EP Pending Had Visitor Visa went to Aus, can I come back to SG?

See my response:

My question is, if my EP isn't approved in that time frame and I don't have a departing flight what should I do?

- You need to book a return flight ticket (to your home country or elsewhere) or else immigration officer will deport you back to Sydney. When you show the return flight ticket, then must have to show your accommodation details here including contact number in case if it’s not a hotel, officer may verify.

Also to note upon entering on the 2nd July I wrote on the card I was going to go to Malaysia (of course I didn't because I booked a last minute flight to Sydney), my concern is will they pull that up and ask why I didn't go Malaysia? What should I write on this disembarking card? Will I get rejected upon entering?

- It was wrong to mention incorrect information, unless you had planned to visit Malaysia. Nevertheless you can tell the officer (if he or she asks, though chances are less) that due to an urgency I had to visit Sydney or you may tell the truth (but consult with the employer and seek their advise then follow). Chances are there that officer will ask questions as why you are visiting second time in less than a month or two (but deport based on this - chances are less but we never know).


Should I avoid saying my partner is here I'm currently staying in an AirBnb, will they check up on that?

- For your knowledge, AirBnb is banned here. There were some discussion was going on with Govt few months back to allow very few selective high end condos or landed property to do Airbnb business but didn’t have any news since then. So, don’t ever tell that someone is renting you and your partner here, unless your partner has got rented house in a proper way (like 1yr or 6months contract on bond paper).

Secondly, Govt doesn’t recognise partner or bf gf kind of relationship here. It only recognises legally married couple. So, visiting partner second time will not give you relief.

Lastly, each application takes its own time and we have seen EP approval can take a week to few months (have history people even have to wait 3 months or more). Good luck

1. My accommodation is my partner's place (which is the AirBnb that we have booked for 6 weeks until they find perm flat), can I write that down and give their number?

2. I was originally going to go to KL/Melacca as a trip there, but then work asked me to go to Sydney so I delayed this trip. I'm still going to go to Malaysia but I think I'll book a trip to Hong Kong after for a week and stay with friends as it looks like coming back to SG might be difficult. (Thinking of booking for the 17th Aug, is that too long from my original date of entry)

With that being said do you think I should book an outbound journey but when I re-enter SG apply for the 90 day extended visa? I'm a UK national so I'm hoping this will be ok to do on my second trip?

Should I just call ICA about it and explain that I'm waiting for my EP and want to get a 90 extended visa until then? With the EP still pending I think it will be a long time (probably another month) till I get it so just thinking of whats best to do.

Thanks,

Shirley

As I said don’t use the word AirBnb, tell you are staying with your friend then give the address and contact number (mentioned in embarkation card).

If you show flight ticket to HK on 17th Aug, should be ok.

Extension of another 30 days may not be granted, 90 days BIG NO (this is only applicable for those foreigners coming here for medical treatment or any parents visiting their children with valid rationale). Try for 30 days, if you are lucky then can be granted but chances are low (as ICA can see your history that you are already visited here recently). I don’t think carrying an UK passport, you will get special treatment (If I’m not wrong, your name suggest, you are from a Chinese descent, though it won’t change the outcome).

They go by rule book and your history, it shows you are here recently and again visiting without any valid reason (business trip or conference or visiting family etc can be termed as valid).

If you tell ICA about your pass pending then officer will ask why you are here then? Why don’t you come here after MoM approves your pass and release IPA letter?

They won’t entertain and will simply tell that return to your country and wait till pass approves. We have seen many such instances in past in Expat forum.

I would suggest the best way to avoid unnecessary questions from immigration officer is that request your employer to extend another month for you to work in Sydney office. You may discuss with your employer then find out the solution for this.

Not sure about your position, salary, educational background and experiences, you are hired in a small firm as MoM looks all these points before approving the pass, may ask the employer to provide evidence that the employer tried locally for the position and couldn’t hire local candidate due to lack of skills here. Good luck

Hey

Thank you for coming back to me!

So will speak to my employer about it and will call ICA tomorrow about a visitors visa and ask there opinion as I don't want to be at the border getting questioned like I'm a smuggler/some illegal migrant.

But I am coming for leisure as I'm visiting my friends, so how come I wouldn't be granted the 30 day pass? I'm not working I'm waiting for a job to start before starting any work, but if its not granted before say 2-3 weeks I would go to Hong Kong (can't financially afford to live in SG with nothing and I would go slightly bonkers if i was there with nothing to do!) So I would go to Hong kong afterwards to stay with my grandparents around the 17th Aug till whenever the IPA is approved (if it does happen). (Just I didn't pack a lot to live out of a small carry on suitcase... didn't anticipate all the noise with getting two visitor passes within the same month).

