PR Results Are Out – What If You Didn’t Make It?
- Abigail D.
- Jun 7
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 17
If you work at an immigration firm, you’ll know one thing: it’s results season.
There’s no formal calendar for when ICA releases Permanent Residency (PR) or citizenship outcomes, but industry watchers know the pattern – every quarter, there’s a noticeable surge in approvals and rejections. If your incoming case load has been slower than usual, chances are your applicants are either celebrating or anxiously refreshing.
So first, congratulations to those who received their approval letters – your new chapter as a Singapore Permanent Resident begins. We wish you all the best as you build a long-term life here.
And remember: you can apply for Singapore Citizenship after holding PR for just two years.
But what if you didn’t get approved?
Take a breath.
Rejection is common.
A Numbers Game (And You’re Not Alone)
In the most recent available statistics (2023), ICA approved:
34,491 PR applications
23,472 citizenship applications
This is out of tens (sometimes hundreds) of thousands of applicants each year. The PR approval rate is selective by design – Singapore isn’t trying to accept everyone, only those who align with its long-term national interests.
Here’s a quick breakdown of who got approved:
56.8% from Southeast Asia
35.8% from other Asian countries (e.g., India, China)
7.4% from all other countries combined
If you didn’t get in this time, you’re in good company. But more importantly, you can reapply – and improve. There isn’t a limit to the number of attempts you can make; we’d recommend not to give up, as long as you make sure that your application is complete each time.
Let’s unpack what might’ve gone wrong, and more importantly, what to focus on for your next attempt.
Why PR Applications Get Rejected
ICA doesn’t share the exact reasons for rejection – and they won’t definitively respond to follow-up emails asking for an explanation.
That said, we know the common issues include:
Incomplete or inconsistent documentation
Improperly filled forms, outdated payslips – all of these can outright lead to a refusal. Many applicants underestimate this step.
Failure to meet documentary requirements
Sometimes people misunderstand what ICA expects (e.g., using a passport as a foreign ID, or using educational certificates in lieu of transcripts).
ICA’s discretionary assessment
Even with perfect paperwork, ICA may reject an application if it doesn’t align with policy priorities or national needs. It’s not always personal – it’s strategic.
So What Is ICA Looking For?
ICA outlines its key evaluation factors on its site:
“ICA takes into account factors such as the individual's family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of residency, to assess the applicant's ability to contribute to Singapore and integrate into our society, as well as his or her commitment to sinking roots in Singapore.”
Here’s how that breaks down in plain English:
1. Economic Contributions
There’s no fixed dollar value or salary threshold. But the new COMPASS framework (used for Employment Pass evaluations) gives us clues about skills Singapore values.
Here are some jobs from the Shortage Occupation List as of May 2025:
AGRITECH: Alternative protein food application scientist, Novel food biotechnologist
FINANCIAL SERVICES: Financial or investment adviser
GREEN ECONOMY: Carbon project or programme manager, Carbon standards and methodology analyst, Carbon trader, Carbon verification and audit specialist
HEALTHCARE: Clinical psychologist, Diagnostic radiographer, Occupational therapist, Physiotherapist, Registered nurse
INFOCOMM TECHNOLOGY: Artificial intelligence scientist or engineer, Applications or systems programmer, Cloud specialist, Cyber risk specialist, Cybersecurity architect, Cybersecurity operations specialist, Data scientist, Digital forensics specialist, Product manager (digital), Software and applications manager, Software developer, Web and mobile applications developer
MARITIME: Marine superintendent, Marine technical superintendent
SEMICONDUCTOR: Semiconductor engineer, Instrumentation engineer, Process engineer
If you work in any of these sectors, your PR application could be stronger, especially if your employer relies on you for technical leadership.
🔗 (For the full list, visit mom.gov.sg)
2. Qualifications
82.8% of approved PR applicants had post-secondary education (i.e., diploma or higher). If you have professional certifications, include them – even if they’re not academic degrees.
3. Age
Here’s the age profile of PR recipients:
24.7% were under 20 (mostly dependants)
29.2% were aged 21–30
33.6% were aged 31–40
12.5% were above 40
Approval rates decline slightly with age, but the trend is still favorable to working professionals under 40.
It may be interesting to note that the proportion of approved applicants above 31 and 40 years old has been increasing, while the proportion of younger approved applicants between 21-30 has been decreasing.
4. Family Profile
While not officially defined, this generally refers to:
Having family members who are Singapore Citizens or PRs
Applying as a complete family unit
Showing family stability or dependents who will stay in Singapore long-term
In our experience, applying with your spouse and children often strengthens your case.
5. Length of Residency
There’s no minimum period required – but ICA expects at least 6 months of local payslips before applying.
However, in practice, the longer you’ve lived and worked in Singapore, the more rooted you appear, and that counts.
6. Ability to Contribute
Not explicitly defined by ICA, but we interpret this as:
How critical are you to your employer?
What unique problems do you solve in your role?
How likely are you to bring long-term impact (as a professional or community contributor)?
We look for what makes you uniquely special in your field, based on your lived experiences.
7. Ability to Integrate
Integration is defined differently across various governmental organisations, but generally refers to:
Obeying local laws
Participating in the community
Understanding and respecting local customs
Speaking English or one of Singapore’s main languages
Fulfilling PR obligations (e.g., NS for sons)
It’s a soft metric, but it matters – especially for citizenship down the line.
What's Next?
If you’ve been rejected, don’t panic.
✅ Reassess. Look at where your application may have fallen short – documentation, contribution, or fit.
✅ Realign. Work on strengthening your role, visibility, and integration in Singapore.
✅ Appeal or Reapply. ICA has struck off the need to wait for 6 months before your next application. Deciding whether to appeal or re-apply is a highly personal process.
SITE EXCLUSIVE: If you'd like to find out if an appeal is right for you, you can book a complimentary Rejection Support Consultation TODAY and get 30% off our filing services. Book now below.
Need Help?
At Heritage, we help applicants avoid the guesswork. From document audits to eligibility assessments and strategy sessions, we take the mystery out of the PR process.
📧 Email: info@hcsimmigration.com
📲 DM us on Instagram: @heritage.singapore
📱 WhatsApp: 8658 8155
Whether you’re applying for the first time or reapplying with stronger grounds – we’re here to help you put your best foot forward.
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