A Filipino’s repeated struggles with Permanent Residency in Singapore spark questions on what might be missing.
SINGAPORE: A Reddit user turned to the online community for advice regarding his Filipino friend, who has been living and working in Singapore for 13 years but has faced repeated rejections in his attempts to secure Permanent Residency (PR). Despite his dedication, his applications have been turned down 12 times.
Since 2009, the friend has been employed as a Senior Programmer and first applied for PR in 2011, only to see it rejected. Each year, his PR applications were met with the same outcome. According to his post, he has contributed significantly to Singapore’s digital sector, paid taxes on time, and even trained locals in the digital industry. He’s helped create digital campaigns for national events, including the National Day Parade.
Feeling disheartened, he reached out to Reddit for advice, asking what he might be missing and what more he could do to improve his chances. He expressed regret at times, wondering if his contributions might have been better recognized in another country, where he feels he might have become a citizen by now.
The post, shared on r/AskSingapore on May 11, has generated nearly 500 comments and highlighted a broader issue: many expats in Singapore face similar struggles. One Reddit user described the process of applying for PR as akin to a lottery, sharing that despite being married to a Singaporean and having children who serve in the national service, his American ex-boss has also been denied PR, despite his wealth, high-profile international business dealings, and contributions to the local economy.
Some commenters offered practical advice, suggesting that applicants only reapply for PR when there are significant changes in their situation, such as a substantial salary increase, marriage to a local, or ownership of assets. “Reapplying with the same circumstances just weakens your case,” one user wrote.
However, others pointed to racial quotas as a potential factor in PR rejections. One user speculated that the Filipino friend might be facing barriers due to the country’s race-based quotas, with the “Others” category—under which Filipinos fall—having a low acceptance rate.
Other users shared their own experiences, including one who explained that despite being in Singapore since 2008 and holding senior roles at local institutions, they had faced 11 rejections. They, too, had followed all the best practices—submitting applications with local certificates, recommendation letters, and evidence of charity work—yet continued to face rejection.
