many reasons why people make mistakes and decisions in life. Not everyone is money minded and there are still a group of people who value human relations.

To answer your questions:
My Father and Mother divorced when I was very young. I am an only child who grew up in Mauritius. My mother is a Singaporean and she is in Singapore. Her whole family is here. My father never took up Singapore citizenship for me when I was young .

After I came to Singapore for my studies and started working, I tried to bring my invalid father to Singapore. Unfortunately he could not fit in to the city life and went back to Mauritius. I knew as long as he was around, I won’t be able to settle in Singapore and after 10 years of working here and juggling between travels to Mauritius, I decided to return back to Mauritius. My father was too sick and I could not rely on a home nurse to be with him. Now that he has passed away and my next of kin is in Singapore, there is no longing to stay in Mauritius. Thus I have come back to Singapore.

Now that I have openly explained my personal details in a public forum, I hope you would be able to answer the questions I asked?

[sundaymorningstaple]

I've already answered your questions. As far as your friend was concerned, when did this event happen? Also, are you an educator?

[Slover]

Thank you sundaymorningstaple. Yes you did answer my questions. My last message was more for others.

My friend came to Singapore in Jun 2011 to join the MOE PGDE programme. He applied this January and received the PR by this April.

I am not an educator but working in a private company here. I got the offer letter a week back. But I did apply for the MOE PGDE programme as well for July before I got the offer letter and did go for their interview last week. I do love teaching kids. I was wondering whether it would be easier if I am a teacher than working in private company with regards to getting a PR. It is a drastic paycut but that is secondary for me.

[sundaymorningstaple]

That is a good question, and one that I don't have any anecdotal evidence to support or give. The other question is that the only shortcut I could see, I don't see as doable. You are probably around 33 years old and even if your mother is Singaporean, the fact that you are too old to do NS and having to try to do it using the PTS scheme might be fraught with booby-traps. Having a Singaporean mother SHOULD help though. Especially if you can reiterate what you have told us. That may well be the edge you need to try to shorten the duration of waiting.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.