Applying again for Singapore Citizenship

[Aragorn2000]

Hi,
I have been reading Singapore Expat Forum for many years but only decided to register today to ask some burning questions. Sorry for not contributing to the forum so far.
My wife and I are seriously thinking about applying for Singapore citizenship (again!).

My family's profile:
1. Nationality: Vietnamese. We have been here for over 9 years. 4 years being students and 5 being PRs. My wife has just renewed her REP while mine still has two more months to be eligible for renewal.
2. We both obtained our college degrees from NUS and I recently received a Master degree from NTU. We are < 30.
3. My salary is 4.5K / month (my wife's is around the same too).
4. We own a 4-room HDB flat.

Questions:
1. Do you think we have any chance for the citizenship?
We had applied for it some years ago (after being PR for 2+ years) and it was rejected with no apparent reason.
We hadn't bought our flat yet at the time.

2. Should we even apply again?
We have spent most of our adult life (so far) in Singapore so it seems it's a natural thing to do.
However, second thought is creeping in after reading many posts in this forum trying to potrait Singapore as a sinking ship.
Not that we have anywhere better to go to though.

We are still young and have not been through the up and down of life yet. We'd really appreciate the advice from the oldies here.

Thanks

[Mad Scientist]

Hi,
I have been reading Singapore Expat Forum for many years but only decided to register today to ask some burning questions. Sorry for not contributing to the forum so far.
My wife and I are seriously thinking about applying for Singapore citizenship (again!).

My family's profile:
1. Nationality: Vietnamese. We have been here for over 9 years. 4 years being students and 5 being PRs. My wife has just renewed her REP while mine still has two more months to be eligible for renewal.
2. We both obtained our college degrees from NUS and I recently received a Master degree from NTU. We are < 30.
3. My salary is 4.5K / month (my wife's is around the same too).
4. We own a 4-room HDB flat.

Questions:
1. Do you think we have any chance for the citizenship?
We had applied for it some years ago (after being PR for 2+ years) and it was rejected with no apparent reason.
We hadn't bought our flat yet at the time.

It is apparent as you can only apply SG citizenship after 6 years as PR or more. Back then yours NOT

2. Should we even apply again?
We have spent most of our adult life (so far) in Singapore so it seems it's a natural thing to do.
However, second thought is creeping in after reading many posts in this forum trying to potrait Singapore as a sinking ship.
Not that we have anywhere better to go to though.

Yes, you can as you have stayed here more than 6 years earning an income and paying taxes. Wait till you get your NEXT REP then apply.
Everywhere is sinking but SG sinking faster that is all.
Look, if you have been living here all your lives then sink your root in here whether it is sinking or not, TRUE ?
Do you think going back to Vietnam will do you any better ?
I think you should be OK
Go for it, it never hurts to try


We are still young and have not been through the up and down of life yet. We'd really appreciate the advice from the oldies here.

Who are you calling OLDIES ? Hmmmm????

Thanks

[Aragorn2000]

Thanks. Well everyone who gives a sound advice is an oldie. Changing citizenship is a life-changing decision to us.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I agree with MS. Wait until you both have 6 years (second REP) and apply. Best of Luck.

[vestapo]

It depends largely on the profile of people they want to get at this time. I know many Malaysian Chinese get approved with just 4 years of PR but another Fillipino couple with 12 years PRship and earning exceeding 15K for both with a son got rejected repeatedly since 2010, they deeply regret it as they could get the citizenship easily in 2008 with an invitalion letter from ICA but decided to bypass the opportunity. Not sure about Vietnamese but my colleague's wife was from Vietnam and her citizenship was rejected even though she already gave birth to a son and a daughter to her Sgrean husband

[Aragorn2000]

true, Malaysian Chinese are almost cuturally identical to Sporean Chinese. It's the Gov's trick to maintain Chinese majority in the population.

[Mad Scientist]

It depends largely on the profile of people they want to get at this time. I know many Malaysian Chinese get approved with just 4 years of PR but another Fillipino couple with 12 years PRship and earning exceeding 15K for both with a son got rejected repeatedly since 2010, they deeply regret it as they could get the citizenship easily in 2008 with an invitalion letter from ICA but decided to bypass the opportunity. Not sure about Vietnamese but my colleague's wife was from Vietnam and her citizenship was rejected even though she already gave birth to a son and a daughter to her Sgrean husband

You have to be sure with what you disseminate down here. Your Peen's friends refused to take up citizenship when invited hence they have automatically deny themselves in the future of ever getting SG citizenship
Rejection of citizenship encompasses many aspect, to cast a wide net based on one's encounter is dangerous
Like I said standard citizenship application is you have to be here more than 6 years, pay tax, family unit will be good. Academically sound
Of course certain ethnic is favoured more than others is another last key point

[colinlee]

I think you should keep trying and be positive about it.
In this world many people reject us until we can prove that we worth it.

