ICA’s published position is short. Applications will be processed within 6 months, provided all required documents are submitted and are in order. Some applications may take longer. That is the whole of the timeline on ICA’s Becoming a Permanent Resident page — there is no official figure for how much longer, and no official figure broken down by nationality, sector or pass type.
The 6-month service standard, and how you learn the outcome
Six months applies when your file is complete and in order; ICA does not state a maximum. You are informed of the outcome by email, or by post if the application was submitted before 26 June 2024. You can also check the status of your application on MyICA or through the ICA e-Service. No official expedited route is published.
Who can apply for PR
ICA lists six eligibility routes, each with its own submission method:
| Eligibility | Notes on submission |
|---|---|
| Spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR | Your spouse logs in to the ICA e-Service with Singpass to sponsor the application. |
| Unmarried child below 21, born within a legal marriage to, or legally adopted by, a Singapore citizen or PR | Your parent sponsors the application using Singpass. |
| Aged parent of a Singapore citizen who is at least 21 years old | Your Singapore citizen child sponsors the application using Singpass. |
| Holder of an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass | You log in to the ICA e-Service with Singpass and submit the application yourself. |
| Student studying in Singapore who has passed at least one national exam (PSLE, GCE ‘N’/‘O’/‘A’ levels) or is in the Integrated Programme | Aged 15 and above: submit using Singpass. Below 15: use the non-Singpass option. |
| Foreign investor | The Global Investor Programme (GIP) is administered by EDB, which sets the assessment criteria and process. |
ICA assesses family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residency. It does not publish how those factors are weighted, or how many PR places exist in any period.
ICA also states that it has no affiliation with any external migration agency or commercial entity claiming to be a Singapore immigration specialist, consultant or partner, and that it does not support or endorse such services.
What the application costs
You pay S$100 for each application at submission. On completion of formalities, you pay S$20 for the Entry Permit, S$50 for a 5-year Re-Entry Permit, and S$50 for the Singapore Identity Card. All fees are non-refundable. Payment is online by Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card, American Express, Internet Direct Debit (DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB and Standard Chartered Singapore internet banking accounts), or PayNow. Successful applicants are notified of other applicable fees later.
Documents and translations
You upload certified true copies of original documents, plus official translations for anything not in English. ICA accepts translations provided by the embassy of the country that issued the document, translations by a notary public in Singapore or in the issuing country, and privately translated documents attested by that embassy or notarised by a notary public. ICA does not endorse any private translation company. Insufficient documentation may result in non-acceptance of the application, and ICA may require additional documents. The document checklist on ICA’s site is the control list — work from it rather than from a general impression of what a PR file contains.
National Service liability
All male applicants are required to read the National Service information at cmpb.gov.sg before proceeding. Under the Enlistment Act 1970, all male Singapore citizens and PRs, unless exempted, must serve National Service. They register upon reaching 16 and a half years old and are scheduled for enlistment at the earliest opportunity upon reaching 18. The obligation ends at age 50 for officers and age 40 for other ranks. MINDEF does not grant deferment for university studies. Defaulting is an offence carrying a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to 3 years, or both. Renouncing or losing PR without serving or completing full-time NS has a serious adverse impact on later applications to work, study or hold long-term immigration facilities in Singapore, and on family members’ applications.
What ICA does not publish
No approval or rejection rates. No processing times by nationality, industry or pass type. No weights for the assessment factors. No quota of PR places. The implication for planning is straightforward: use the 6-month standard as your baseline expectation, build in room for a longer wait, and treat any breakdown figure you cannot trace to ICA or another government page as unverified.
If you are applying from an EP or S Pass
Both EP and S Pass holders are on ICA’s eligibility list, and MOM publishes the requirements for holding each pass.
| Pass | Sector | Current minimum qualifying salary | New applications from 1 Jan 2027, and renewals of passes expiring from 1 Jan 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP | All except financial services | $5,600, rising with age from 23, up to $10,700 at 45 and above | $6,000, rising to $11,500 |
| EP | Financial services | $6,200, rising up to $11,800 | $6,600, rising to $12,700 |
| S Pass | All except financial services | $3,300, rising up to $4,800 at 45 and above | $3,600, rising to $5,100 |
| S Pass | Financial services | $3,800, rising up to $5,650 | $4,000, rising to $5,650 |
EP also requires Stage 2: the points-based Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS), which an application passes with 40 points unless exempt. Exemptions cover a fixed monthly salary of at least $22,500, overseas intra-corporate transferees, and roles filled for 1 month or less. Points come from salary against sector benchmarks (20, 10 or 0), qualifications (20, 10 or 0), nationality diversity within the firm’s PMETs (20, 10 or 0, with 10 points by default for firms with fewer than 25 PMETs), support for local employment (20, 10 or 0, also 10 by default under 25 PMETs, and at least 10 points where the local PMET share is at least 70%), a Shortage Occupation List bonus (20 or 10 depending on the candidate’s nationality share) and a Strategic Economic Priorities bonus (10 points, valid for up to 3 years or the duration of the eligible programme, whichever is shorter). Employers must meet the Fair Consideration Framework job advertising requirement before submitting new EP applications. EP carries no foreign worker levy or quota. Duration is up to 2 years for first-time candidates, up to 3 years on renewal, and 5 years for experienced tech professionals in shortage occupations.
S Pass is subject to a quota and levy. The dependency ratio ceiling is 83.3% for construction and process, 75% for marine shipyard, 60% for manufacturing and 35% for services. Within that, S Pass holders are capped at 10% of a company’s total workforce in services and 15% in construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard and process. The levy has been $650 per month across all sectors and tiers since 1 September 2025, with a daily rate of $21.37 for part months. S Pass holders earning a fixed monthly salary of at least $6,000 can apply for a Dependant’s Pass for a spouse and children. Declaring qualifications on an S Pass application is optional; if declared, the employer is responsible for their authenticity and for the institution being on the application form’s accredited list.
A practical order of work
- Register every applicant for Singpass, if eligible. Approval can take 2 to 5 working days.
- Gather your original documents before you start the form.
- Get certified true copies made.
- Commission official translations for any document not in English.
- Check the ICA PR document checklist against what you hold.
- Have every applicant review the form before submission.
- Submit through the ICA e-Service.
- Check status on MyICA or the e-Service.
This order follows the prerequisites ICA sets out; it is not an ICA-prescribed sequence and it does not affect processing time.
