Singapore granted PR to 450 Global Investor Programme participants from 2015 to 2025
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Introduced in 2004, the Global Investor Programme is a scheme that grants PR status to qualified foreign investors, entrepreneurs and business owners.
ST PHOTO: JASEL POH
SINGAPORE – Singapore granted around 450 people permanent residency (PR) under the Global Investor Programme (GIP) between 2015 and 2025, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang in Parliament on Feb 27.
In the same period, GIP has attracted about $500 million of investments in new or existing Singapore-based businesses, she said in response to a parliamentary question from Workers’ Party MP Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC).
“More than half of these investments were in the professional services, info-communications and financial services subsectors,” said Ms Gan, who is also the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
She said another $430 million was placed in GIP funds that invest in Singapore-based companies on behalf of the investors.
Introduced in 2004 by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
It requires significant investments via three options:
A - Invest a minimum of $10 million in a new or existing business.
B - Invest $25 million in a GIP-select fund.
C - Establish a family office with at least $200 million in net investible assets.
Ms Gan said the distribution is approximately 50 per cent for option A, 40 per cent for option B and 10 per cent for option C.
Mr Fadli in supplementary questions asked about the proportion of GIP permanent residents, or PRs, who have subsequently applied for and obtained Singapore citizenship, and the retention rate for GIP PRs.
He also asked about the percentage of GIP PRs whose re-entry permits have lapsed or were not renewed after five years on missing business milestones.
However, Ms Gan said she does not have the numbers at hand and asked Mr Fadli to file fresh parliamentary questions on those queries.
Ms Gan noted that EDB works with GIP recipients to ensure that they continue to fulfil the Government’s specified economic and residency commitments during their stay.
She said GIP PRs are required to submit evidence of the Singapore-based companies that they have invested in, and EDB will also conduct visits to these companies to assess their business activities.
Responding to another question, Ms Gan said no major change in the profile of GIP investors has been observed since 2023, when some changes were made to the scheme with the aim of providing more support to the local start-up ecosystem and the financial sector, while also generating more employment opportunities for Singaporeans.
