New Born Baby: To be a Singaporean or NOT

justcooler SG

Hi all,

I seek your valuable advises from fellow formers on my situation.

Present
My wife and I is on Australia, I was here to pursue a higher degree (completing end 200 Cool and she is working. We will be having a baby this April 2007.

Situation developing
After the birth of my baby we wanted to bring the baby back to Singapore (within 6 weeks) as both of us is not financially capable (placing the baby in daycare and my wife need to work). We intend to leave our baby in the care of my mother in law for 2 years, before bring him back to Aus in 08/09.

Action 1: Let the baby be Aussie
Now baby born in Aus can be Aussie, but if we bring the baby back to Singapore with Australia passport, he will need to leave SG every 4months over the 2 year duration. However, this action I believe will not complicate the NS matter that the baby is going to face in 18 years time. (as I intend to stay in Aus to work). Furthermore, he can enter Singapore without any trouble in the future.

Action 2: Let the baby be Singaporean
Let the baby become Singaporean. Solve the short term problem, but in longer term it is a much bigger problem. If I intended to stay in Aus. The baby will eventually come back here, and with Australia up-bringing I doubt he will want to serve NS. Even if he is willing to serve NS, he will have a hard time.. If he is not going to serve NS then he is consider as a defaulter, and will not be able to enter Singapore in the future.

So what can I do ??

Inzaghi SG

let the baby b a singaporean....tat's wat some of my frens did..den make the baby a OZ PR, best of both world...

of cos u cant win everything..still gotta give n take...18yrs later u dunno wat will happen also..

Coquitlam SG

I'd have to go with making my children citizens of my new adopted country....

Later on when they are older and going out to work, they can then come back to Sillypore and be part of the foreign talent army...Best of both worlds....no need to do NS and get stuck in all the local politics for 3 million people...better to be part of the 1 million people..

hisoka SG

i would suggest if its a male then give aussie citizen, it isn’t hard to visit sg for australians. but not sure if the 2 years stay with mil will be a problem

shinta SG

i heard the budget airlines just came out with routes to AU..

so i guess this shouldn be a problem?

just fly a bit more often to n fro =X

Coquitlam SG

Remember what MM said over the weekend....

there will be more and more foreigners.....(this is unavoidable)

and if we are not careful there will be a situation where the foreign talents will take the top jobs and leave the middle to low level jobs for Sillyporeans to fight it out.

Granted there are foreign talents in OZ and Canada, but their landmass, socio-economic infrastructure can support the growth....So just consider this when you decide where you want your children to be....I'd rather have my children come back here as FTs

Sillypore wants to support a population of 6-7 million??????

Thank God I migrated a few years back...

BE afraid, Be very afraid.......

Mid9Sun SG

Aussie for sure…...

gerrykoh SG

I agree. Since both of u intend to stay in Australia, better the kid takes Australia citizenship. You should persuade your mother or mother-in-law to come over & help u look after the kid.
It is not advisable to leave him/her in S'pore cos the early years u need to bond with the kid

honeymouse SG

Would you consider Option 3?
Option 3: Get your parents and your in-law to take turn to come and look after the baby.

While I understand your financial situation you're in, I personally think it's rather cruel to separate the child from the parents. It's not going to be healthy (psychologically) as the bonding with the parents is very important for a child especially the first 2 years.

I am pretty sure you can work something out if you want to let your kid to stay here. It might be tough but do it for sake of your child especially when you choose to bring him/her to the world.

Which part of Oz are you in?

Deportivo SG

the choice is really a "non-choice". Aussie is the way to go.

Xtrider SG

can take dual now rite? only he must renouce one when he reaches 21…so will help u decide better in the future….

SevenEleven SG

i presume you have confirmed the baby to be a boy. I think that only after a certain age that you will need a bond to send our child overseas. Let the child be a Singaporean. this will solve your short/mid term need. When you become a PR in Aus, then decide. I believe it is easy for him to apply then.

pinkish purple papayas SG

Are u gonna stay in auzzie long term?

then please please please let ur poor child be an auzzie too.
I presumed that ur child is gonna be a boy. In my NS days, i had 2 examples,

- a guy that had been living in australia all his life and only came to singapore once as a kid.

- another malaysian boy that nvr came to Singapore b4. Rich chinese malaysian living in some 4 story bungalow and has a dad as a datuk.

Ok..long story cut short. One ended up commiting suicide and another...never had any real friends.

Please dun make ur kids suffer...theres nothing good about Singapore. Dun be a Singaporean just because they offer lift upgrading at a discounted price in HDBs..

charlize SG

Laughing

jetta SG

I have gone through (and still am) what you're going through. Firstly, don't live apart from your child. I did this with my son and till this day, he's closer to me than to his Dad. Hubby was hurt but you have to remember that it's nothing personal. You just have to accept it and try hard to bond. In our situation, it couldn't be helped. We're a military family and hubby would go on long and frequent deployments for months and months.

As for the passport issue, my kids are teens now and even though they always enjoy their visits to Singapore, deep in my heart I know they are Singaporeans on paper only. When they were babies, it was convenient during visits back, we could stay as long as we wanted. I know of friends in similar situations who had to exit Sg with their kids every 2 weeks to extend their stay. I think this situation has changed? I could be wrong.

I know of another Sg family who live here with their two sons. Their older son just turned 16 and they had to pay a $75000 bond to the Sg govt and have their son serve NS. This happened last summer. The entire family are Singaporeans and they are the first people I know of who got their green card here via the green card lottery. Laughing

sunny6110 SG

OZ...

coz singapore PR v easy to get Mr. Green

pinkish purple papayas SG

Is'nt it sad that even citizens from Singapore also discourage people from becoming Singaporean..

Obviously something is very wrong with this place we call Singapore.

justcooler SG

sad to say, my mum past away 2 years ago. The treatment my mum got from NUH is part of the reason i decided to come to Aus. My mother in law is running the family business, so very busy.

We are both very sad to part from our baby, but have no choice.

We are presently in Brisbane

justcooler SG

Maybe that will be a good choice

justcooler SG

Thank all for your kind responds.

I would really like to go back to Singapore for long term, after my study. That is where all my friends, relatives, memories are. Our baby or babies will be well love and taken care by all.

But the diminishing opportunities, social and political conditions in the country really diminish my optimisms of returning back home. So as to say, just hope that things will change in 5 years time