When to give up on applying SPR? 15 years in Singapore.

I lived in Singapore for the past 15 years. Total 8 PR applications rejected.

I googled this topic and not seem to find any discussion about leaving Singapore. I came to Singapore in 2008, at age 21, as a young Engineering graduate from India without prior working experience, to join master’s degree in NTU. It was tough financially and mentally for the first two years until I graduated in 2010. Found a job in the core engineering industry I did my master’s degree. Working in core industry necessarily does not get you higher pay. While IT and Finance industries gave higher salaries, my industry paid the starring salary of $2250 pm. From 2011-2023, I have had many promotions and increments, to reach 100K+ base annual salary. In my industry, and as staff engineer, this pay is above the median salary. In between, I got married in 2016 and had two wonderful kids (1 boy and a girl), wife (Indian) not working as she needs to take care the baby/toddler.

So far, I applied for SPR at least 7-8 times. 3X with family. All rejected. Does voluntary services and donations help? Answer. NO. I am active in cc activities, voluntary services and doing donation over 8 years, monthly $60.

I have 15-20 friends in Singapore of same or higher ages, with lower pay than mine, had gotten their PR approved after 5 years of stay. They all bought houses and settled. None from India though. SPR approval is quota-based, there is ratio for each type of population needs to be maintained in Singapore, etc., I understood every aspect from the SPR approval criteria. But shouldn’t I keep trying? I have never thought I would give up now. But the moment of truth hit me hard.

Why did I quit? House rent went up to $3400 pm from my current rent $2400 pm. I realized I had paid rent for all my working life, estimate 350K-400K$, had I gotten my PR early, I could have closed the mortgage by now.  Anyway, the housing became not affordable anymore. Secondly, my eldest is going to P1 next year. I paid his nursery and kindergarten around $1000+ per month, yet for P1, it’s difficult to find a school and the school fee for (Indian) foreigner will be min $875 if manage to get in public school. Over $1200 for private. My second one needs to enroll nursery soon. without PR, its unaffordable. Others are medical is high for foreigners, especially kids related, cost of living etc., etc., I understand the cost-of-living hits everyone. But it hits the foreigners different level with the rents up and no subsidies.

All my friends are in Singapore, from all races. I have started my career here as young as 21, now at 37. I call Singapore my home. But the quota can pick someone who lived here less than 5 years over me? Please don’t treat this post as personal rant due to my loss or my unhappiness. I feel it is one of the issues that needs to be addressed. Finally, this is my last week in Singapore of the total ~790 weeks that I lived here. Signing off.