Longer wait, harder to get PR or citizenship

CheckmateA1 SG

Fewer Permanent Resident and Citizenship applications went through in the past year due to more stringent requirements.

Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Law, Ho Peng Kee, said eligibility rules were tightened in the last quarter of 2009 to manage overall numbers.

Some 46,300 Permanent Residents were approved between April last year to March this year, out of 124,600 applications. Another 19,300 Singapore Citizenships went through, out of 24,000 applications.

“Fewer PR & Citizenship applications approved in past year” (Channel NewsAsia, May 18)

To the best of my knowledge, I believe this is the first time ever that statistics on new permanent residents (PR) and new citizens are being disclosed from April to March, instead of on a calendar year basis.

The number of new PRs for 2008 and 2009 was about 80,000 and 60,000 respectively.

The figures for new citizens for the same periods were about 20,000 for each year.

I believe this is the first time ever, success rate of applications is being disclosed.

In order to get a more complete picture on the statistics, what we need to know the following:

There have also been media reports about the criteria for dependants being tightened, even to the extent that the category for elderly foreign dependants being discontinued.

In this regard, it is impossible to comprehend the fuller picture without statistics on PRs and new citizens who have left Singapore. Why? Because if less are leaving, then the absolute total increase to the resident population may actually be more significant. The very important statistic on the number of foreigners being given passes of up to one year to stay in Singapore to look for a job, was glaringly missed.

Also missing were the statistics on foreign students studying in Singapore, as well as foreign students studying overseas. How many were allowed to work in Singapore under the internship schemes, which are exempted from the Minister of Manpower’s (MOM) work pass and foreign worker quota requirements?

Without the above statistics, it is rather difficult to have a complete picture of non Singapore-born demographics and employment in Singapore. Since the number of new citizens has remained about the same, at about 20,000, for all the three 12-month periods in question, were the requirements really more stringent?

With regards to “eligibility rules were tightened in the last quarter of 2009 to manage overall numbers”, since Singapore was going through one of its worst recession from September 2008 to around September 2009, it begs being asked “why did it take so long (the last quarter) to tighten criteria?”

According to Channel NewsAsia, Associate Professor Ho also said:

“There would be applicants who may not meet our new criteria and who no longer qualify for PR or citizenship.

“Others, even though they meet the new criteria, may take a longer time before they are granted PR, or citizenship, as the residency requirements have been stretched out in the new framework.”

Those who do not yet qualify can apply for Long Term Visit Passes to remain in Singapore.

In the same period, authorities received over 70,300 applications for Long Term Visit Passes. About 80 per cent of them or 56,300 were approved.”

In this regard, we also need to know the number of Long Term Visit Passes applied and approved in 2008 and 2009, for without it, it may be impossible to determine if the Long Term Visit Pass holders made up for (or surpassed) the lesser PR applicants accepted. Instead of just saying that the criteria has been tightened, it may also be helpful to disclose what the criteria is now, compared to less stringent criteria of the past.

Another report on the same topic by Today highlights why disclosure and transparency of criteria are important. The Today article, “Longer wait, harder to get PR or citizenship” (Today, May 19), says:

As for foreign spouses of Singaporeans, the ICA processed an annual average of 15,400 long term visit passes and 9,900 PR applications from them between 2005 and 2009. Of these, 2,200 and 4,500 respectively were successful”.

What this means is that the success rate of applications (for foreign spouses of Singaporeans) was only about 14 and 45 per cent for long term visit passes and PRs, respectively.

Which means that on the average about a whopping 66,000 (15,400 applcations minus 2,200 approvals times 5 years) Singaporeans who married foreign spouses were denied permission for their spouses to stay in Singapore under long term visit passes, and about another 27,000 (9,900 applications minus 4,500 approvals times 5 years) were denied permanent residency, over the last five years.

