Singapore Permanent Resident & Immigration

Details on Immigration to Singapore and how to make it easy?

If you have planned to immigrate to Singapore and you are on the right page. You can gather any kind of information related to the Singapore immigration such as Dependent Pass, Visa, Permanent Residence Application, Work Permit, National Service eligibility and Employment Pass as well as things that can be brought to Singapore.

Major criterions to concentrate while immigration

There are a few criteria that you must concentrate on while planning to immigrate to Singapore. These criteria are explained in detail below:

• Services of Immigration in Singapore
• The permitted things to be brought into Singapore
• Foreign Domestic Workers
• Social Visit Pass
  • Student Pass
• Availing NS (National Service)
• Availing PR (Permanent Residence)
• Requirement of Visa

Things to be taken while immigrating to Singapore

You can bring unlimited cash to Singapore and if you are arriving from any country other than Malaysia provided you are 18 years old or above, then you can avail the below-given products for personal consumption in duty-free concessions.

• 1 liter of any kinds of Spirits
• 1 liter of any kinds of wine or port brands
• 1 liter of any kind of beer, stout or ale

Singapore’s government has made a campaign to eradicate smoking and hence there is no concession for tobacco products such as cigarettes. Some of the dutiable things include

• Clothing accessories
• Garments
• Imitation jewelry
• Biscuits
• Pastries
• Cakes
• Leather bags
• Wallets
• Chocolate
• Sugar confectionery

The above-mentioned items can be bought in a limited quantity for personal consumption and if you wish you can also leave the excess items in Customs Bond till you depart. The service is applicable only after paying storage costs.

Relocation to Singapore

You must know everything about the Customs regulations for different kinds of goods and also what to do about it when you have already started to plan to relocate to Singapore. If a person gets to change his/her residence to Singapore from abroad then he/she might be granted free GST (Goods and Services Tax). This is applicable for household things and also personal items but does not include any kind of motor vehicle, liquors as well as any form of tobacco products. You must make sure that you carry the landing bill or airway bill as well as packed possessions list of detailed descriptions while packing your household or personal goods. You must require this information for preparing the Customs and Import Declaration.

Restricted items for bringing into Singapore

Singapore prohibits the bringing of some things like any other countries such as

• Taking away the Endangered species of wildlife and their by-products
• Entering with Cigarette lighters of revolver or pistol shape
• Bringing obscene articles and publications
• Duplicate or Prints of copyright publications, VCD, DVD or software
• Firecrackers or explosives
• Bringing the toy currency notes and toy coins
• Carrying the psychotropic substances and also Controlled drugs
• Materials that are treasonable and seditious

If you carry any of the above-mentioned articles, then the entry would be allowed by relevant authorities after you produce the necessary import permit or gain legal authorizations. If you are under any kind of medication such as stimulants, depressants, sleeping pills, etc., then you need to get it through the prescription that is authorized by Singapore law and they must verify it and certify that it is used only for the physical well-being of the travel while traveling.

Bringing domestic workers from foreign into Singapore

You must mandatorily apply to bring any of the domestic workers from foreign to the department of Work Permit in Manpower ministry of the Singapore government. There are two methods to bring the domestic worker from foreign to Singapore and that includes

• Bring them on your application
• Bring them through a maid agency sector

There are a few important points to be carried out when you bring foreign domestic workers and it is explained in detail

• The domestic worker whom you have hired should not be in Singapore when you apply for a work permit. It is not possible to apply for a work permit for a foreigner who holds the social visit pass of Singapore.
• A foreign domestic worker should have a security deposit of S$5,000 in the form of an insurance guarantee or from a banker along with the approval letter of the work permit department from MOM.
• The foreign domestic worker’s age eligibility should be between 18 years and 50 years at the time of submitting the work permit application.
• The foreign domestic workers must obtain a certificate of fitness for employment by a registered doctor of Singapore within 14 days of arrival. After that, the individual should undergo a medical screening test for HIV, VDRL, and pregnancy once in six months. In the case of failing to undergo medical examinations, the worker would be repatriated without any kind of exceptions.
• If you have provided a valid foreign domestic worker’s passport, then the validity period for the work permit is two years. If the worker is also certified as medically fit for employment and has not denied any work permit condition, then the worker can work until 60 years of age in Singapore.
• The employer should buy the accident insurance of domestic workers with a minimum amount of S$10,000 which can benefit them or their kin and it also covers up the hospital expenses.
• The employer must pay S$345 as a monthly levy to the government of Singapore through GIRO deduction. The employers need not contribute to the CPF (Central Provident Fund) for the domestic workers.
• The employer must set an agreement of terms and conditions with the foreign domestic workers in the form of a written contract mentioning wage, roles & responsibilities, duties, rest days and other employment terms and conditions. The employer should start a new bank account for crediting the wage of the domestic workers.

Availing the social visit pass

If you have planned to avail of the social visit pass, then you must be knowing about eligibility and procedures. Both categories are explained in detail below

Eligibility

• Foreigners visiting for the social visit purpose of Singapore
• Foreigners visiting to attend the small business negotiations
• Foreigners visiting for business discussion and requires a longer stay

Procedure to be followed for a social visit stay

You can simply fill and submit the online application for a short extension of stay at the ICA website provided you need to fulfill the upcoming conditions.

• You must be a national of a specific country mentioned in the ICA official portal.
• You should not apply the extension of the stay on the trip for the second time.
• The limit of your extended staying period would be 2 weeks from the present social visit pass.
• At the time of extending, your social visit pass must not have any validity period of 3 days and more which excludes Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
• You could not return to Singapore within 3 days of departing date of the present trip

Types of Application eligible for the extension stay period

There are different types of applications for different categories and purpose of visit such as,

• Business Visitor
• Short Visit Social Visitor
• Medical Treatment individuals
• Employment Seeking Social Visitor at Singapore
• Entrepreneur Scheme
• Technopreneur Scheme
• Social Visitor of individuals holding a student pass and studying in Singapore
• A social visitor trying to deliver a child in Singapore
• A visiting spouse who is SC (Singapore Citizen) or SPR (Singapore Permanent Resident)
• A visiting child (age must be under 21 years) of parents who is SC (Singapore Citizen) or SPR (Singapore Permanent Resident)
• A visiting parent of children who are above 21 years old and also SC (Singapore Citizen) or SPR (Singapore Permanent Resident)

The requirements of VISA to enter Singapore

Once you enter Singapore, it is mandatory to go through Singapore immigration clearance. The social visit passes are granted at the point of entry to the visitors by the ICA officers (Immigration and checkpoint authority). The individuals coming for visiting purpose should satisfy the following requirements to enter into Singapore such as,

• In case of applicable, you must carry a valid Singapore visa
• A validity period of at least 6 months of passport
• Adequate fund for the proposed staying period in Singapore
• Confirmation of return tickets, if applicable
• Entry facility for the planned destination
• The attachment of arrival endorsement of the period of stay granted by the Singapore government.
• Not all individuals with social visit pass can involve in profession, occupation, business or paid employment in Singapore.