Migrate - CPF - How ?

[kelvin]

i have no choice. migrating not for a better life but to escape the hardship here.
was holding a good job until 2001, kena Retrenched. sice then, only doing odd jobs part time here and there even though i got a good diploma. so, after many years of finding a solution and soul searching, i tink migrating away is the only best option.
Many THANKS to all the advices given, Thank You very much.

 

[Alacar]

We are onsidering the choice of countries to emigrate to, Australia or Canada.
When tt the cpf over to new country, need to pay tax? ie will the CPF transferred taxable in Australia or Canada?

Thks.

 

[Leongsam]

We are onsidering the choice of countries to emigrate to, Australia or Canada.
When tt the cpf over to new country, need to pay tax? ie will the CPF transferred taxable in Australia or Canada?

Thks.

No. However, subsequent interest earned on the sum transferred is taxable. You can't withdraw your CPF funds at the time of emigration anyway. You need a period of residency in your new country before you can apply for citizenship and renounce your sinkie passport. The period varies from 2 to 5 years depending on where you are.

However, why you would want to transfer your CPF funds anywhere is beyond me. Once you've withdrawn your CPF funds, just convert them to the currency of your new homeland and leave them in a bank in Singapore or any other country where there is no withholding tax. Funds should only be transferred when they are needed for the purchase of big ticket items.

 

[Lestat]

I was told that there are some cases where even if you are able to get a citizenship if another country, Singapore may not release your citizenship. Can any bros out here verify this fact?

 

[scroobal]

I was told that there are some cases where even if you are able to get a citizenship if another country, Singapore may not release your citizenship. Can any bros out here verify this fact?

Only Malaysia. They used to give exemption to East Malaysians. The issue is not CPF. Its the renouncing part with ICA that is tedious. If you acquire instant citizenship from a South Pacific Island with no residency, then a whole lot of questions etc. What they don't want is South Pacific island deporting you back after taking back their citizenship etc. People in debt have tried every trick in the book to get to their CPF.

Once you successfully renounce the citizenship, they will release it very fast.

 

[Aussie Prick]

I was told that there are some cases where even if you are able to get a citizenship if another country, Singapore may not release your citizenship. Can any bros out here verify this fact?

Put it this way. In Singapore you are not allowed dual nationality once you reach a certain age. According to the ICA, you must present them with a Foreign Certificate of Citizenship for them to process your renounciation. If they know you are a dual, they are breaking their own laws, unless you have some criminal issue, they will grant your renounciation. Just show them your foreign cert, fill out the forms, and the questionaire, wait the six weeks, and then get your CPF (that alone takes two weeks)

The challenge for you is to find the path to citizenship in your prospective country. You are getting married, many nations offer expedited citizenships for marriage based residency tests such as USA (3 years instead of 5 years) The other challenge is to find out whether this country allows dual nationality. If they dont, you are stuck because Singapore wont let you renounce unless you present them with that foreign cert preventing you with obtaining the new cert in the first place.

Canada, USA, Australia allow dual for example.

On a side note I have one very old family friend who recently had an interesting run in with the ICA. He and his family left SG when he was 3, went to Australia, came back for one year when he was 10, then visited every few years. Never got an IC. He recently applied as an Australian for a EP through MOM. Denied. Because the computer says he is a Singaporean. He was told to go to ICA and there they told him since he never renounced, and he is now 39 years old he is a SG citizen and there is no way to downgrade him for EP or PR. He must choose either OZ or SG. They also told him if he wants SG, he must contact NS for clearance. I told him what NS might to do him and he fled Singapore.

He left SG and refuses to go back, even for a visit.

 

[cass888]

Nonsense. 0.00 is retained. Once you renounced you citizenship, you can (in fact HAVE TO) take it all

Don't spread falsehoods to further the propoganda of the MONGREL who bit his masters' hands LOUDHAILER chee soon juan.

n in parallel, u can talk about withdrawing the CPF etc. bt if i'm nt mistaken, something will be retained, u wont be entilted 100%.... i cant recall if its the medisave or shield....

 

[neddy]

Put it this way. In Singapore you are not allowed dual nationality once you reach a certain age. According to the ICA, you must present them with a Foreign Certificate of Citizenship for them to process your renounciation. If they know you are a dual, they are breaking their own laws, unless you have some criminal issue, they will grant your renounciation. Just show them your foreign cert, fill out the forms, and the questionaire, wait the six weeks, and then get your CPF (that alone takes two weeks)

So I must be very lucky, there is a period when I was dual citizen.
The Aussie side did not ask me if I have renounced my Singapore citizenship. It just remove my PR visa. So, I do not need to report I renounce Singapore citizenship.

