SINGAPORE: A Vietnamese woman has drawn criticism online after asking on social media whether it would be “crazy” to move to Singapore without first securing a job.
In a post on the r/askSingapore forum on Friday (Feb 6), she shared that she has been working in high finance in New York for the past four years, specifically in real estate investing at a large institution.
“I want to relocate to Singapore in June to be closer to home (Vietnam), and generally I just hate living in the US,” she wrote.
“From now until June, I will try to find a job aggressively, but in case I don’t have a job by June, I’m thinking of just quitting anyway and relocating back to SEA to network (probably more efficient to find a job by actually being on the ground).”
To support this plan, she pointed out that she has enough savings to survive for nine to 12 months without working. She also mentioned that her sister lives in Singapore, meaning she could stay with her and avoid paying rent altogether.
Wondering if this would work, she asked, “Do you think my plan is reasonable? I don’t speak any Mandarin. My parents and friends think I’m crazy.”
“The job market here is brutal.”
In the discussion thread, many users sided with the post author’s parents and friends, saying the plan sounded risky and, frankly, a little crazy.
One commented, “Lol, how can you be working in ‘high finance’ but also not know the basics of needing a visa to stay in a foreign country for a prolonged period of time?”
Another shared, “The job market here is brutal, so unless you can bring something unique to the table, I’m not sure how you’d be able to secure a job that readily. I know of plenty of friends and ex-colleagues here who have been jobless for a year or more.”
A third chimed in, “Your plan is crazy, not for financial reasons, but because you don’t seem to have done much research to understand the job market and visa situation in Singapore at the moment. If you’re working in finance, you probably don’t need to worry about speaking Chinese.”
A fourth added, “Haha you know the answer to this already. It’s a risky plan— might work out, might not. Your limiting factor is how long you can survive on your savings & how long immigration will let you do ‘visa runs.’ Whether it’s worth the risk is up to you to decide.”
How long can Vietnamese citizens stay in Singapore?
According to Vietnam Airlines, Vietnamese citizens can stay for up to 30 days in Singapore without a visa, provided that their passports are valid for at least six months, they have return tickets, and they can demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover their stay.
Those intending to stay in Singapore for more than 30 days must obtain a visa.
Read more: After a lifetime of saving, this Singaporean man can’t enjoy the retirement he planned for
