Keep your SG Citizenship?

Agenda SG

For males, those who are currently out of Singapore, are you still a Singaporean or have your renouced it and claimed another citizenship?

Without renouncing, what about your liable taxes as well as reservist?

Gattlinggun80 SG

to hell with it all....................

Meia Gisborn SG

For males, those who are currently out of Singapore, are you still a Singaporean or have your renouced it and claimed another citizenship?

Without renouncing, what about your liable taxes as well as reservist?

I got my "green card" in '93 and decided to submit to the naturalization process in July of '07, which culminated in my becoming a US citizen in February of '08.

Yes, I shall admit that I have been too lazy to initiate the SG citizenship renunciation process. I still have my SG passport, and I hear they fetch a princely sum on the black market.

As I was out of the country continuously right after the completion of my NS, I was never called back for reservist duty. However, I had to renew my Exit Permit annually, which was a real hassle up until the expiration of my reservist obligations.

No SG tax liabilities here--why in blazes would I want to pay taxes to the SG gabrament on incomed earned in the US???

Meia Gisborn SG

to hell with it all....................

jetta SG

For males, those who are currently out of Singapore, are you still a Singaporean or have your renouced it and claimed another citizenship?

Without renouncing, what about your liable taxes as well as reservist?

Sounds like you're thinking of doing the deed....

Fortmax777 SG

I got my "green card" in '93 and decided to submit to the naturalization process in July of '07, which culminated in my becoming a US citizen in February of '08.

Yes, I shall admit that I have been too lazy to initiate the SG citizenship renunciation process. I still have my SG passport, and I hear they fetch a princely sum on the black market.

No SG tax liabilities here--why in blazes would I want to pay taxes to the SG gabrament on incomed earned in the US???

Yes, I totally agree. Renewing EP every year is simply annoying.

How many years have you been doing this? Have they ever asked you to show documentary proof of PR status/ employment etc. I know a few guys who renewed for a couple of years then MINDEF started requesting for documentary proof.

Not that they do not have the proof, it just increases the hassle.

Meia Gisborn SG

Yes, I totally agree. Renewing EP every year is simply annoying.

Not that they do not have the proof, it just increases the hassle.

I had been doing that since '89, when I came stateside to study. After I started working here, I had to furnish documentary proof of my employment status with every annual EP renewal. Even after I had informed the SAF of my PR status and requested 3-year validity periods on my EPs, they still issued them with annual expirations.

I can't remember the exact time frame, but I actually went without renewing my EP for a couple of years because I outright forgot. I did not travel to Singapore during these two years and, surprisingly, the SAF did not send any renewal reminders either to me or my parents in Singapore. When I finally did renew it, they did not give me any trouble.

Gattlinggun80 SG

meia....didja try flyin back to spore??were ya handcuffed at changi airport as a rude surprise?

Meia Gisborn SG

meia....didja try flyin back to spore??were ya handcuffed at changi airport as a rude surprise?

Nope. The SAF (surprisingly) did not give me grief when I finally got round to renewing the EP after letting it lapse for two years, and on my subsequent trip back to SG, no questions were asked at the airport.

Perhaps I just got lucky?

Agenda SG

I'm comtemplating whether it would be plausible for me to leave Singapore after completing my Uni for Japan to work and possibly coming back to Singapore for the festive seasons and such.

lostintransition SG

can i check with you folks....my spouse is a SPR. if subsequently, he's gotten his green card...can he still maintain his SPR status? if both of us were to give up our singapore citizenship (for me) & SPR (for him)....can we still maintain property and other investments in singapore? will they make us withdraw our CPF monies too?

Meia Gisborn SG

Take a look at the USCIS website here about "green card" application requirements and procedures.

There is no requirement by the USCIS for green card applicants to relinquish their existing residency/citizenship statuses. Your spouse should still be able to maintain his SPR status after he gets his green card, and I doubt he's under any obligation to inform the SG government about the green card.

Don't know if you can maintain property and other investments in SG if you're no longer citizens or PRs of that country--perhaps someone else can chime in.

You can withdraw your CPF monies if you renounce your SG citizenship, but I doubt the CPF board will be constantly hounding and reminding you to do so.

lostintransition SG

thanks MG. that's great news actually...my spouse thought he'd have to give up his SPR if he were to obtain the green card. in any case...i think it's prob easier to get back his SPR if he wants to than to obtain the green card....yes?

keeptouch SG

Who here got overseas lobang?

Me want to emigrate

jetta SG

You can hang on to both, you know.

lostintransition SG

i didn't know that until MG mentioned. all along....i thot if get green card means must give up SPR. it's very good news indeed

spencer99 SG

Hi,

I am a green card holder since 2007. Is there a way to hold on to the Singaporean citizenship and get the US citizenship?

Meia Gisborn SG

Hi,

I am a green card holder since 2007. Is there a way to hold on to the Singaporean citizenship and get the US citizenship?

The Singapore gabrament does not need to know about your having acquired US citizenship, and the USCIS does not inform them of your new status.

And in case you're wondering, the US implicitly recognizes dual-citizenship as it does not require renunciation of your previous one as a prerequisite for naturalization, despite what the Oath of Allegiance that you take at your naturalization ceremony says.

lostintransition SG

but for singapore...they do not allow for dual citizenship? if we just don't ask, don't tell.....will we get into trouble with the SG gahmen if they find out?

Meia Gisborn SG

but for singapore...they do not allow for dual citizenship? if we just don't ask, don't tell.....will we get into trouble with the SG gahmen if they find out?

The Singapore gabrament currently does not allow dual citizenship, but I have read and heard of rumours that they might allow it sometime in the near future to slow the outflow of emigrating Singaporeans.

If you keep your Singapore issued documents (passport, IC, exit permit, etc.) current, I seriously doubt the Singapore government would know or care about your acquisition of US citizenship. You would, of course, have to use your US passport for travel to Singapore as you would no longer have your green card for re-entry into the US as a PR, and I don't think having "Singapore" listed as your country of birth on your US passport would raise any red flags or subject you to additional scrutiny.

If the Singapore gabrament is alerted to your dual-citizenship by your doing something silly (like using your US passport to leave the US and then, inadvertently or otherwise, handing your Singapore passport to the immigration officer upon arrival at Changi Airport), you can always claim that you're making the trip there to renounce your Singapore citizenship.