I travelled in and out of Singapore using both my Singapore and Australian passports without any issue.

On my Singapore passport, there is no OZ entry or exit stamps but Singapore immigration do not care.

When I fly to Singapore, I purchased my air-ticket using Singapore passport because I used a different name in Australia.
I showed OZ immigration my Oz passport. Only once did they found out that my air-ticket name is different from my Oz passport. No dramas, I just show my Singapore passport and Deed Poll and I was through.

Reach Singapore, I just use Singapore passport to enter.

But when flying back. I needed to produce my Singapore Passport at the Changi Airport airline ticketing counter because my air-tickets were issued in my Singapore name.

But when I enter Singapore immigration counter, I showed my Singapore passport. Remember, my air-ticket in Singapore name, so no need to show OZ passport.

When I land in OZ, I used my OZ passport. Home Sweet Home.


Compared to my time, I think Singapore is more relaxed about dual citizenship after LKY's speech and all the FTs coming into the island. Also, many elites and their kids are holding dual citizenship these days.

The point I want to make is - if you do not cause trouble in Singapore, the Singapore authorities will give you chance to select and renounce one of the citizenship.

But Singapore authorities are crazy sometimes, and if they may be a chance that they happy happy and arrest a dual citizen. (In Australia, they are not allowed to do that.)

 

[scroobal]

I think Singapore is more relaxed about dual citizenship after LKY's speech and all the FTs coming into the island. Also, many elites and their kids are holding dual citizenship these days.

The point I want to make is - if you do not cause trouble in Singapore, the Singapore authorities will give you chance to select and renounce one of the citizenship.

But Singapore authorities are crazy sometimes, and if they may be a chance that they happy happy and arrest a dual citizen. (In Australia, they are not allowed to do that.)

You are right. It has been relaxed considerably. Thought they are not going to make it public. I understand that its now a live cabinet issue for sometime. Its something that is pretty much pushed by the global tide. Australia has removed the law the prohibits dual citizenship.

You can produce both passports at Changi and they will pick the Singapore one. In Malaysia, they will kick up a ruckus.

The approach is retention.

 

[neddy]

I was told that there are some cases where even if you are able to get a citizenship if another country, Singapore may not release your citizenship. Can any bros out here verify this fact?

If you apply to renounce your Singapore citizenship, first, they have to make sure that you are not mad (you sign a legal form to prove that), second they have to make sure you have some place to go, other than Singapore.

Otherwise, if you renounce Singapore citizenship and collect CPF.
Then Singapore govt realised that you are Stateless. They, under international laws (so I heard), have to accept you as a stateless person who used to hold citizenship in Singapore.

 

[scroobal]

If you apply to renounce your Singapore citizenship, first, they have to make sure that you are not mad (you sign a legal form to prove that), second they have to make sure you have some place to go, other than Singapore.

Otherwise, if you renounce Singapore citizenship and collect CPF.
Then Singapore govt realised that you are Stateless. They, under international laws (so I heard), have to accept you as a stateless person who used to hold citizenship in Singapore.

That practice has stopped. Now must produce foreign citizenship.

 

[neddy]

That practice has stopped. Now must produce foreign citizenship.

But what happen if foreign citizen certificate is in a different name from your Singapore name. Must you produce Deed Poll as well?

 

[Aussie Prick]

So I must be very lucky, there is a period when I was dual citizen.
The Aussie side did not ask me if I have renounced my Singapore citizenship. It just remove my PR visa. So, I do not need to report I renounce Singapore citizenship.

I travelled in and out of Singapore using both my Singapore and Australian passports without any issue.

On my Singapore passport, there is no OZ entry or exit stamps but Singapore immigration do not care.

When I fly to Singapore, I purchased my air-ticket using Singapore passport because I used a different name in Australia.
I showed OZ immigration my Oz passport. Only once did they found out that my air-ticket name is different from my Oz passport. No dramas, I just show my Singapore passport and Deed Poll and I was through.

Reach Singapore, I just use Singapore passport to enter.

But when flying back. I needed to produce my Singapore Passport at the Changi Airport airline ticketing counter because my air-tickets were issued in my Singapore name.

But when I enter Singapore immigration counter, I showed my Singapore passport. Remember, my air-ticket in Singapore name, so no need to show OZ passport.

