Are you unsure whether you need to submit it or if it is even relevant to you? Read on to find out more.
What is this EP152 Form?
The EP152 Form is a certification of employment PDF which is sent to the employer of those who apply to become a Singapore PR successfully.
The company you work at will then need to complete and sign it to confirm that you or the respective applicant is indeed working in their organization as stated in your earlier application for permanent residence under the PTS scheme. You should receive it with your IPA (In-Principle Approval) letter once you are successful.
Who is the EP152 form applicable to?
EP152 form will only be relevant for those who got approved under PTS, as its purpose is certification of employment in Singapore. This will not be relevant to those who got residence using other means, such as if you had gotten yours via the spouse’s route.
If you have not yet even applied for permanent residence, then do not worry about this. It is only something that comes after you have already gotten approved.
Do you want to know one of the reasons why many people and business executives like Singapore? Many famous business people around the world like Eduardo Saverin also went to apply for Singapore PR application in the past. This is because unlike many other countries around the world, on the whole, Singapore makes sensible decisions only and is also pro business and pro investment (you can read more about Singapore’s GIP scheme here). Let us explain more in the following paragraphs.
First of all, Singapore understands that it is dependent on business travelers as well as investors for its success. As a result, it strikes a great balance between health and financial goals. It does not sacrifice one for the other – both are equally important. Therefore, other than it having a lockdown in April to June 2020, the entire SG has been steadily reopening the entire economy. This means that almost every business in SG has been operating now for many months smoothly. However, our country knows that it is also heavily dependent on both casual as well as business tourism. Our country has been looking into setting up travel bubbles as a result to try to get back to normal as much as possible, and as quickly as possible too. These pro-business actions have been part of our country’s actions and strategies since its founding in 1965, and is a reason why many business executives want to become a permanent resident in Singapore here yearly since our founding as a country.
Also, as a small country with not much natural resources, the local government and people knew right from the start that it needs to work on being seen as a business and investing hub of the world to truly develop into a world class country. Over the years, we have been focused on providing tax incentives to businesses and getting rid of as much red tape in business too so that more entrepreneurs would settle down in the country as permanent residents or citizens and grow successful home grown companies. Business minded migrants are attracted by this clear and constant wooing of them, and hence many do live here for the long term.
Yes, in general, a PR can work two jobs in Singapore as you will have largely similar rights as a full Singaporean citizen. Let us explain more below.
What is moonlighting and is moonlighting legal?
Moonlighting basically means you already have a full time current job, and are seeking part time concurrent employment or a second job at a different employer.
Whether having two jobs with different employers is allowed or is legal for you as a permanent resident under Singapore law depends on your current business employment contract at your one job.
Are you employed in the public service division?
If you are a public or civil servant in Singapore, meaning you work at a Singapore government related organization, they will almost always prohibit you from moonlighting, or having two jobs. This is case for both citizens and PRs.
What if you need the extra pay to supplement your salary?
If you are a civil servant employee but want a part time job or second job on top of your full time job for extra income, you can try to seek approval from Ministry of Manpower depending on your circumstances. Sometimes an additional part time job may be approved on a case by case basis.
Are you working in a private business right now?
If you are working full time in a private company, which many are, then it depends on your employment contract terms with the current employer you are with. There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to this, and it is almost entirely a private matter between you and the company.
Work permit or work pass holders or S pass holder usually cannot, but a permanent resident is usually allowed as long as there is no conflict of interest between the two businesses or career options. Conflicts may occur if you try moonlighting in the same industry.
Difference between a PR and pass holder
The biggest difference between those people are permanent residents and those who are holding any kind of employment pass is that the former can still stay in the country indefinitely regardless whether they still hold their job, can switch jobs readily and can also work at more than one job subject to the above disclaimer. However, the latter is almost exclusively barred from taking on any work other than the one that their pass allows them to.
Therefore, many employees have concerns when it comes to money, and wanting to know if a permanent resident can work 2 jobs is a highly justified question. Rest assured, unless your contract specifically prevents you from doing so, or for example you are an employee at a government related organization, you definitely can work 2 jobs.
Singapore remains one of the most popular places in the world as a place for young immigrant families to move to, and hence many of them also use our Singapore PR application services. Here are the reasons why that is the case.
First of all, one of the biggest concerns about young couples and families is the safety of their family. Everyone wants stability in their living environment and surroundings to raise their children up. No one wants to raise their kids in a war zone or in a country full of dangerous and serious crime. Singapore is one of the safest countries to live in the world, and therefore, naturally is a great choice for those who are able to migrate and live here permanently to do so by applying for PR.
