US and UK citizens are assessed under the same published Singapore rules as everyone else. None of the official pages listed below ranks applicants by passport. They publish a sequence: qualify for a work pass, fit one of ICA’s eligibility categories for Permanent Residence (PR), pay fixed fees, and wait inside a stated processing window. They do not publish approval rates, assessment weights, or income tax rules. Those limits are part of the answer.
The Employment Pass usually comes first
Most US and UK professionals enter Singapore on an Employment Pass (EP), which is also an eligibility category for PR. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) tests candidates in two stages.
Stage 1 is the qualifying salary, benchmarked to the top one-third of local PMET (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) salaries by age. The current minimum is $5,600 a month at age 23 or below, rising with age to $10,700 at 45 and above. Financial services candidates need $6,200 rising to $11,800. From 1 January 2027, new applications need $6,000 rising to $11,500, and $6,600 rising to $12,700 in financial services; renewals expiring from 1 January 2028 follow the same figures.
Stage 2 is COMPASS, a points framework. An application needs 40 points to pass. Four foundational criteria — salary against sector benchmarks, qualifications, nationality diversity, and support for local employment — each award 0, 10 or 20 points. Two bonuses add points: the Shortage Occupation List skills bonus (10 or 20) and the Strategic Economic Priorities bonus (10). Organisations with fewer than 25 PMETs score 10 by default on both diversity and local employment. Exemptions from COMPASS cover candidates with a fixed monthly salary of at least $22,500, overseas intra-corporate transferees, and roles lasting one month or less. Failing the stage 1 salary disqualifies a candidate no matter how many COMPASS points they would have scored.
The employer advertises on MyCareersFuture first, under the Fair Consideration Framework, and can run the Self-Assessment Tool before filing. First passes run up to 2 years, renewals up to 3, and experienced tech professionals with skills in shortage may get 5 years. The EP carries no levy and no quota.
Which PR route you can use
ICA’s PR page lists eligibility by relationship or status, not by nationality:
- Holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass — log in to the ICA e-Service with your own Singpass and submit.
- Spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR — the spouse sponsors via Singpass.
- Unmarried child under 21 born within a legal marriage to, or legally adopted by, a citizen or PR — a parent sponsors.
- Aged parent of a citizen aged 21 or above — the citizen child sponsors.
- Student in Singapore who has passed at least one national exam (PSLE, GCE ‘N’/‘O’/‘A’ levels) or is in the Integrated Programme — submit with Singpass from age 15.
- Foreign investor — ICA points to the Global Investor Programme on the EDB website.
What ICA publishes about assessment — and what it does not
ICA states the factors it weighs: family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of residency — used to judge the ability to contribute and integrate, and commitment to sinking roots.
ICA does not publish weights for those factors, a pass mark, quotas, approval rates, or rejection reasons. These pages set no minimum salary for PR and name no required foreign tax document. Where the official pages are silent, this article does not fill the gap. ICA also states it has no affiliation with external migration agencies or commercial “immigration specialists” and does not endorse their services.
Tax sits outside these pages
The tax question — US or UK treatment alongside a PR application — is not answered by the four sources below. They contain no treaty terms, no foreign account reporting rules, and no tax authority requirements. This is advice, not an official rule: settle your tax position with the authorities in your home country and in Singapore before you file, and add documents only if ICA’s checklist asks for them.
Fees
PR fees are fixed and non-refundable. At submission: S$100 for each application. At completion of formalities: S$20 for the Entry Permit, S$50 for a 5-year Re-Entry Permit, and S$50 for the Singapore Identity Card. ICA notifies successful applicants of any other applicable fees. Payment is online only: cards, PayNow, or internet direct debit from DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB or Standard Chartered accounts in Singapore.
Citizenship, if you go that far: S$100 at submission for PRs and children of PRs; at completion, S$70 for the Citizenship Certificate plus S$10 for the Identity Card (aged 15 and above). Overseas-born children to citizen parents pay S$18 at submission, inclusive of the certificate.
Documents, Singpass, processing time
Upload certified true copies of the originals. For documents not in English, provide official translations — from the embassy of the issuing country, or notarised by a notary public in Singapore or the issuing country. ICA does not endorse private translation companies. Insufficient documentation may cause non-acceptance; the page links a document checklist.
Every person added to the application must review the form before submission, using a Singpass or the credentials ICA issues to those ineligible for Singpass. Singpass approval can take 2 to 5 working days, so register first.
PR processing runs within 6 months when all required documents are in order; some applications take longer. The outcome arrives by email; status is checkable at MyICA or the e-Service. Successful applicants receive an In-Principle Approval and become PRs once the conditions are fulfilled. PRs aged 15 and above hold the Singapore blue Identity Card and need a valid Re-Entry Permit to travel out and return.
National Service obligations
All male applicants must read National Service information at cmpb.gov.sg before applying. Male applicants granted citizenship or PR as foreign students or under their parents’ sponsorship are liable for NS: they register at 16 and a half and enlist at the earliest opportunity at 18. Default is an offence under the Enlistment Act 1970 — a fine up to $10,000, imprisonment up to 3 years, or both. Renouncing or losing PR without completing full-time NS seriously harms later applications to work or study in Singapore, and affects family members’ applications and Re-Entry Permit renewals.
After PR: the citizenship route
You can apply for citizenship after 2 years as a PR if you are 21 or above, filing with your PR spouse and any unmarried children under 21 born or adopted within a legal marriage. Other published routes: married to a citizen for at least 2 years; unmarried child under 21 of a citizen; PR student here more than 3 years including at least 1 as a PR, with a national exam passed or in the Integrated Programme; or a PR aged parent of a citizen aged 21 or above. Processing runs within 12 months, or 1 month for overseas-born children to citizen parents. Applicants aged 16 to 60 complete the Singapore Citizenship Journey.
Checklist before you file PR
- Confirm your eligibility category on ICA’s PR page.
- Register Singpass for every applicant and sponsor, then wait for approval.
- Open the ICA e-Service with your Singpass.
- Read ICA’s document checklist.
- Make certified true copies of every original.
- Order official translations for non-English documents.
- Pay S$100 per application online.
- Track status at MyICA or the e-Service.
FAQ
Do these pages publish PR approval rates, rejection reasons, or assessment weights? No. ICA publishes eligibility categories and assessment factors only. Figures circulating elsewhere do not come from these pages.
Are US or UK applicants treated differently? No nationality-specific PR rule appears on these pages. The EP salary tables and COMPASS apply by sector and organisation, not by passport.
What exactly must I upload? ICA’s pages state the certified-copy and translation rules and refer to a document checklist; they do not list documents in the page text. Download it before assembling files.