Converting long-term social visit pass to student pass

[vanillafudge]

My son has just turned 1 year old and I'm currently looking at a number of International Schools as I'm thinking of registering him for Prep 1 (in about 3-4 years' time - yes I am planning way ahead!). My husband and I are both Singapore PRs and my son is on a long-term social visit pass - he is not a Singapore PR.

Does anyone have experience with converting a LTSVP to a Student Pass? Am I supposed to do this before or after I register with the schools? Or do I convert only after my son's been offered a place in the school? Will this process be made difficult because my husband and I are PRs but he is not (for obvious reasons)? Appreciate if anyone who has done this can share their experience.

If it matters, I am looking at UWC, Canadian School, Avondale and/or St Joseph's.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'd be much more worried when you go to renew your REP the next time. When two and two are added together and they see you have a son who is NOT been made a PR, you will, in all likelihood, be given only a 1 year REP. If you son is not converted to PR, in all probability, after that 1 year REP, they will refuse to give you another REP.

So, as you know, they are looking at ways already to reduce the PR population and foreigners in general, why would you want to deliberately give them a reason?

OH, by the way, I'm not just thinking hypothetically. It has already happened at least once that I'm aware of.

[vanillafudge]

yes that has crossed my mind and our decision not to apply for PR for my son was not a frivolous one. we looked at every possible scenario of what could or might happen if he lived in singapore as a PR vs a LTSVP for as long as we're here. and honestly who knows what the government will do? sometimes it's very random.

do you think it would make more sense to apply for PR for my son then give it up when we move back to australia so he can avoid serving NS? i think that is a worse thing to do than to keep him on a LTSVP which gives him ZERO benefits in this country anyway.

re my PR status, i'd like to think that as i've lived in singapore for a total of 21 years that they might take that into account and not be too harsh on me when it comes to renewal time

[sundaymorningstaple]

I wasn't ready to take that gamble with my PR. I've been here 30 years and my son is currently doing his NS in the Navy. He thinks he's better for it. Got about 11 months to go.

If you make substantially good money here, then I'd say the odds are they may well try to force the issue as those are the types they like to make examples of in order to enforce the issue to others.

My boss is a Singaporean married to a European woman for many years (who is still only a PR). He used to work in the UK but returned in 1995 and as his son was born in the UK he though he would do the "trick" as well all those years ago. After his son finished his Secondary Education in Singapore, he was enrolled in a UK university. Now he has graduated and wants to return home. Unfortunately, as he has turned 21, the government will not give him an LTVP OR PR. It's a good possibility that he might not even be able to get an EP approved if he were to get a job offer because he avoided NS. To make matters even worse, my boss is a card carrying PAP member with a good sized SME (200+ men) Good Luck. I feel you are going to need it, as you are dicing with your son's entire future for something that won't even affect you, but your decision will affect his entire life if it's the wrong one.

my two cents...... sms

[funkyings]

I hope this helps... Currently your son will be categorised as a foreign student. Therefore, he will be required to attend schools which have attained the EduTrust certification. Only EduTrust approved schools are allowed to apply for student visas. This is the list of approved schools:

http://www.cpe.gov.sg/for-students/edut ... us-of-peis#

UWC is exempt from this because they are a non-profit organisation (same applies to Tanglin, SAS). CIS is approved, Avondale - I don't think it is, SJI is not. So the latter two will only accept dependant pass holders or PRs.

So if you choose an EduTrust approved school, you won't need to change him to PR.

We am in a similar situation - my husband is citizen, I am a long term pass holder and my 5 year old son is holding a student visa for a kindergarten which expires when he's 7. FYI he obtained his student visa before this EduTrust scheme was put in place.

Message me if you'd like more help.

[vanillafudge]

thank you so much for the helpful advice and useful information!