Second of all, young couples have children whom are still in the studying or schooling phase. For these parents, sending their kids to good schools is a big priority. The local public schools are unlike that of many other countries around the globe, and in fact the top public schools in Singapore like Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong Institution have produced some of the top students in the world. Where else in the world can you find such great educational institutions at public school rates? Probably only Singapore! Of course, entering those schools is also dependent on your child’s own academic abilities.
Third of all, many young couples aim to also bring their aged parents along with them when they immigrate to a different country – so that they can take care of them, or at least make sure they are well. SG has some of the best medical personnel and technologies available in the world, and in fact, just like the USA, many people come to the country for advanced medical treatments.
It is no wonder that with all of the above benefits that young couples will be able to enjoy if they immigrate to our country that most of them secure these benefits for their families forever by becoming a permanent resident here too!
Ever since around the late 2000s, it has become drastically harder for people trying to get their Singapore permanent residency application approved. The trend since the late 2000s has been that Singapore has become more popular than ever before among immigrants, while the reduced supply of new PR visas given out per year has remained low. This continually increasing demand with a low stagnant supply for visa has meant that the government authority in charge of this has become much stricter yearly with their work.
So what does this all mean? Does it mean that you need to have exceptional results in one or two areas such as earning a ridiculously high income to stand a chance of approval? Or does it mean that you need to have lived in our country for decades before trying? Actually, the answer is not that. The answer is that your submission and your personal profile must be very thorough. Being thorough is the key here.
The type of people who get their submissions cleared much easier than those are those whom are able to tick off all of the factors that ICA looks at while processing.
In the past, because of only slightly lower supply of new visas granted than demand for them, the relevant authorities looked at key criteria such as income and length of previous stay in SG to ascertain and quickly shortlist potential successful candidates. However, as this supply and demand become lopsided, and that way more people want to migrate here than there are new PR able to be given out, profiles are scrutinized much more closely. Additionally, with more pressure on the authorities to be stricter on the vetting by the local citizens and voters so that only the best candidates and those who can assimilate well to our culture will be approved, the approach to approvals has become much more holistic.
No longer is it about excelling in one or two factors, and getting away with it. That used to work in the past, but that is no longer the case! The real secret to being successful with your application is to be really thorough. A quick hint for you is to look at what ICA is already publicly asking you for within the form. The secret is hidden in plain sight. If you read something within and think it could be a trivial factor only, think again. Every thing must be taken care of.
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!
Everyone knows that Singapore has one of the best educational systems in the world. That is one of the biggest reasons why many expat adults here want to send their kids to study here. However, can children of a person who wants to apply to become a permanent resident send their kids to local schools here too?
The quick answer is yes.
One of the biggest difference between that over here versus other countries is that virtually all of the top schools in Singapore are actually considered public schools of sorts. They therefore happen to come with significantly lower rates opposed to private schools in other countries. In most other countries, the top schools are usually that of boarding schools or private institutions, certainly not public ones.
However, there are some differences that you have to note when it comes to citizenship status differences.
Keep in mind that we are talking about the mainstream schools here, and not talking about private or international boarding schools.
Priority for entry is different
When it comes to primary schools, which is the equivalent of elementary school year 1 to 6, balloting is sometimes required if demand is higher that year opposed to available vacancies. Priority is first provided to Singaporean citizens, followed by Singapore PR, followed by international students.
However, when it comes to secondary schools or Junior Colleges, that is different. It will be dependent on the child’s academic success and abilities already, and not so much about citizenship status at all.
Rates are different
However, the rates that a PR pays is different from that of citizens, and also different from that of international (or rather – foreign) students. As you can tell from the table below, the fees increase yearly, but that is a trend that is occurring across all demographics.
However, as a PR, the fees would be significantly cheaper than foreigners studying in SG. For instance, when you see the table below, the rate difference in 2020 for secondary school fees is that of approximately $1000 per month! While no one in their right mind would become a resident purely for the savings in the fees, it is definitely a good benefit if you are already planning to do so anyway, and the priority provided for their children when enrolling in local institutions in Singapore is also a great advantage!
Although the rates that you will need to be paying for your children will still be more than that of a full, naturalized or existing citizen, it is already considered really affordable. In fact, for the quality of the education, it is extremely worth it!
One of the pains people who are planning to immigrate to another country constantly have is the battle between the serenity and nature of the countryside and the convenience of living in a city. Thankfully, Singapore is both a thriving blend of both city and nature lifestyle altogether! This is one of the reasons why many people want to apply for PR in Singapore. Immigrants to Singapore need not pick either or with us, and can enjoy both.
