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Does nationality matter?

ICA does not list nationality as a factor. The Government has said it avoids revealing criteria partly because of sensitivities in countries of origin.

Last reviewed September 2026 · 4 sources · General information, not legal advice

Official

Official information

  • Nationality is not among the factors ICA lists.
  • MHA: revealing detailed criteria “would, among other things, create sensitivities in their countries of origin.”
  • Population in Brief 2026: 61.6% of new PRs in 2025 came from Southeast Asia, 31.6% from other Asian countries and 6.8% from elsewhere.

Sources: ICA — Becoming a Permanent Resident · MHA — Written reply on PR criteria transparency · Population in Brief 2026

Applicants report

Community observations

Self-reported by applicants on public platforms. Not ICA policy; may not be representative.

  • A belief that nationality or race quotas affect PR outcomes is very common in forums, videos and agency marketing.
  • The Government has said it maintains the “broad ethnic balance” of the citizen population. It has not published any per-nationality PR quota.

Sources: Straits Times — integration and 'broad ethnic balance' (Mar 2026)

Unverified claim

Claims we could not verify

  • Claims of fixed nationality or race quotas for PR. No official source confirms them.
  • Agency “case studies” framing some nationalities as facing quota problems.

Checked against official sources in September 2026. Rules change — always confirm on ica.gov.sg. General information, not legal advice.

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