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Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Relocating, travelling or planning to make Singapore home? Discuss the criterias, passes or visa that is required.
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Thatguy
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Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by Thatguy » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 7:33 pm

Hi All,

Wanted to seek your opinions on the current situation my GF and I are in.

My GF was in Singapore in and out since June this year on 90 day SVPs. However, on our return from a short break away in early December, she was pulled aside at ICA clearance. I was there, so I went to speak to the ICA senior officer and he asked me is she with me. To which I responded with a resounding YES. The officer responded with "if you weren't here, I would have sent her back". He then sent my GF on her way through with a 7 day SVP.

I understand that there are rules such as a Visitor may not exceed a period of 6 months stay in Singapore over a year.

Note: However, my GF had worked in SG before for a few years. She is a teacher

My questions to the experts on the forum are:

1. Does being pulled aside and allowed to enter Singapore constitute a black-listing of any sort? My research has proved inconclusive and I would like some certainty in this regard.

2. Timing for next visit. At this stage I plan to have my GF visit me after a period of at least 3 months. Does this sound sane at all? I guess this can be answered by addressing my next final question...

3. With the maximum visit threshold of 6 months in a 12 month period (OR is it a calendar year?), when do they calculate this from? Is there an exact point in time?

Many thanks for your support.

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Re: RE: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by ecureilx » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 8:46 pm

Thatguy wrote:Hi All,

Wanted to seek your opinions on the current situation my GF and I are in.

My GF was in Singapore in and out since June this year on 90 day SVPs. However, on our return from a short break away in early December, she was pulled aside at ICA clearance. I was there, so I went to speak to the ICA senior officer and he asked me is she with me. To which I responded with a resounding YES. The officer responded with "if you weren't here, I would have sent her back". He then sent my GF on her way through with a 7 day SVP.

I understand that there are rules such as a Visitor may not exceed a period of 6 months stay in Singapore over a year.

Note: However, my GF had worked in SG before for a few years. She is a teacher

My questions to the experts on the forum are:

1. Does being pulled aside and allowed to enter Singapore constitute a black-listing of any sort? My research has proved inconclusive and I would like some certainty in this regard.

2. Timing for next visit. At this stage I plan to have my GF visit me after a period of at least 3 months. Does this sound sane at all? I guess this can be answered by addressing my next final question...

3. With the maximum visit threshold of 6 months in a 12 month period (OR is it a calendar year?), when do they calculate this from? Is there an exact point in time?

Many thanks for your support.
You never said where your girlfriend is from ?

And how many times she been visiting Singapore after she stopped working?

And how short was the left sojourn ?

And was she doing visa runs without going back to her home country ?

In the past former pass holders were treated better upon their return to Singapore but of late they too are subject to the same scrutiny as many freelancing females arriving in Singapore.

For 1) no, but she's likely to be given the lovely 7 day visa on her next visit

For 2) no such 'timing' but the longer she stays away, the better it is (if your love can stand the separation... ;) )

For 3) no formula, once she is being monitored + based on her passport, she maybe refused entry on her next visit or not.

ICA keeps their cards close so nobody can play the system. Hence you take your chances.

90 day visa ? Is she holding a US or European passport?

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Re: RE: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by Thatguy » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 9:04 pm

ecureilx wrote:
Thatguy wrote:Hi All,

Wanted to seek your opinions on the current situation my GF and I are in.

My GF was in Singapore in and out since June this year on 90 day SVPs. However, on our return from a short break away in early December, she was pulled aside at ICA clearance. I was there, so I went to speak to the ICA senior officer and he asked me is she with me. To which I responded with a resounding YES. The officer responded with "if you weren't here, I would have sent her back". He then sent my GF on her way through with a 7 day SVP.

I understand that there are rules such as a Visitor may not exceed a period of 6 months stay in Singapore over a year.