It is true that certain parts of our country is extremely urbanized, and look something straight out of a science fiction movie. That is mainly the Central Business District regions such as Tanjong Pagar and Raffles Place. If you like the sheer convenience of living right smack in a large city (after all, we are like a large city state), you will feel right at home in almost every part of our country.
For those permanent residents who love the greenery, they tend to prefer living in places like Holland Village and Bukit Timah. With lots of greenery, nature parks and more nearby such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Botanic Gardens, these residential places in SG are amazing for new Singapore PR who loves the nature. Living in those places, you may even forget you are in a city-state because you are so secluded in and surrounded by nature! Some who prefer luxury but with sea views as well can opt for Sentosa Cove. We had talked about popular neighbourhoods permanent residents like to live at in a previous post already, so we would refer you to that post here.
But the true beauty that Singapore provides which almost no other country in the world can is that all of the above mentioned places are all within just a 10 to 20 minutes drive away from each other. This means that urbanites who want some peace and nature living can either purchase a second home nearby, or simply drive to these nature conservation areas. On the other hand, those who prefer quieter and landed residential enclaves like Nassim or more, can still have the convenience of city living just a few minutes drive away! With Singapore, there is no need for choosing one over the other – you simply get both nature and city living. If you like malls, Singapore has no lack of shopping malls.
A lot of rich people like to apply for permanent residency in SG. This is because it offers lots of advantages to wealthy people. If you have money, and would like to significantly reduce your tax bills legally, read the following.
If you are classified under a Singapore resident for tax purposes, then you will be able to enjoy from the following benefits. But what can make you qualify under this classification? If you are either one of the following, you will be categorized under it.
A Singaporean citizen
A permanent resident
A foreigner who works locally for a period exceeding 183 days on an aggregate in the year in which relevant chargeable income was received
Since many rich people are either self employed, run businesses or manage their personal financial portfolio, most of their income usually come from capital gains or dividend income or something along these lines. As a result of that, they absolutely love becoming a Singapore PR because of the following reasons.
No capital gains tax
Many rich people deal or invest heavily with real estate or stocks or funds. However, selling them for a capital gain is either met with a huge cut to the government or one needs to roll the profits over into another immediate asset purchase. There is no need for either of that in Singapore. This is because there are no taxes on capital gains here. Do you begin to see why rich people love SG now? That is one of the many reasons why many wealthy foreigners invest through the GIP Singapore program to become a local resident here to benefit from this and more.
No dividend income tax
Many rich people get majority of their income from their fund portfolio or real estate rental income in the form of dividends. Few rich people work a job in the typical sense like the working class. However, there is absolutely no taxes on dividend income in Singapore! This is absolutely great news for those who want more in their own pocket! In fact, you get to keep 100% of it here!
No inheritance tax or estate duty
One of the biggest concerns about wealthy people is the passing down of wealth to their future generations. In certain countries, inheritance tax is very hefty, and most people dislike it because one’s descendants still have to pay taxes to the government after one’s parent or parents just died. However, and thankfully, this has been abolished in Singapore since 2008.
With no estate duty in SG, your legacy will be fully preserved for your future generations to come.
One of the most popular hangout locations for nightlife in SG for expats, Clarke Quay has lots of bars and an absolutely thriving expat community around this area. With lots of Western bars and eateries as well as it being already a popular spot with new immigrants since over a decade ago, this effect has only snowballed in recent years! Till date, it is a very popular locations for new migrants to Singapore city. Clarke Quay is an exceptionally popular place for single PR to mingle around.
Orchard Road
One of the most famous places in Singapore for people to hang out in would have to be Orchard Road, and that is no different for newly minted permanent residents. With world famous stores, eateries and shopping experience all along one street, Orchard Road is a hot spot for expats to meet their friends and family at for leisure. Also, since many of the stores along Orchard Road are found internationally as well, many new PR are very familiar with these food and shopping outlets and feel right at home there.
With giant shopping malls in Orchard like Ngee Ann City and Wisma Atria, as well as relatively newer malls such as 313 Somerset and Orchard Central, the entire shopping district in Orchard is extremely popular among expats and new immigrants to Singapore.
Heartland malls in places like Tampines, Hougang, Jurong, Bishan etc
For the locals who already have kids and an entire family here, heartland malls are popular for them. This is because the entertainment, food and shopping outlets at heartland malls are often more geared and targeted towards children and teenagers, hence these expat parents prefer bringing their kids to hang out at such locations instead as they are more family friendly.
Some of the most popular heartlands malls in Singapore are that of Waterway Point in Punggol and Serangoon Nex.
It is hence no surprise also that the demographics of these new migrants to Singapore affect not only the places they like to hangout at, but also the neighbourhoods that new migrants like to stay at.
