On 25 January 2024, the Singapore government launched the "The PR Journey" pilot scheme to select new Singapore PR holders and arrange for them to complete online courses on Singapore's culture and life, as well as participate in community activities, with the aim of helping them integrate more actively into Singapore society and build closer ties with the community.
(The Straits Times)
A total of 800 new permanent residents aged between 16 and 60 were randomly selected to participate in this pilot programme of cultural learning in Singapore. In the past, Singapore PRs were not required to complete this additional step, and only new citizens were required to complete a similar "Singapore Citizenship Journey" before naturalisation.
"Permanent Resident Journey" program
A trial of four months is not mandatory
The Permanent Resident Journey (PR) programme is currently in the pilot phase and is non-mandatory, with a trial period of four months.
Recently, some new Singapore permanent residents have received emails from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) informing them that they have to complete the "permanent resident journey", which includes attending at least four hours of community activities, within two months before they can make an appointment to complete the permanent residency process.
In response to an enquiry from Lianhe Zaobao, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth said that the pilot scheme aims to help permanent residents better understand Singapore's culture, lifestyle and social norms, and is based on feedback from existing permanent residents and is based on the ongoing community integration programme. The main community integration projects are the Integration and Naturalisation Champions program organized by the People's Association.
The Permanent Resident Journey is divided into two parts: e-learning modules and quizzes about life in Singapore, as well as in-person community activities with options such as sports and fitness classes, lifestyle or leisure classes, and sports volunteering activities. It is understood that at least four hours of community activity participation time can be accumulated by different activity projects.
(Photo by Wang Yanyan)
At present, new citizens are required to complete the "Singapore Citizen Journey" on time before naturalization, which consists of three parts: learning about Singapore's history and culture online and passing a quiz, booking a tour of museums or important sites in Singapore's society, and attending a new citizen sharing session at a community centre.
The Ministry of Culture, Culture, Social Affairs and Youth said it would consult with those participating in the Pilot Programme on the Journey to Permanent Residents to review how the next participants could better integrate into Singaporean society.
Sociologists:
Build bridges of communication and contribute to social harmony
A number of sociologists interviewed unanimously said that the move is timely and will help new permanent residents better understand Singapore's core values and culture, so that they can integrate more easily while living in Singapore and prepare them for becoming citizens in the future.
Tan Yan Chee, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore, suggested that the learning content should include three main areas: explaining the core values of multi-racial, multi-religious and meritocracy, introducing the cultural characteristics of the country and ethnicity, and highlighting the relevant laws such as politics, social harmony and drugs, so that new permanent residents can understand the areas that should be of concern to become a member of Singaporean society.
(Photo by Ho Ping-yiu)
NUS Associate Dean Associate Professor Goh Pui Chung said that the move would not only create an opportunity for new permanent residents with higher incomes to reach out to the grassroots and get out of a comfortable circle of the same nationality, but also break the stereotypes of existing residents or citizens about people of different nationalities, build bridges of communication, and contribute to social harmony.
While the extra layer of formalities may discourage some people from applying, Tan said applicants often appreciate Singapore's good law and order and multiculturalism, and will not be deterred by community involvement.
New Permanent Residents:
Looking forward to participating in community activities to learn more about life in Singapore
Yu Chenchen (27, Researcher) and Fu Peihao (31, Researcher), who are preparing to submit their PR applications in the next few months, welcomed the "PR Trip" and hoped to deepen their sense of participation.
Yu Chenchen, a Malaysian citizen who has lived in Singapore for nearly two years, believes that participating in community activities can make new friends and volunteer together, so that he can feel that he has contributed to the community where he has lived for a long time. Fu Peihao, from China, believes that not every applicant will consciously learn about Singapore, and some may be for the convenience of long-term entry, and it is good to focus on the focus of life in Singapore.
(The Straits Times)
He Xinyue (21, web designer), who has applied for permanent residence three times and only succeeded in 2023, has lived in Singapore since she was six years old.
"I think the PR trip should not only introduce the culture online, but also arrange for the new PR to experience the Singapore lifestyle in person, participate in community services and communicate directly with the beneficiaries to understand how they can give back to the community," she said. ”