Can you imagine the tremendous emotional and financial stress that these 93,000 (66,000 plus 27,000) Singaporeans must be facing with their spouses and possibly children being denied the right to live in Singapore? Now that the economy is recovering, quarterly statistics are more needed than not ad-hoc ones. Giving statistics on a piecemeal basis makes it almost impossible for stakeholders and third parties to do any independent analysis or draw conclusions.

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By Leong Sze Hian

The Today newspaper article headlined “Longer wait, harder to get PR or citizenship”(Today, 19 May) was amended on 19 May at 1615hrs.

The second last paragraph of the story originally stated:

“As for foreign spouses of Singaporeans, the ICA processed an annual average of 15,400 long term visit passes and 9,900 PR applications from them between 2005 and 2009. Of these, 2,200 and 4,500 respectively were successful” (my emphasis).

The second sentence was changed to: “Of these, 2,200 and 4,500 respectively were unsuccessful” (my emphasis).

In view of this correction, I would like to amend my original article on this issue, headlined “Impossible to determine if fewer foreigners were accepted” (The Online Citizen, 19 May).

With regards to Today’s original uncorrected story, I had said:

“What this means is that the success rate of applications (for foreign spouses of Singaporeans) was only about 14 and 45 per cent for long term visit passes and PRs, respectively.

“Which means that on the average about a whopping 66,000 (15,400 applications minus 2,200 approvals times 5 years) Singaporeans who married foreign spouses were denied permission for their spouses to stay in Singapore under long term visit passes, and about another 27,000 (9,900 applications minus 4,500 approvals times 5 years) were denied permanent residency, over the last five years.

“Can you imagine the tremendous emotional and financial stress that these 93,000 (66,000 plus 27,000) Singaporeans must be facing with their spouses and possibly children being denied the right to live in Singapore?”

Now that the corrected version has been published, I would like to revise my comments on the matter. The following are my views on the corrected data.

The numbers indicate that the success rate of applications (for foreign spouses of Singaporeans) for long-term visit passes and permanent residency was about 86 and 55 per cent respectively.

This means that in the last five years about 11,000 (2,200 unsuccessful applications times five) Singaporeans who married foreign spouses were denied permission for their spouses to stay here under long-term visit passes, while about 22,500 (4,500 unsuccessful applications times five) were unsuccessful in their application for permanent residency for their spouse.

Can you imagine the tremendous emotional and financial stress that these 33,500 Singaporeans may well be facing, with their spouses and possibly children being denied the right to live in Singapore?

Since the requirements for granting foreign spouses’ long-term visit pass or permanent residency is not known, on what basis should a Singaporean decide whether or not to apply for either a visit pass or PR for his or her foreign spouse?

The Today newspaper quoted Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, as saying that the key consideration in deciding whether to grant a foreign spouse permanent residency is the ability of the Singaporean to support the foreign spouse financially.

What exactly is the income or asset requirement that applicants need to be met? Providing more information on the criteria would facilitate Singaporeans, especially those with lower incomes, in making informed decisions on whether they can afford to pursue relationships and marriage with foreigners.

The 66,000 (13,200 times five) Singaporeans whose spouses were given long-term visit passes in the last five years may also face higher medical costs. This is because their foreign spouses are not eligible for any medical subsidies.

To illustrate, Singaporeans hospitalised in a C class ward receive an 80 per cent subsidy, while PRs receive 70 per cent (to be reduced to 60 per cent by July 2011). Foreigners receive no subsidy. This means that a Singaporean with a foreign spouse on a long-term visit pass may have to pay up to 3.33 times (100 divided by 30 per cent) more than a Singaporean whose spouse is a PR.

Furthermore, these figures may not be fully instructive on the unfortunate situation some Singaporeans with foreign spouses face. There may be an overlap in the two sets of numbers for visit pass and PR applicants. It would also be worth finding out how many foreign spouses on long-term visit passes eventually receive permanent residency, and how long the average waiting time for the completion of this process is.

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By Leong Sze Hian