I would stay in Sydney but the contract is on a daily rate with accom (so don't think they want to be paying me for more time in Sydney) and the main point of the flight was to get a handover of work for when I start in SG properly as they want to move the business unit from Sydney to SG so I don't need to be in Sydney any longer than a week or two.

Just a question about your reply earlier I thought UK citizens can extend by up to 90 days because it says on ICA you can extend if European doesn't state you have to be ill or have family there?

Thanks,

Shirley

If you read in ICA website, it has stated that a visitor can extend to 90 days but there should a valid rationale. There is no justification in your case, how are you going to justify to visit here for you leisure month after month?

I'm not justifying a month after month stay I just want to enter a second time in a one month period, after 14 -20 days I would leave then and wait it out in Hong Kong until my pass is accepted or rejected. But that I am here for leisure, heck before I left I visited all Singapore zoo's including Jurong bird park, saw the marina bay light show, had Kaya toast and visited many hawkers including little India. Does that mean I managed to see all of Singapore? No not really so is it uncommon that I had to fly out to Australia for the purpose of work IN Sydney then wanting to return to finish seeing the rest of SG and pick up my things to depart from SG in the meantime? I was so busy before I left I didn't even have time to try the singapore sling in raffles house! My point being I would have done more tourist things regardless, then gone to Malaysia to do another trip then as well, as I've always wanted to go to Melaka then finished with seeing my grandparents before flying back to SG and starting work.

Yes the officer might think what if I don't leave and it all a load of BS, but on the flip side what if it's all true and I do leave? I will call ICA tomorrow and ask them there opinion on a best approach so I don't waste my time coming back to Singapore and go Malaysia meet my partner get my things and have a short trip to Malaysia together and part ways until Pass outcome.

I'm not saying I'm applying for the 90 days I'm just querying what the rational is for the additional time frame, it doesn't mention you have to be explicitly ill or seeing a member of family. Singapore is a central hub to so many other countries similar to when a person travels to Europe, most the time you don't just apply for one country's access visa for a specific timeframe. You apply for the max time you can get the visa granted to you and all the countries that are open to you so you can better maximise your trip to see as many places as possible as it takes so long to travel from SEA to Europe. When i was travelling through SEA I just booked my next destination when I felt like I'd seen enough of one country, I did this for 3 months through different ports, I never exceeded a stay but I definitely entered and exited through multiple points to continue my journey onwards.

Regardless of my original post this board is here to guide people on the best approach and answer to queries to help ease there mind. With each post I've made, the comments back have been in a manner of negativity, nit-picking and scare mongering of people to avoid SG at all costs. Most other boards I've seen are not abrupt or critically belittling other people's post, most ask for more information to better phrase an answer and it's possible solution(s) if there is one or refer them to speak directly to MOM/embassy for a more accurate answer.

Also making quick judgements about what ethnicity I am/descent is not a manner I considered necessary for a visa application or this post. I simply stated I'm a UK national who wanted to enquire from those who have had experience with the extended visa application not because I'm a particular ethnic group so was there a need to mention it? Not really.

Thanks,

Shirley

Don't let Surya make you paranoid:
All he said is possible, but not very likely for a Chinese-origin UK citizen (yes, there IS discrimination here!) who stayed away from Singapore for almost a week (if possible, delay that to make it sufficiently more than a week).
Most likely, you will not even be questioned. But if they do, just show proof of your EP application and say this trip is for accommodation (rental) search.
He is right that you should NOT mention AirBnB, which is illegal in Singapore. And if the EP takes that long, asking for a 30-days extension of your visit visa is a matter of luck - you can try but have a plan B (e.g. Hong Kong).
And: Under NO circumstances should you start work at your employer's Singapore office before your EP is approved and issued!

All I wanted to tell you that you MAY face these issues or questions by immigration officer. There is high possibility that immigration officer may not ask, some cases it depends on individual officer.

You can read expats compliments after taking our advise during their travel tussle. In your case, we didn’t want you to face any such issues which you were not aware of. The entire exchange of messages were help you understand the possibility of your case, certainly not to scare you.

I have already told you that planning to visit HK, SHOULD be a good idea as you MUST have a return ticket on your arrival. I was only saying that for further 30 days extension you may have to provide rationale, as Beppi said you would be lucky to be given (extension of 90 days BIG NO, I never heard in my 11 years stay in Singapore that a tourist or a work pass pending employee got 90 days extension - unless he or she got critically ill during his or her visit which needs to be treated for that long).

It’s correct approach from your end to reach out ICA for any doubts as they are final authority to say Yes or No.

Later, you may share us what ICA informed you on this, which would help the forum as well as other expats who are seeking help on similar cases. Good luck

Note: To tell the immigration officer that your EP is pending and you are here for rental search, mayn’t give a valid rationale as ICA can see in their record that you have already travelled and stayed a month recently.