Singapore is one country that many people would love to migrate to. In fact, the truth is that Singapore today has greatly benefited from the efforts of immigrants, both in the past and in the present. As it stands today, at least 35% of all the residents in Singapore are non-citizens. Although this has created some level of discomfort, it greatly highlights the extent of the immigrants’ influence in Singapore.
The ultimate desire of many people, who think of migrating to Singapore, is usually to become a naturalized citizen. However, before one becomes a citizen, one will have to go through a number of procedures.
A Temporary Resident
The first step towards becoming a naturalized citizen of Singapore is to become a temporary resident. This means that one has to move from his country of birth to Singapore. This may be due to a number of reasons including seeking better health, attending college in Singapore, getting married to a Singapore national, or getting employed or investing and starting a business in Singapore.
Since majority of immigrants who seek residence in Singapore usually go there to work, the government has classified immigrant employees into two categories: the foreign workers who constitute of semi-skilled laborers and the foreign talent who constitute of highly skilled immigrants looking for work.
Permanent Resident
Once you have acquired a pass, a visa that allows you to live and work in Singapore for a period of time, the next step towards becoming a full citizen is acquiring permanent residence. To become a permanent resident, you will need to have stayed in Singapore for a period of time.
Normally, it is advisable that you stay in Singapore for at least two years so that you can have proof of your contribution to the nation. Although the number of people who have been accepted to be permanent residents has gone down in the recent past, it is important to note that many people are still being accepted. The secret to this is to ensure that once you have landed in Singapore, you take time to build your portfolio so that you can position yourself to be of value.
If you apply for permanent residence and your application ends up getting rejected, you do not need to worry. There is always a chance of appeal. In case your appeal is rejected, you’ll be notified when you’ll be eligible for the application. The time between the rejection and the re-application should be used to polish up you value.
Citizenship
The last process in the journey of immigration to Singapore is becoming a naturalized citizen. The qualification of becoming a naturalized citizen is that you must be at least 21 years of age and you have must have stayed as a permanent resident of Singapore for 2 to 6 years. The other option is getting married to a Singapore national and being a permanent resident for at least two years prior to the application.
Although there are great opportunities out there for people who want to become naturalized citizens, it really all depends on how much effort you are ready to put into building yourself and your career.
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