The Landed Permanent Resident (LPR) scheme lets you to apply for Singapore permanent residence even if you reside outside the country. While most Singapore permanent residents have qualified through the Employment Pass system, there are other ways of securing PR status if you meet the requirements. The LPR scheme is one of them. According to consultancy figures, an average of 36,000 people become Singapore permanent residents every year, allowing them to enjoy almost all of the benefits of a full citizen such as visa-free residency, priority schooling and the ability to change jobs at will. The landed permanent resident scheme offers the same end result but, the application process is slightly more complex than if you were an EP holder. As an LPR applicant you essentially have no physical link to Singapore, unlike an Employment Pass holder who would have already settled down in the country prior to making any PR application.
Should You Apply For LPR?
The LPR scheme is open to anyone of 45 years old or younger who has high-caliber professional or tertiary qualifications. The application filing fees under the LPR scheme will typically start from S$1500 therefore you should evaluate your chances of approval before deciding to proceed forward. The programme is designed to entice experienced and qualified foreigners who desire permanent residence in Singapore but have yet to look for employment in the island-state. As part of evaluating your LPR application, Singapore authorities are likely to want to make sure that your skills are unique and and that you won't have any problem keeping a high-paying job in both good and bad economic times. The last thing they want is for you to compete for regular jobs with local Singaporeans or become a liability on Singapore (i.e. unemployed). In other words, you must be cream of the crop in order to qualify. The following factors are a good rule of thumb when deciding whether or not to file an application for Singapore landed permanent residence:
- Your profession is in demand and will stay in demand for the foreseeable future, especially in the context of employment in Singapore
- If you are still pursuing your degree or have just completed your higher education, your university is in the top 100 universities of the world
- If you are a working professional, you have high-caliber professional experience (e.g. you are in the top 10% of workforce) at one or more of well-known MNCs
If you meet the above criteria, you have a good chance of approval. Hong Kong residents wanting Singapore permanent residence are offered a special landed permanent residence scheme called LPR for Hong Kong Residents.
How To Apply For LPR
Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) has a Permanent Resident Services Centre in its Kallang headquarters to handle applications through the Professionals, Technical Personnel & Skilled Workers Scheme (PTS) scheme for Employment Pass holders. However, if you want Singapore PR through the landed permanent residence scheme, you must deal with SMC Management Consultants, a Singapore-based agency appointed by ICA to accept applications on its behalf. SMC’s main office is in StarHub Centre in Singapore with branch offices in Jakarta, Indonesia and in Hong Kong. You can collect application forms from any one of these offices, or visit their websites and complete online forms. You can also look for Singapore Overseas Missions in other countries to obtain more information. A list of missions can be found on the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website. SMC charges a non-refundable fee of about S$1,500.00 for each application.
Documents Required For LPR Application
As with all applications, you need to submit relevant documents, along with the completed landed permanent application form. You will need the front and back of your identity card, passport pages containing pertinent information, birth certificate, education and professional certificates, grade transcripts, employment letters and testimonials, six months of salary slips, three years of income tax returns and marriage certificate, if applicable. Of course, if you are still studying, you won't have things such as salary slips, employment reference letters, etc. but that's understood. If you are applying for LPR along with your spouse and children, they must produce the same documents. Separated, divorced and widowed applicants should also furnish the required certificates. You may be asked for additional documents depending on your nationality. It is worth noting that if any of your documents are not in English, you will have to translate all documents into English using a registered translator only. These must then be photocopied and certified by a Singapore Mission or Notary Public.
Upon Approval of LPR Application
Each application for Singapore landed permanent residence is assessed on a case by case basis and if you have fulfilled all the requirements, you should receive a positive reply within three months. However, a successful LPR application does not mean you are automatically a Singapore permanent resident. You would have only received Approval In Principle (AIP) with still some more work ahead of you. Once you are granted AIP, you have one year to find work and relocate to Singapore. If jobs are hard to come by, all may not be lost. According to some sources, if you can show rental of a Singapore property for 12 months under your name and/or proof that your children are studying in Singapore schools, you can change your status to a Singapore permanent resident. Initially, PR status is granted for five years. Only at the end of this phase can you be confirmed as a fully fledged Singapore permanent resident, with one final provision – that you have lived in Singapore continuously, without moving elsewhere, for the last three years of your conditional five-year period.
LPR - The Right Scheme For Right People
The LPR scheme is useful for those that have high-caliber educational or working credentials and would like to settle in Singapore on a long-term basis. Having an PR AIP status is helpful to employers, who are spared the hassles and costs of applying for an Employment Pass on your behalf while safe in the knowledge that you will be able to start the job immediately. The risk of applying for Singapore permanent residence through the LPR scheme is the application filing fee. Because landed permanent resident status is granted only to exceptional applicants, you should have a strong career or educational background, otherwise your money and time is lost. If you succeed, though, you are free to enjoy many of the rights and benefits afforded to full Singapore citizens. The LPR route may be a little more complex and pricey but the rewards make it meaningful for the right people.
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