If you are here, you might be trying to gauge whether your spouse stands a chance at becoming a Singapore Citizen. Chances are, you might feel confused, overwhelmed, or intimidated by the authorities’ official website and would like a little more clarity. Or perhaps you require a one-stop reference guide to your spouse’s eligibility and requirements. Well, look no further. Read on to learn more about their eligibility and what you will need for the road ahead.
Check Your Spouse’s Singapore Citizenship Eligibility
First things first, do check your spouse’s eligibility for Citizenship. Generally, five groups of people may apply for Citizenship in Singapore:
- Permanent Residents aged 21 and above
- Two-year SPRs married to a Singaporean for two years
- An unmarried child born to, or adopted by, a Singaporean
- PRs studying in Singapore for two years
- Two-year SPRs who are aged parents of a Singaporean
We will briefly cover four of the above groups and their respective pathways:
1. Permanent Residents Aged 21 and Above
All SPRs with a minimum age of 21 can apply for Singapore Citizenship as long as they have lived in Singapore as a PR for at least two years. Even if you have yet to tie the knot with your future spouse, your other half readily meets this criterion, provided they have been a PR for two years. They would have the option to apply for Citizenship on their own without your contribution as a sponsor.
2. Two-Year SPRs Married to a Singaporean for Two Years
An alternative pathway for married couples (or soon-to-be-wedded couples) is for you, as a Singapore Citizen, to sponsor your spouse’s Citizenship petition. You would have to take a far more active role in this pathway, particularly during the actual application process.
3. Unmarried Child Born to, or Adopted by, a Singaporean
Another pathway towards Citizenship involves unmarried children born to Singaporean parents. This pathway does not apply to your spouse, but it may concern you if you decide to have children overseas, either now or in the future. In such cases, you (or your spouse, if their attempt is successful) may apply for Citizenship on your child’s behalf with a small processing fee.
4. Two-Year SPRs Who Are Aged Parents of a Singaporean
The final pathway may interest you if you and your spouse have aged parents who are currently PRs. They are eligible for Citizenship after two years of living in Singapore as PRs. In this pathway, you would need to act as their sponsor, taking an active role in their submission. That aside, let’s return to our main topic of interest at hand.
5 Factors Behind Your Spouse’s Citizenship Chances
The road ahead of applying for Citizenship is anything but easy. Numerous factors can affect an applicant’s chances of success. Moreover, failing to meet any criterion can ultimately lead to rejection. A rejection letter can consequently set your spouse back for a couple more years without either of you knowing the reasons behind the outcome.
Therefore, carefully consider where your spouse stands based on these five factors, as declared by the authorities, beforehand:
- Length of Singapore Permanent Residency
- Family profile
- Age
- Qualifications and economic contributions
- Local family ties
1. Length of Permanent Residency
One of the most crucial points of a Singapore Citizenship application is the length of your spouse’s Permanent Residency in Singapore. Your other half should stand a better chance at becoming a Citizen once they have been living here as SPRs for more than two years. You and your spouse might recall a similar rule of thumb from the minimum requirements of a typical SPR application. Nearly all SPR pathways, except for the Global Investor Programme (GIP), require applicants to apply for PR after working or studying in Singapore for at least two years. It stands to reason that the authorities assess applicants based on similar metrics, but this time, under different circumstances. In other words, your spouse’s time in Singapore as a Permanent Resident is now under consideration.
2. Family Profile
The authorities shall examine the applicant’s family profile, including their line of work, salary, and Citizenship status. Married couples, in particular, will be carefully assessed using these metrics primarily to ensure that the sponsor has the means to support their family here in Singapore. Consider whether you and your spouse are currently financially stable, preferably with full-time employment and a steady income.
3. Age
Another factor behind the success of your submission is age. Generally speaking, your spouse is more likely to succeed at becoming a Citizen if they are younger. Nevertheless, it certainly does not necessarily mean that older applicants do not stand a chance at all. Every submission is more than the mere sum of its parts. Older applicants are also more likely to offer the country in other areas, such as qualifications and economic contributions.
