Some key snippets:
- Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.28 in 2008 (Replacement rate is 2.1)
- The median age at first marriage increased from 28.3 to 29.7 years for males, and from 25.7 to 27.1 years for females
- As of June 2008, there were more than 180,000 Overseas Singaporeans (OS)
Resident (Citizens & PRs) = 3.64m
Non-PRs = 1.2m
Total population = 4.84m
It's not hard to predict what the future composition of Singaporeans looks like. It's definitely not what it was 10 years ago, or now.
Chart 17 (on pg 16) raised an interesting question. It basically showed that there was a trend towards preference for a higher education level before a PR or citizenship was granted.
But it did raise the question, in my mind at least, as to why Secondary and below immigrants were being accepted to begin with? Were they asylum seekers (I highly doubt it) Is it more a lowering of standards in order to make up the numbers?
On that note, I figured I'd do some digging into the eligibility requirements to get PR status in Singapore.
Google directed me to the Naturalisation Eligibility Tool
I thought I'd try a simulation. Assuming I was an Australian citizen, with an Arts degree, earning a self-sustaining $3k a month. Let's pretend I was in Singapore 5 years ago studying to get my degree, of which 3 years I worked part time (I don't know if working on a student visa is legal but lets just try it anyway). For simplicity's sake, I picked 'Single' as status (otherwise I'd have to fill up a whole other section for spouse)
Click Submit, anndd...
"you are not eligible for Singapore Permanent Residence at this point in time."
Huh. Better make sure my passport hasn't expired yet. Or maybe I should be polishing up my CV instead. :P
(Edit: To be fair, I know from my 'General knowledge' that the road to PR is via holding a steady job in Singapore. But I guess the point I was making was more to do with what Singapore values as an entry criteria. They really shouldn't be called foreign 'talent')
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