[Aragorn2000]

2. Should we even apply again?
We have spent most of our adult life (so far) in Singapore so it seems it's a natural thing to do.
However, second thought is creeping in after reading many posts in this forum trying to potrait Singapore as a sinking ship.
Not that we have anywhere better to go to though.

Yes, you can as you have stayed here more than 6 years earning an income and paying taxes. Wait till you get your NEXT REP then apply.
Everywhere is sinking but SG sinking faster that is all.
Look, if you have been living here all your lives then sink your root in here whether it is sinking or not, TRUE ?
Do you think going back to Vietnam will do you any better ?
I think you should be OK
Go for it, it never hurts to try

MS, why do you think Singapore is sinking faster than other places? Are you comparing Singapore to US, UK, Aus or India, China, SEA?

IMHO, in terms of finding a place for permanent settling down, Singapore is not so bad, especially when the whole package is considered (i.e. satety, life's predictability, medical availablity, anything beyond making money, etc.).
Other SEA countries have never even been "afloat".
Aus is not exactly a place in which one would want to build a career.

I have no idea about US, UK, India and China.

[zzm9980]

Aus is not exactly a place in which one would want to build a career.

I have no idea about US, UK, India and China.

Why not in AUS? Do you have reasons?

In the US at least, you will make significantly higher wages and COL will be significantly lower in most of the US.

[Mad Scientist]

MS, why do you think Singapore is sinking faster than other places? Are you comparing Singapore to US, UK, Aus or India, China, SEA?

IMHO, in terms of finding a place for permanent settling down, Singapore is not so bad, especially when the whole package is considered (i.e. satety, life's predictability, medical availablity, anything beyond making money, etc.).
Other SEA countries have never even been "afloat".
Aus is not exactly a place in which one would want to build a career.

I have no idea about US, UK, India and China.

Let's take a look at its geographical size of SG i.e just a small dot with 6 million people living in it. Gahmen has no choice either built skyscraper apartments or continue reclamation work on the coastal area. Sooner than later all the small islands surrounding SG will be reclaim into one big island
If Suharto has agreed to sell Batam to SG, LKY plans will be full steam ahead. Alas, nationalism takes precedent over money
Hell, SG is smaller than Lake Taupo in North Island NZ. Imagine the close proximity of oneself to others. Something got to give way
Most FTs that came here has only one goal i.e make as much as possible and stay whilst the pasture is green
PR offered only last 5 years. From there, Gahmen will select who will stay and become SC and who will be just transient workers. While this is work in progress , the number of FTs reaches the peak that it threaten the social integrity of the nation , It can lead to social unrest.
The last election shows that when push comes to shove, the citizen will revolt and will sink SG into utter chaos
I was fortunate to live and work in many countries.
For one, SG does not have minimum wage guideline
2. Workers right is non existence or should I say is always in tandem with the Gahmen agenda which is frankly BS when they are joined on the hips
3. Wages in other develop countries for both blue and white collar far out strip SG pay scale. In SG , only the talented will be paid handsomely. The lower rank workers of Sgers can hardly survived with their meagre pay
I can list thousand of examples. Hence it is just a stepping stone for many local to find something better career and having a family at the same time
Family orientated working culture is a taboo in SG
Sigh...............................

[vishalgupta2]

Aus is not exactly a place in which one would want to build a career.

I have no idea about US, UK, India and China.

Why not in AUS? Do you have reasons?

In the US at least, you will make significantly higher wages and COL will be significantly lower in most of the US.

+1

I totally agree about US. The wages in US are way higher, and cost of living well my monthly expenses in US were less than my rent in Singapore. Taxes were higher in US but well it takes way more to run a less populated country and the infrastructure is almost rock solid.

For precise numbers, I lived in a 1BR apartment 20 miles west of Boston (Rent 1K). Groceries + Gas + Utilities + Cellphone costs were south of 1k. All this for a family of 2. Now I pay rent north of 2k.

This said, I am quite happy in Singapore.

[Wd40]

In the US I would prefer a smaller city may be like Dallas, but definitely not something like New York. Rents are crazy there as well and most of my colleagues from NY office live in NJ and commute to NY by subway and they tell me how horrible it is.

Here too I prefer living close to my office in CBP and avoid the sardine cans.

It's usually about how you work things out for yourself.

[zzm9980]

[quote="Wd40"]In the US I would prefer a smaller city may be like Dallas, but definitely not something like New York. Rents are crazy there as well and most of my colleagues from NY office live in NJ and commute to NY by subway and they tell me how horrible it is.

Here too I prefer living close to my office in CBP and avoid the sardine cans.

It's usually about how you work things out for yourself.[/quote

and Manhattan (NYC) was the one place I was thinking of when I said COL was lower in "most" of the US. And even then, you can live cheaper in Manhattan if you try really hard.

[taxico]

and Manhattan (NYC) was the one place I was thinking of when I said COL was lower in "most" of the US. And even then, you can live cheaper in Manhattan if you try really hard.

1 word: roommates.