Question:Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs with regard to new permanent residencies and new citizenships granted in 2023, what is the 25th percentile, median, average, and 75th percentile of the duration in which (i) adult foreigners have resided in Singapore prior to obtaining permanent residence and (ii) adult permanent residents have held their permanent residence prior to obtaining Singapore citizenship.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:
1. The number of Permanent Residents (PRs) and Singapore
Citizens (SCs) granted each year – including selected profile indicators such as age
group, highest qualification attained among those aged 20 and over, and region of origin
– are published annually.
2. In granting Permanent Residency and Singapore Citizenship, the Immigration &
Checkpoints Authority assesses each application based on a range of factors. The
applicant’s length of residency is only one of the factors considered. The other factors
include, but are not limited to, the applicant’s family ties to Singaporeans, economic
contributions, educational qualifications, age and family profile, the applicant’s ability to integrate into our society, and commitment to sinking roots in Singapore. Different
criteria may apply to different applicants, depending on their background and
circumstances – for example, an applicant applying as a spouse of a SC will be
considered differently from someone applying on the basis of having stayed in Singapore
for a period of time, and contributed to employment creation in Singapore.
3. The Government will not make public data on the length of residency of new PRs
and SCs by percentile. This could be used by others, including potential applicants, who
may try to tailor their applications to game the system. Foreign countries could also make
use of the data in a way that may not be consistent with our national interests. Thus while
we make public some indicators (as referred to in the first paragraph), we have to be
careful that we do so in a way consistent with our national interests.
