It is rumored on the Internet that there are now new rules for getting Singapore PR (permanent resident)!
These days, there is a news coming out of the Singapore network: the process of applying for PR has been updated, and now you must complete the SG PR Journey of the renewal steps to officially get the status!
Some netizens also posted a screenshot of the email he received:
The picture comes from the Internet
As you know, in the past, only naturalized citizens were required to go through a similar process. Now PR is also needed......
Is it harder to immigrate to Singapore?
800 people participated! Apply for PR and have a new plan!
Speaking of which, it seems that not everyone who has applied for PR has received the above email. Some people do, some people don't receive the email.
According to the experience posted by some people, there are two steps in this PR Journey.
Participants will first need to register online and participate in a number of courses and activities covering Singapore's cultural history, social and cultural customs, etc., and will need to complete a total of 4 hours of community activities.
At the end of the course, some people even need to take a quiz!
Source: FB@ Xinrou Checkpoint Traffic Information Station
Netizens said that the project is still in the testing stage, and people between the ages of 16 and 60 are likely to be selected by the authorities.
It is understood that this project aims to help a person who has just received a PR to better integrate into life in Singapore. The aim is to prepare PR for life here and connect with the local community.
This project was confirmed by local media reports.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the plan began on January 25 this year. The authorities randomly selected 800 eligible new PRs to participate in the program.
The plan is not mandatory at the moment, and is tentatively scheduled for four months. By participating in the programme, the authorities hope that these permanent residents will have a better understanding of Singapore's culture, lifestyle, and social norms.
图源：People's Association
Singapore's Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth said it would consult participants during this time.
Feedback from participants on the program is invaluable and important to help shape the program so that future participants can benefit and the authorities will be more helpful for the integration of new PRs in the future.
Source: Medium
According to media reports, although it took longer than others to get the PR, many participants still gave positive feedback on the plan.
Some people say that by making new friends and volunteering together, you can feel like you're contributing to the community you've lived in for a long time.
Others felt that the existing programme was not sufficient, and that it should not only be an online introduction to Singaporean culture, but also an immersive experience of the "Singapore lifestyle".
Source: AsiaOne
Over the past few years, as Singapore's population has been increasing, the number of Singapore PRs has been steadily rising.
Many people have been given status at this time and have become part of living in Singapore for a long time.
The number of Singapore PR approvals has reached a new high in 13 years!
Exposure exposure
On 29 September last year, Singapore's Population and Talent Agency released the latest edition of Singapore's Population Brief 2023.
According to the briefing, as of June last year, Singapore's population showed these changes:
1) The total population grew to 5,917,600, a record high
2) The number of citizens increased slightly by 1.6% to 3,610,700
3) Permanent residents increased by 3.7% year-on-year to 538,600
In the year of statistics, nearly 35,000 new PR applications have been approved, and more than 23,000 new citizen applications have been approved! Both figures have set a new high since Singapore began to tighten its immigration policy in 2010!
Source: Singapore Population Briefing 2023
Last year's wave of PR applications seems to have continued to this year. The PR application seems to be "red", and many people excitedly share the personal application conditions with everyone:
"I came to Singapore alone in September 2021 to work in the IT industry. My wife and children stayed in the country because of studying and other reasons, and my wife's income was also good. In the middle of last year, after discussing with my family, I thought that I had just paid my taxes, so I applied for PR for my family with the idea of giving it a try. ”
"When I applied, I prepared the materials by myself, and I thought that the ICA would ask me to provide additional information, but in fact, I never asked for it, and the waiting time in the middle made me feel a little uneasy, for fear of being rejected, and I had to go online once a week. Unexpectedly, at the end of last month, I received a notification that my application had been approved! Now the whole family is ready to come to Singapore for a reunion. ”
"After completing my bachelor's and master's programs in China, I came to Singapore with my whole family to work. My wife didn't get the same EP as I did, and she and her children were living in Singapore with a dependent's pass. I applied for the new 7 months (June 2022), and the result was that four months later, there were four bars on the application page, and the cup was ......"
