Singapore offers various schemes for people to obtain permanent residency in this country. While the majority of the people apply under the PR-PTS scheme, there is a small % of the group applying for permanent residency under the student scheme.
This guide is prepared to give an overview of applying for PR under the student scheme. So if you are considering applying to Singapore PR under this category, please read on.
The first question obviously is, who is eligible to apply under this scheme? A student studying in Singapore is eligible to apply for PR under a student scheme only if;
As you can see, this scheme is open only to students studying in the local stream of education in Singapore.
Most international students who join private colleges or do certificate courses in Singapore after graduation do not qualify for this scheme as they have not passed a national-level examination in Singapore.
To file a PR under this scheme, scanned copies of the following documents are required;
In our experience, we have found that written future plans of the student applying for the PR are also beneficial and boost the approval chances
Male applicants who are granted PR status as foreign students are required to register for NS upon reaching 16 ½ years old and will be scheduled for enlistment at the earliest opportunity upon reaching 18 years old.
In other words, this scheme does not offer the exemtion from NS for the first-generation PR. It is available only to the people applying for PR under the PTS (Working person) route.
While applying for PR as a student may seem straightforward initially, you might get stuck at some point. Here are four common problems you might run into. And because of this, it is always advised to hire a competent consultant to carry out the activity.:
While many applicants may feel comfortable exploring online portals, some applicants may have difficulty using the e-PR system due to its complexity. Since the required documents must be scanned and uploaded onto the portal, the application process may be challenging for those not comfortable using a mouse or an iPad. An immigration specialist can help you with the entire process of submitting your documents.
Often the parents of the student wishing to apply for PR are staying away overseas in a foreign country. This may add to the complexity further.
Your important documents may be presented in a language other than English, depending on their country of origin. To get them looked at by immigration officers, you must have them translated into English according to ICA requirements, which can be quite a hassle. Moreover, it is important to remember that a handwritten translation won't suffice. In Singapore, it is necessary to translate the document at the country's local embassy issuing it or at a notary public. The above two authorities can verify and stamp private translations of these records. The submission of documents in a language other than English or that haven't been translated will be ignored.
Once you have prepared all the details and are ready to start the lodgement process, you must log in to the e-PR system.
You will be required to download an offline form and enter all the details of yourself and your parents.
In the next stage, you will upload the completed form, and all the required document copies one by one. Based on the information entered, the system will decide which documents must be uploaded.
After the uploading of documents is completed, the last step will be payment of the required fees. Once the payment is completed, you will get the acknowledgment and the receipt.
After completing all the above steps, you have finished applying for the Singapore PR. Now you will have to wait. The average waiting time ranges between 6 months to 9 months.
During this period, if there are any significant changes to your educational profile, you should promptly inform the ICA.
PR for the student is not a common route to get PR in Singapore. Very few % of PR applicants are in this category. As a result, applicants are generally unaware of the steps, problems, and remedies.
Therefore it is best to engage a competent consultant to apply PR for the student. Contact us today if you wish to apply for this scheme.