Note: However, my GF had worked in SG before for a few years. She is a teacher

My questions to the experts on the forum are:

1. Does being pulled aside and allowed to enter Singapore constitute a black-listing of any sort? My research has proved inconclusive and I would like some certainty in this regard.

2. Timing for next visit. At this stage I plan to have my GF visit me after a period of at least 3 months. Does this sound sane at all? I guess this can be answered by addressing my next final question...

3. With the maximum visit threshold of 6 months in a 12 month period (OR is it a calendar year?), when do they calculate this from? Is there an exact point in time?

Many thanks for your support.
You never said where your girlfriend is from ?

And how many times she been visiting Singapore after she stopped working?

And how short was the left sojourn ?

And was she doing visa runs without going back to her home country ?

In the past former pass holders were treated better upon their return to Singapore but of late they too are subject to the same scrutiny as many freelancing females arriving in Singapore.

For 1) no, but she's likely to be given the lovely 7 day visa on her next visit

For 2) no such 'timing' but the longer she stays away, the better it is (if your love can stand the separation... ;) )

For 3) no formula, once she is being monitored + based on her passport, she maybe refused entry on her next visit or not.

ICA keeps their cards close so nobody can play the system. Hence you take your chances.

90 day visa ? Is she holding a US or European passport?
Thanks for your response.

She is from the Republic of Korea.

She has been travelling back and forth with me, so she had never breached the 90 day SVP (thought the 6/12 month threshold was breached recently)

Last trip out was for Five days.

Not really Visa runs, she follows me wherever I go for business/ meetings. Either SEA or NEA. I travel frequently.

Do these data points affect what you had already pointed out in anyway?

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Re: RE: Re: RE: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by ecureilx » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 9:32 pm

Thatguy wrote:
Thanks for your response.

She is from the Republic of Korea.

She has been travelling back and forth with me, so she had never breached the 90 day SVP (thought the 6/12 month threshold was breached recently)

Last trip out was for Five days.

Not really Visa runs, she follows me wherever I go for business/ meetings. Either SEA or NEA. I travel frequently.

Do these data points affect what you had already pointed out in anyway?
Firstly there is no "threshold" - That's from what I know about how ICA folks possibly identify possible abuses or violations of visit visa.

Data points ? :) no comments. There's no data to analyse per se.

If she had been going back home after her 90 day visa instead of somewhere nearby, she may have dodged the 7 day visa.

She follows you but she's not your wife so for ICA its a dodgy travel pattern. It's not like they gonna reveal their suspicions. For them it maybe visa runs.

And they maybe wondering what this young Korean girl doing to survive so long in expensive Singapore. And occasionally local immigration raids do net Koreans too. Along with other Asians.

Nothing much I can say. Best is to let her stay away for 6 months or so and on her next visit, you should accompany her.

Or you can try an earlier return to Singapore.

Or marry her before her next arrival ;)

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Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 10:39 pm

Little information regarding ICA officers. They, like immigration officers worldwide, are human beings who occasionally wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Additionally, like their counterparts worldwide, are given extreme latitude with the carrying out of their duties (e.g., they are mini-gods and you have absolutely no say, and they don't have to answer to anybody.) Therefore, it's best to not try to second guess them as your girlfriend and quite possibly you, yourself, could find yourself out of Singapore (EP or not) faster than you can say "don't let the door at changi hit you on the arse going out". they have more pull and power than MOM so your EP would not be a safe haven. The best she can do is go home for a minimum of 6 months before gambling again. The fact that she was only given 7 days already shows that the passport has been flagged. Therefore, they will be gunning for her. For that matter, if they checked your ID you will also be flagged and probably will be watched on your 'frequent' trips to see if you are bringing in more "working girls" as that may well be what they are looking for. I'm pretty sure that is NOT the scenario, but to them, they see that kind of stuff happening daily. Therefore they tend to err on the side of caution.

I don't understand why people insist of jeopardizing their future when it's so easy just to get married. If it isn't on the cards, then leave her and find a local girl. Why take a chance on messing up her life and possibly even yours in the process.