"I didn't give up, I re-applied with my family in May 2023, and in October 2023, I received a notice from the ICA requesting to supplement the information of my family members. Then at the end of December last year, the four bars reappeared, and on January 3 of this year, I was notified that it was passed!
In recent times, there has been a lot of good news for PR applications. This may also have something to do with the continued sluggish fertility rate in Singapore.
Since the 80s of the last century, the fertility rate of Singaporeans has been declining, from 1.82 to 1.04 at that time!
Source: Singstat
With a fertility rate of 2.1 for the replacement population, Singapore is in dire need of foreign talent to supplement its population.
However, the Singapore government has always adhered to a principle of "rather lack than excess". Last year, Singapore's Minister of Communications and Information, Yeo Liming, made a rare revelation about Singapore's criteria for screening immigrants.
This type of person is the most popular with the Singapore government!
Exposure exposure
Back to Congress last February.
At that time, Singapore's opposition leader Pitan Sing said in a public question in Parliament:
Singaporeans are well aware of what kind of newcomers we want. We want people who really understand Singapore and are highly accepting of our way of life. We want people who really want to live here. We want people who have been living in Singapore as permanent residents for a period of time, proving to us that they have integrated into Singapore.
Singaporeans don't want newcomers who don't want to live here, they only value the strength and convenience of a Singapore passport, and the safe and stable environment in Singapore that is conducive to their assets and wealth. We don't want newcomers who don't want their sons to join their national service, and no one wants newcomers who just want to use Singapore citizenship as a stepping stone to other countries.
Source: Department of Communications and Information
To this end, he also recommended that the Singapore government make the selection criteria for new immigrants public, learn from the Swiss citizenship test, and "make sure that every newcomer speaks English." ”
Bi Danxing's proposal was rightfully opposed by the majority of the MPs present. At the same time, Minister Yang Liming also explained in his speech that "Singapore immigrants mainly look at the following conditions" (that is, the so-called bonus points):
(1) Consider the applicant's integration with Singaporean society, such as whether the applicant has relatives in Singapore, how long they have stayed in Singapore, whether they have studied in a Singapore school, and whether they have completed national service
(2) Consider the applicant's financial contribution, education and age
Although the government does not support imposing too many hard and fast conditions on foreign immigrants, there are some of the statements that the Singapore government agrees with.
According to the government's unspoken "consensus", Singapore generally welcomes the following three categories of people:
- People who really want to live in Singapore
- People who are highly receptive to the Singaporean lifestyle
- People who can fit in with Singapore
However, there are also several groups of people who are less popular with the Singapore government and will face greater obstacles in the immigration process:
- They just want to enjoy the benefits of Singapore but don't want to give
- People who want to be naturalized but do not want to do military service
- Want to be a springboard for immigration to other countries
图源：Todayonline
Naturalization is a one-shot deal, and it is difficult for the government to go back. (Unless you die)
However, for PR that is renewed every 5 years, the government will evaluate your contribution to Singapore during this period of time and decide whether to approve the renewal application.
For example, during the epidemic, many people have lived abroad for several years and have not returned to Singapore, so it is easy to be targeted by the government......
The picture comes from a Xiaohongshu netizen
Although it is rare for the government to announce the conditions to be considered when selecting new immigrants, when it comes to applying, the government will still consider it on a case-by-case basis.
The conditions are superior and reach a certain "standard", and the ticket cannot be guaranteed to be approved.
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The Singapore government has always welcomed foreign talent to settle in Singapore, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has repeatedly expressed the following views in public:
Singapore is an open and inclusive society. We welcome new immigrants, but we have also developed a rigorous vetting and selection system to ensure that new citizens can integrate into mainland society and be able to contribute to the mainland. We respect all new citizens and see you as part of the family, regardless of each other.
However, opening up immigration does not mean accepting them without moderation or reason. In 2010, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng said:
We need to attract the right immigrants to Singapore to contribute to our economy and settle here to supplement the existing population. But we must also bring in these newcomers in a sustainable way to ensure that the very essence of our society is not undermined.
Coconut friends, what do you think of the government's statement?