Information about getting visa for level I countries

[gulsh]

Hello,

I am moving to Singapore in September, I got a job from the UK.
I live with my fiancé there but at the beginning I will move alone.
The plan is that she should start to look for a job asap, try to get something from there, but I heard that is difficult from Europe. So then we were thinking that maybe she could apply for a travel visa and then try to schedule some interviews saying that she is in the country visiting me.

My questions are, considering the new laws starting from the 1st of august:

- How many chances she has to get a travel/visiting visa coming from level 1 country (Georgia) if I invite her? And the visa it is just for max 30 days, once in a year?

- Does she has chanches to get a job if she has a travel visa and if she has interviews while she is visiting me?

Basically, on your experience, I want to know if she has chances, aprox how many, to reach me in SG, otherwise I have to review my plans.

Thanks.

[gulsh]

Anyone know something, please?

[ecureilx]

Anyone know something, please?

visa for social visit has been discussed too many times here

there is no once a year rule (unless you make it up to keep her away ... :p)

renewal / extension is subjective ...

being here improves the chance for employers to prioritize the candidate vs those not here ... unless the candidate is super qualified / most wanted ...

[gulsh]

Thanks. Yes, I read many things. But I also read that the extension is subjective, so if she comes for 30 days and she asks for other 30 they might reject the visa.
I didn't have clear how many times she can enter with a 30 days visa, like come for 30 days, leave for 5, come back the 6th day for other 30days, and I'm a bit scared by the new rules, if they can really change something or not (make it more difficult).

[bgd]

I must have missed this. What are the new rules you refer to?

[gulsh]

I must have missed this. What are the new rules you refer to?

http://www.guidemesingapore.com/blog-po ... -from-2014

[JR8]

The new rules are re: Employment Passes, not tourists.

The issue here is your 'girlfriend' (legally) is from Georgia and you are seeking to get her to live here with you... your window of opportunities on that is very narrow especially given her passport.

[Strong Eagle]

Hello,

I am moving to Singapore in September, I got a job from the UK.
I live with my fiancé there but at the beginning I will move alone.
The plan is that she should start to look for a job asap, try to get something from there, but I heard that is difficult from Europe. So then we were thinking that maybe she could apply for a travel visa and then try to schedule some interviews saying that she is in the country visiting me.

My questions are, considering the new laws starting from the 1st of august:

- How many chances she has to get a travel/visiting visa coming from level 1 country (Georgia) if I invite her? And the visa it is just for max 30 days, once in a year?

- Does she has chanches to get a job if she has a travel visa and if she has interviews while she is visiting me?

Basically, on your experience, I want to know if she has chances, aprox how many, to reach me in SG, otherwise I have to review my plans.

Thanks.

You have two problems. Since she holds a passport from a level 1 country, she may have difficulty coming in more than once or twice a year. I have no hard evidence to back this up, but clearly level 1 countries are singled out for special visa treatment because the government views them as having a higher probability of abuse by overstaying.

Second, you don't say what your friend does and how much experience she has. Unless she has specific skills that will allow her to earn a good living wage, she may find it difficult to get any kind of employment pass.

You should state what she does, and how long she has been doing it, so that people on this board can offer their opinion of her chances of getting an employment permit.

[gulsh]

You have two problems. Since she holds a passport from a level 1 country, she may have difficulty coming in more than once or twice a year. I have no hard evidence to back this up, but clearly level 1 countries are singled out for special visa treatment because the government views them as having a higher probability of abuse by overstaying.

Second, you don't say what your friend does and how much experience she has. Unless she has specific skills that will allow her to earn a good living wage, she may find it difficult to get any kind of employment pass.

You should state what she does, and how long she has been doing it, so that people on this board can offer their opinion of her chances of getting an employment permit.

Thanks for the answer.
She is 26, she has a master degree in Economy (from a University in Berlin) and she has two years of working experience.

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she may have difficulty coming in more than once or twice a year.

that what I meant with a once a year rule.

If the chances are really low, we should stay where we are, and I will give up with the job offer.
We would like to work in Asia for couple of years, but consider that she is from Georgia it is a bit difficult to find a place where we are both sure to find a job (for example for me it would worth to move in SG without a job having 90days, but for her with 30days, once a year maybe, that's impossible to get something. I think).

[Strong Eagle]

I really don't know what you mean by a "once a year" rule.

I cannot find anything on the ICA website referring to such a rule.

Here is the real deal. With all the requirements lined up, someone from Georgia will get the normal 30 day visitors visa. You might even be able to extend the stay by making application.

I suspect that if someone who has to apply for a visa cannot make any visa runs anywhere else to get the visa extended.

If your friend leaves on time and returns back to Georgia, I see no reason why she can't come back again.

Again, it is entirely up to the immigration officer at the time of entry to:

a) Grant or deny you permission to enter the country.
b) Determine how long you can stay in the country.

People who have abused their stay by making visa runs to JB or Batam sometimes find they are given only 3 days upon return, just enough time to get permanently out of the country.

The bottom line is that there is a risk that you might not get as many trips to Singapore as you might like but so long as the authorities don't see abuse in the travel, I see no reason why the visa wouldn't be granted.

If she has a master degree in economics, and she is working in a related field, and the skills she has might be useful to a multinational company, then she might get an employment pass.

But two years is not much experience, and if her experience is not related to her degree, than a) she will find it very tough to find someone to hire her, and b) the government won't grant her an employment pass.

[gulsh]

I really don't know what you mean by a "once a year" rule.

I cannot find anything on the ICA website referring to such a rule.

Here is the real deal. With all the requirements lined up, someone from Georgia will get the normal 30 day visitors visa. You might even be able to extend the stay by making application.

I suspect that if someone who has to apply for a visa cannot make any visa runs anywhere else to get the visa extended.

If your friend leaves on time and returns back to Georgia, I see no reason why she can't come back again.

Again, it is entirely up to the immigration officer at the time of entry to:

a) Grant or deny you permission to enter the country.
b) Determine how long you can stay in the country.

People who have abused their stay by making visa runs to JB or Batam sometimes find they are given only 3 days upon return, just enough time to get permanently out of the country.

The bottom line is that there is a risk that you might not get as many trips to Singapore as you might like but so long as the authorities don't see abuse in the travel, I see no reason why the visa wouldn't be granted.

If she has a master degree in economics, and she is working in a related field, and the skills she has might be useful to a multinational company, then she might get an employment pass.

But two years is not much experience, and if her experience is not related to her degree, than a) she will find it very tough to find someone to hire her, and b) the government won't grant her an employment pass.

Thanks, really clear.

Do you think in your opinion that the new rules coming from the 1st august they will be really followed by the companies? I mean, do you think we will have a renewal in the work environment?

[ecureilx]

.
I suspect that if someone who has to apply for a visa cannot make any visa runs anywhere else to get the visa extended..

you are correct re countries requiring visa in advance

the only recourse to extend those visas is to go directly to ICA but, unlike those days where any SC/PR can extend anybody's visa now only family members can do so.

even visa with multiple entry have been advised the multiple entry applies only if the visa holder goes back to their country and return ... not valid for visa runs.

[bgd]

I must have missed this. What are the new rules you refer to?

http://www.guidemesingapore.com/blog-po ... -from-2014

Thanks. Yes that I knew about. I thought you were talking about changes to the tourist visa.