NB: all the "criteria" and "points" in the ICA manual are just guidelines and not 'carved in stone'. It's up the the individual ICA officer's gut feel as to how he handles any case. I used to get tons of anecdotal evidence on the lives of Immigration Officers as for three years I shared an office with the US INS officer in Singapore up on the 32nd floor of IP from 1988 to 1991 when doing resettlement work for the US during the VN boat people exodus).
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: RE: Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by ecureilx » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 11:16 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote: I don't understand why people insist of jeopardizing their future when it's so easy just to get married. If it isn't on the cards, then leave her and find a local girl. Why take a chance on messing up her life and possibly even yours in the process.
+1 :)

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Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by Thatguy » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 11:34 pm

Thank you gentlemen. Isn't is sick what we guys do for the sake of love?

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Re: RE: Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by ecureilx » Tue, 29 Dec 2015 11:47 pm

Thatguy wrote:Thank you gentlemen. Isn't is sick what we guys do for the sake of love?
Don't worry, you will wake up one day Image

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Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by Strong Eagle » Wed, 30 Dec 2015 2:13 am

Thatguy wrote:Thank you gentlemen. Isn't is sick what we guys do for the sake of love?
Or, as an old friend of mine put it one day, "... the things a man will do for a little bit of pussy."

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Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by BBCWatcher » Wed, 30 Dec 2015 8:18 am

Thatguy wrote:Isn't is sick what we guys do for the sake of love?
No. Just romantic. ;) Passport control officers aren't so much.

Assuming you'd like to continue seeing each other, one solution is to travel more outside Singapore -- to diversify your and her tourism. Malaysia and Indonesia are reasonably convenient. There are many countries (and "Special Administrative Regions") between Singapore and Korea, each with its own immigration "zone." The same issues apply: foreigners (including you) can abuse their tourist privileges in any country/region. So don't do that. Stay out more than you're in (and preferably much better than that), and don't enter any country/region too many times. Note that airside hotels don't involve clearing immigration, and there are a few between Singapore and Korea. Taipei has one to pick an example. If you're on a business trip to city X, then she may be able to visit you without necessarily clearing immigration. (No, I've never done that. But it's an option.)

Or perhaps she can qualify on her own to relocate to Singapore, Johor Bahru, Bintan, or Batam -- but you aren't assured entry to the last three.

I like the marriage/DP idea assuming you both "I do" as well.

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Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by ecureilx » Wed, 30 Dec 2015 9:19 am

BBCWatcher wrote:Malaysia and Indonesia are reasonably convenient. There are many countries (and "Special Administrative Regions") between Singapore and Korea, each with its own immigration "zone." The same issues apply: foreigners (including you) can abuse their tourist privileges in any country/region. So don't do that. Stay out more than you're in (and preferably much better than that), and don't enter any country/region too many times. Note that airside hotels don't involve clearing immigration, and there are a few between Singapore and Korea. Taipei has one to pick an example. If you're on a business trip to city X, then she may be able to visit you without necessarily clearing immigration. (No, I've never done that. But it's an option.)

Or perhaps she can qualify on her own to relocate to Singapore, Johor Bahru, Bintan, or Batam -- but you aren't assured entry to the last three.
So true :D ;) And Never miss a chance to plug Malaysia or Indonesia ;) (no offense, a lot of pun was really intended)

but I do like the hotel of meeting in air side hotels (where do you get such amazing ideas ? )

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Re: Need advice on GF's SVP (yes, this topic again)

Post by BBCWatcher » Wed, 30 Dec 2015 2:22 pm

ecureilx wrote:but I do like the hotel of meeting in air side hotels (where do you get such amazing ideas ? )
From Mehran Karimi Nasseri via Tom Hanks. Many marriages don't last as long as Nasseri's airside stay in Terminal 1 of Charles de Gaulle International Airport. Nasseri holds the record for longest stay at an airport.

More recently, whistleblower Edward Snowden stayed about five weeks in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

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