There is this relatively common belief that for one to get a SG PR application approved successfully, one needs to have stayed in Singapore for a certain fixed period of time. However, that is not true at all, and there is no such minimum time. However, we will explain why that can appear like the case often. But remember, correlation is not causation!
First of all, the longer you have stayed in Singapore, the higher the probability that your career in SG is stable, and the stability of your income is also verifiable through your income taxes declaration to the local government. Because you have worked in presumably the same company for quite some time now, you may have advanced further up the corporate ladder and hence are making a better income. All of these – a better income and stability of it contributes positively to your case when you are applying for PR.
Second of all, chances are higher that the longer you have worked and lived in Singapore, the more likely you have done concrete examples of integrating into our society such as by joining grassroots club and more! Since these are ‘soft’ factors which can set you apart from other permanent resident applicants if all other factors are equal, it can give off the illusion that the longer a person has been in the country, the more likely the approval. However, the reality is that it was something else, and not the length of time the person has been here that is the real underlying factor.
Third of all, there is even a possibility that expats or foreigners who have been in our country for long periods of time are also wedded to a local citizen or existing Singapore PR. As a result of this marriage, it lends great strength to that person’s submission. Once again, you can tell that it appears as though the length of stay was a factor, when in reality it was something else which really helped to get them approved.
In conclusion, there is no fixed minimum amount of time you need to be here before you can apply for such a status for yourself. It all depends on how well you actually hit the criteria that ICA looks at! Of course, realistically, most people would need to have stayed here for six months to one to two years before you decide that you want to stay here for good, and that period of time should have been enough for you to accumulate the necessary qualifications for PR!