To many of us in Hong Kong, the main reason for migration is to look for a better education system for our kids. But do you know there’s a place where the mother can also benefit from her kids studying there, like becoming a citizen?

Study in a university in Singapore to gain permanent residency

If you want a better learning environment for your kids but are concerned about the expenses studying in the U.S. or U.K., give Singapore a thought. As Jan Hong, Director of Centaline Immigration Consultants (HK) Limited, explains, “Singapore pursues elite education, like Hong Kong in the past. If your kids are good at math and science, Singapore would be the place as its education system offers students more opportunities to exercise their talents in these areas.”

He adds that overseas students preparing to attend primary or secondary schools have to pass the government-run AEIS test which focuses on the English language and math. For universities, there are 6 choices in Singapore, and they all welcome students from around the world. University graduates will be granted permanent residency while graduates from higher education institutes can also gain the same status after working there for a required period of time.

Immediate female family member applies for student dependent visa

In general, secondary school fees in Singapore range from SGD7,000 to SGD17,000, or HKD40,000 to HKD98,000, a lot more wallet-friendly than those in the western countries. “Another attraction is that”, he continues, “the student’s immediate female family member, like the mother or granny, is allowed to apply for a student dependent visa for the first year and then a working visa for the second year, which would eventually become permanent residency. However, for some cultural reason, this doesn’t apply to men.” Once the kids find a job there after graduation and their family members gain permanent residency, it would be easy for the rest of the family to migrate to Singapore.