4. Qualifications and Economic Contributions
Perhaps the most critical factor is your combined qualifications and economic contributions. Your spouse’s worth as an applicant bears far more weight if they hold niche skills in key industry sectors that can positively impact Singapore’s future. A few metrics taken into account include their salary, education, and current line of work. In Singapore, roles that are in high demand include healthcare workers, data scientists, and financial services.
5. Local Family Ties
Finally comes family ties to Singaporeans, which matter heavily in an applicant’s chances for numerous reasons. If you are a Singaporean, your spouse may stand a higher chance of becoming a Citizen as long as you have been married for a significant duration. Conversely, the authorities may end up scrutinising your application further if you have not been married for long whilst your spouse has been a PR. Such strict measures deter PRs from resorting to marriages of convenience to obtain the most exclusive resident status.
Paving Your Way Towards Singapore Citizenship
Let’s get into the basic timeline of a Singapore Citizenship application. Not all cases are the same, of course, but it helps prepare yourself mentally before you embark on your journey.
1. Preparing for Your Application
The road towards Citizenship begins with preparing for your application, a process with a timeline that varies depending on each applicant. Unlike several other countries, applying for Citizenship here does not involve an interview. Therefore, it is prudent to prep every document you need ahead of time to complete your submission without a single hitch. Start by making a checklist of the paperwork you and your spouse need to do and double-checking their accuracy. Do also ensure that you have all the tools necessary to start your application, from your SingPass credentials to a working internet connection.
2. Completing Your Submission
The next step is to complete your submission, which has a deadline of 7 days. Be sure to familiarise yourself with the system before accessing it, and ensure that you have an internet connection and desktop computer in working order. The application is not free of charge, so you would also need to ready yourself to make the necessary payments. Finally, pay close attention to the accuracy of the information that you provide to the authorities.
3. Waiting for the Outcome
After completing your submission, you would need to play the waiting game of approximately six to 12 months. The authorities may contact you during this time for more information.
4. Receiving Your Approval-in-Principle Letter
If your application is up to mark, you will receive an approval-in-principle letter. This is the start of the next phase that will last for approximately two months. You will need to download this letter to complete a few tasks, including participating in a Community Sharing Session and Singapore Experiential Tour.
5. Final Approval Phase and Ceremony
The penultimate phase, taking approximately one to two months, involves a final approval of your spouse’s new Citizenship status. You will need to download a letter enabling them to renounce their former Citizenship at the relevant embassy and register their new Singapore Citizenship at the ICA building. Do bring all the documents that you have submitted through the online portal.
6. Citizenship Ceremony
Your journey ends with an official Ceremony, typically about three to six months after your spouse receives their final approval letter. Your spouse will finally receive your pink NRIC during this ceremony.
What Your Spouse Needs in A Citizenship Application
If you are ready to take the leap forward, proceed with one of the most crucial steps of any Singapore Citizenship application: considering what your spouse will need. Prospective applicants should ensure that they thoroughly prepare for the application ahead of time before accessing the online portal. Doing so will prevent any unpleasant surprises and allow you to submit your spouse’s application for Citizenship without a hitch.
Here is a quick list of what you and your spouse will need:
1. Working Internet Connection
First, you will require a working internet connection when beginning the application, preferably using a desktop computer. Some would recall hard-copy submissions back in the day, but now, all applicants must complete theirs online. Here, we must stress the importance of using a desktop computer to access the online portal. Unfortunately, the system has not been optimised for mobile viewing. Attempting to apply using mobile devices would only cause you more undue stress during an already tedious process.