When I land in OZ, I used my OZ passport. Home Sweet Home.


Compared to my time, I think Singapore is more relaxed about dual citizenship after LKY's speech and all the FTs coming into the island. Also, many elites and their kids are holding dual citizenship these days.

The point I want to make is - if you do not cause trouble in Singapore, the Singapore authorities will give you chance to select and renounce one of the citizenship.

But Singapore authorities are crazy sometimes, and if they may be a chance that they happy happy and arrest a dual citizen. (In Australia, they are not allowed to do that.)

Actually the proper term is whether or not a state recognizes dual nationality.

There are quite a few Singaporeans who hold dual Nat this way. But now comes an interesting question: To renounce SG or not? CPF seems to be the biggest determinant and I am sure quite a few Singaporeans would renounce just to access their CPF, especially those with substantial amounts. I know a girl who married a Texan, and never renounced and she has dual, but she told me there's not much in her CPF so she's keeping it.

The way Singapore is approaching CPF, I would not put it past them to eventually recognize dual nationality but would they then allow CPF withdrawl? They might not and upon renounciation of SG in a Dual Recognition scenario instead take a page from British Nationality Law that gives ex-citizens the "Right to Land" in Singapore, to work and live there but they are not full citizens, just like in Hong Kong.

But when it come to Singapore, Who knows?

 

[neddy]

You are right. It has been relaxed considerably. Thought they are not going to make it public. I understand that its now a live cabinet issue for sometime. Its something that is pretty much pushed by the global tide. Australia has removed the law the prohibits dual citizenship.

You can produce both passports at Changi and they will pick the Singapore one. In Malaysia, they will kick up a ruckus.

The approach is retention.

Wow, so relaxed now.

So, if you buy things in Singapore, can you just show a foreign passport to get GST refund?

 

[scroobal]

But what happen if foreign citizen certificate is in a different name from your Singapore name. Must you produce Deed Poll as well?

Yes. Notarized.

Let me guess?

Chinnasamy Kannan - Sam Kannon
Tan Ah Kow - Shane Tan
Mustafa Bakar - Moose Baker

Any of these.

 

[scroobal]

Wow, so relaxed now.

So, if you buy things in Singapore, can you just show a foreign passport to get GST refund?

Smart man. Guess what, make sure entry stamp must be in Foreign passport.

 

[Alacar]

Thanks,LeongSam for the CPF preservation advice on spending on big ticket item.
My friend who have been a PR in Canada for 5 years is planning to gain Canadian citizenship and give up Sg's after that. He says he will be affected by the new Lifechoice health insurance which will gobble up more than 50% of his CPF.
He don't need Lifechoice coverage when in Canada.
Any advice for him?

Thanks

 

[Leongsam]

He don't need Lifechoice coverage when in Canada.
Any advice for him?

Thanks

I don't know anything about Canada and the system there. Perhaps some Canadian here can step in and help.

 

[scroobal]

Thanks,LeongSam for the CPF preservation advice on spending on big ticket item.
My friend who have been a PR in Canada for 5 years is planning to gain Canadian citizenship and give up Sg's after that. He says he will be affected by the new Lifechoice health insurance which will gobble up more than 50% of his CPF.
He don't need Lifechoice coverage when in Canada.
Any advice for him?

Thanks

If he renounces his Singapore Citizenship, all his CPF savings will be given back and no amount will retained. If your friend takes up Canadian Citizenship but does not renouce Singapore citizenship, then he can only take out anything above the minimum sum.

Anyway CPF LIFE is an annuity scheme and not a health scheme. As Canada provides one of the best medical coverage for its citizens, little point keeping any form of health insurance outside unless he travels frequently back to Singapore and wants to be treated here. None of the CPF related medical programs cover outside the country.

 

[neddy]

Its something that is pretty much pushed by the global tide. Australia has removed the law the prohibits dual citizenship.

Alas! The sovereignty of state is diluting.

Not too long ago, we have at least a case of Israeli Aussie and Lebanese Aussie fighting on opposite sides in the Middle East war. Wonder how long before it reaches the local street.

Anyway, you been living in segregation expert UK, you will have a better idea.

Drinking Greek kopi in Baywaters not far from Imperial college and Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. Univ mates (kids of Kuwait and Iraq ministers) having mini war among themselves in Hyde Park. The Pakis got nowhere to hide. The Aussies were stuck in their little corner on the opposite side ... in Earls Court