Many individuals transfer overseas for varied causes, however oftentimes, all of it boils right down to the pursuit of a greater life.

The similar will be mentioned for Kay Cheong. Initially from Kuala Lumpur, the 36-year-old is now a proud Singapore citizen. However the journey to amass that citizenship wasn’t simple.

The eldest little one born to a beneath common revenue household, Kay has all the time been hungry for fulfillment, wanting to alter not simply her personal life-style, however that of her complete household. A tough employee, she began choosing up part-time jobs on the tender age of 14.

Neither of her mother and father had been capable of end their main faculty training, however Kay understood the significance of training. Her efforts paid off when she managed to enrol in her best choice for tertiary training, which was Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

There, she bought her bachelor’s diploma in Economics with a serious in Worldwide Economics. She went on to be a monetary advisor with Nice Jap, receiving rookie agent awards for her work.

Though her profession was already very promising, Kay determined to make a pivot. She got here to Singapore on an Employment Cross to hitch the cabin crew of Singapore Airways (SIA).

That was 12 years in the past. Immediately, Kay is the co-founder and managing director of The Immigration Folks, an immigration consultancy in Singapore.

Addressing gaps within the immigration trade

Three years into her profession in Singapore, Kay utilized for everlasting residence standing on her personal. It took her a few 12 months of ready earlier than being accredited.  

Recounting her journey, Kay shared, “I keep in mind clearly that there have been lacking paperwork and I needed to journey again to KL to retrieve these paperwork and return to ICA to submit them.”

At that time of time, she didn’t know in regards to the existence of immigration businesses.

However in 2017, after 5 years of flying, she felt drained and needed to spend extra time together with her child boy, who’s now 6 years previous. So, she clipped her wings searching for extra of a ground-based profession.  

She went into the immigration trade, working for one more immigration agency for a number of years. Right here, she related with Elena Kwa.

Collectively, they observed elements of the industries that might do with enhancements. There was a spot, they realised, between what the purchasers of immigration consultancies really need, versus what the trade was providing.

Discovering alignment between their visions, they left their earlier agency and began The Immigration Folks (TIP) in 2019.

With a objective of offering extra transparency within the trade, they clearly state their pricing on the TIP web site and actively run a YouTube channel the place they speak about Singapore immigration issues very brazenly.

“We’re the one agency who has an lively YouTube channel, importing movies as soon as every week sharing matters on Singapore immigration issues since 2020,” Kay claimed.

Turning a revenue

Presently, TIP has a workforce of 15, together with Kay and Elena as the administrators of the corporate.

Since beginning in 2019, they’ve serviced greater than 3,000 purchasers. Most of their purchasers are coming from nations corresponding to China, India, France, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, and Southeast Asian nations corresponding to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

After all, Kay is working to make TIP the highest immigration consultancy agency in not simply Singapore, however the whole Asian area.

However past that, she additionally needs TIP to be a one-stop store for everybody who want to migrate to Singapore.

Meaning they wish to assist migrants arrange companies, present accounting and tax advisory to corporations and people, help households with their kids’s enrolment into academic establishments, and provide homestay providers for international college students who want to examine in Singapore.

Bringing fulfilment to others

Immediately, Kay is a full-fledged citizen of Singapore, having utilized for citizenship a number of years in the past.

At first, she had thought that being a PR was adequate, however after her divorce, she realised citizenship would make extra sense, significantly by way of home possession.

Naturally, she let her workforce at The Immigration Folks deal with her software. She trusted them a lot that she didn’t even test by way of the kinds earlier than submission.

“I used to be blissful that I bought my citizenship accredited with out additional questions requested, in contrast to my PR software,” she shared.

As to why she determined to formally turn into a Singaporean, Kay defined, “Singapore feels extra like house to me.”

As such, she doesn’t envision herself going again to stay in Malaysia. A giant a part of the reason being as a result of her son can be Singaporean, and her enterprise is fairly steady in Singapore.

“I needed the perfect for myself and my dearest household, and I actually imagine that turning into a Singapore citizen is the best selection for them and myself, therefore I turned a Singaporean myself,” Kay expressed.

These questions requested to Kay relating to her transfer to Singapore are additionally frequent ones that they ask their purchasers. The solutions have primarily been profession and academic alternatives, as Singapore is thought for its sturdy financial system and job market.

“Many people, particularly from the SEA area, could also be drawn to the varied profession alternatives and better incomes potential out there in Singapore,” Kay reasoned.

Different frequent causes are larger high quality of life as Singapore has comparatively good healthcare, training, security, and infrastructure. The multicultural society and cosmopolitan life-style are additionally engaging to these in search of a various and dynamic setting.

However no matter their causes, Kay believes it’s not for anybody else to guage. Many individuals might criticise others for being unpatriotic for leaving their motherland, however on the finish of the day, it’s as much as every particular person to make their respective selections.

Having gone by way of the immigration course of herself, Kay mentioned, “When others method me to turn into a citizen in Singapore, I don’t object to them as I imagine they should have completed their fair proportion of pondering earlier than coming to their thoughts to transform themselves.”

• Study extra about The Immigration Folks right here.
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Featured Picture Credit score: The Immigration Folks