2. Processing Fee
Next, set aside S$100 in preparation for the application’s processing fee. You may wish to note an exception for one type of applicant — children who are born overseas. Singaporean parents with children born overseas will only need to pay a small fee of S$18 if they wish to apply for Citizenship on behalf of their newborn. Later, they must pay another S$10 for a pink NRIC when their child turns 15. You may pay for these fees via the following methods:
- American Express (AMEX) credit card
- MasterCard or Visa debit/credit card
- PayNow
- Internet Direct Debit using a Singapore-based DBS/POSB, UOB, OCBC, Citibank, or Standard Chartered Bank Internet banking account
3. Mandatory Documents From Sponsor or Non-Applying Spouse
If you choose to sponsor your spouse’s petition for Citizenship, you would need to furnish the online submission with the relevant documents. Do ensure that these documents are in the right format before attempting to submit them using the system, where applicable:
- Foreign identity documents
- Passport or other travel documents not issued by local authority
- Birth certificates for births not registered locally (or a household census list)
- Official Marriage Certificate if your marriage was not registered in Singapore
- Separation deed from previous marriage(s)
- Certificate of Annulment from previous marriage(s)
- Divorce certificate from previous marriage(s)
- Death certificate of spouse from previous marriage(s) not issued by local authority
- Your child(ren)’s birth certificate(s) and travel document(s) not issued by local authority
- Custody papers for child(ren) from previous marriage(s)
- Death certificate of child(ren) registered overseas from current or previous marriage(s)
- Professional licenses
- Skill certificates
- Educational certificates
- Letter of employment from your current employer, dated within three months from the date of application, with details of your occupation and salary
- Payslips from the last six months
- Income tax receipts/assessments from the last three years if working overseas
- ACRA-issued Business Registration Certificate
4. Mandatory Documents From Every Applicant
Your spouse must provide the following documents, where applicable, regardless of whether they choose to elect you as their sponsor:
- Recently taken coloured photograph with a white background
- Foreign identity documents
- Passport or other travel documents not issued by local authority
- Birth certificates for births not registered locally (or a household census list)
- Religious certificate or Deed Poll for name changes
- Official Marriage Certificate if your marriage was not registered in Singapore
- Separation deed from previous marriage(s)
- Certificate of Annulment from previous marriage(s)
- Divorce certificate from previous marriage(s)
- Death certificate of spouse from previous marriage(s) not issued by local authority
- Your child(ren)’s birth certificate(s) and travel document(s) not issued by local authority
- Custody papers for child(ren) from previous marriage(s)
- Death certificate of child(ren) registered overseas from current or previous marriage(s)
- Professional licenses
- Skill certificates
- Membership certificates
- Educational certificates
- Letter of employment from your current employer, dated within three months from the date of application, with details of your occupation and salary
- Payslips from the last six months
- Income tax receipts/assessments from the last three years if working overseas
- ACRA-issued Business Registration Certificate
- National Service Certificate of Service
- National Service Transcript
- National Service Testimonial
5. Other Key Documents
On top of the above, you may wish to include a few key documents outside of the list of mandatory ones. A letter from notable figures such as a Member of the Parliament (MP) may prove useful if you have contributed to the community in ways that warrant an extra nod during the assessment process. Yet another key document that we highly recommend including is a cover letter. Executed well, a cover letter can aid in providing the assessing officers with a bird’s eye view of your contributions to the nation. However, do steer clear of including too many documents to avoid inadvertently hurting your chances.
6. Registration Fees
Finally, a successful application requires registration fees of S$70 for a certificate that officially recognises your spouse as a Citizen and S$10 for a pink NRIC. These fees apply to all new citizens who are above the age of 15 and above.
The Final Word
Of course, following all of these to a T will not necessarily guarantee a successful attempt. Even the above-mentioned factors that have been made public are most likely not the only considerations in any given submission. The authorities have been notoriously secretive about their evaluation and assessment process by justifying the need to prevent insincere applicants from gaming the system. Alas, this secrecy can end up penalising even the most sincere of Citizen hopefuls.
Paul Immigrations can help you and your spouse take your current efforts to the next level by providing you with expert tips from years of experience. With us, no gap in your application goes unnoticed. Our team of specialists know the ins and outs of immigration in Singapore, allowing us to build a stronger case for you and your spouse. On top of that, our in-house writers can help you craft a customised cover letter to sway the odds in your favour. Speak with our consultants today to learn how we can guide you towards applying for Singapore Citizenship.