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i ll help u friends...

As far as I know there is no visa for your case.
So your only chance is getting a dependent's pass based on your kid's student visa (which he can get as enrolled full-time student in a registered institution). If that will be granted in your case, and for both trailing parents, remains to be seen.
Good luck!

P.S.: Please note that Mandarin is not widely spoken in public life in Singapore. To learn the language, I would go elsewhere (China, Taiwan).

Thanks WC
   If Mandrin is not the primary language spoken then what is ?? I have read the school system is wonderful and that english is taught as a secondary idioma . We have been both to China and Taiwan and have no desire to set down there for 2 years due to the pollution so not really an option there . We have since spoke with the SG embassy and they say as you regarding the visa issue . It is a little disconcerning to leave our fate left in the hands of a particular immigration officer at the airport but so be it and I will have all the paper I can think of available for that person . Any district recommended , from what I can see 04 seems nice for sports and beach's . Is tennis a popoular sport played ?? I heard kite surfing is illegal on many beach's as well .

(A) English is the medium of instruction in Singapore schools




(B) Visitor Seeking Long Term Stay

Eligibility

Visitors are eligible to apply for a renewable Long Term Visit Pass of up to 5 years if they meet the following criteria:

1. 45 years old and above;

2. own a property / properties in Singapore worth at least S$500,000 (in total) for residential purposes and meet any one of the following financial requirements:
2.1) have savings of at least S$400,000 parked in Singapore in any form of financial instruments based in Singapore, or
2.2) show evidence of a monthly local income of at least S$7,000, or
2.3) have a combined, savings and 5-year equivalent income of at least $400,000.

3. must be in good health

4. have valid Medical Insurance in Singapore

English is both the most widely spoken language and the medium of instruction at all public schools. All students also attend classes in one of the other national languages (Chinese, Malay, Tamil). If your child is ethnically member of one of these groups, this must be the so-called "mother tongue" (even for e.g. Northern Indians, who might not like Tamil, or Hongkongers who only speak Cantonese). If your child is neither or mixed, you can choose.
However, among the ethnically Chinese children in the class (who might speak Chinese at home), your child will be lost and need a lot of tuition to make the class goal.
All other subjects are solely taught in English.
I don't think you can get an LTSVP ("Long Term Social Visit Pass" - that is the correct term, not dependet pass as I wrote above) on arrival at the airport, only a 30 or 90 day visitor visa, which does not allow residence (i.e. renting anything other than a hotel room). Get your child's student pass and apply for an LTSVP based on that at the embassy before coming.

You also seem to have some misconceptions about life in Singapore: It is a huge, crowded city with no way to escape on its small island. There are no beaches worth mentioning. Nothing is far, but district 04 is one of the busiest and most expensive areas - I wouldn't want to live there. The air is certainly more polluted than in the Chinese countryside or the Taiwanese mountains (which are well worth visiting!).

OP, allow me to add a few point from an expat's point of view.

I'm in my 11th year in Singapore and still enjoy every day. I can imagine why you'd want to live here.

However, that said, Singapore takes quite a pragmatic approach when it comes to new immigrants. In a nutshell, you need to offer some value. Usually, this means your work is deemed beneficial country, either directly or indirectly.

Since you're retired, you can't go the work route. Perhaps coming out of retirement is an option, especially since the economies here in Asia are currently booming; I'm sure you won't go without a job for long.

Perhaps you can set up a part-time or SOHO scenario whereby you start your own business and employ yourself.

The other ways to enter Singapore on a long-term basis have already been outlined above.

Incidentally, the official stance here is that kite-surfing is illegal. However, from where I live, I can see kiters out at sea almost every day. They tell me that so long as no serious accidents occur, kiting will remain to be tolerated.

If you like beach life, I suggest you focus on district 16, my district It's not exactly Waikiki, but it's certainly enjoyable enough.

By the way, yes, tennis is quite popular here.

Language-wise, please note that neither Mandarin or English are spoken particularly well here. It seems that people are caught in between the two languages. (There are of course plenty of exceptions.) In all likelihood, you'll find that your kid will pick up Singlish quite readily, the local pidgin English that many people, young and old, tend to slip into.

Lastly, whilst the air over Singapore is not as pristine as any countryside anywhere, for most of the year it's a lot cleaner than the main populated areas in China and certainly Hong Kong.

By all means let us know if you need more details.

Regards,

Bry

Bry
  Thanks very much for the info , dist 16 looks good and we are working on getting a student pass for our 5 year old that we can all ride on , the only issue for me would be the purchasing a home , I have no desire to own real estate in SG ( although probably a good investment )but at this point in our lives to much of a pain to have to sell when we pick up every 2 years or so . Singapore looks exciting and the beaches look good from what I can tell on Google maps , Thanks for the encouragment it really helps . We will take a quick 2 week trip there in a month or two to do some scouting around . Also good to hear re: the tennis side and the casual approach to the kiting issue .  Thanks ,   Ciao