Entry rejected at Changi airport while holding a approved entry visa

[ecureilx]

I've been here over 30 years and in HR for the last 20 years. Just because you haven't heard about it before doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Just my 2c and a heck of a lot of anecdotal evidence that it does in fact happen. And yes, if you come from a country with a 90 day visa, it is, in fact possible, but if you come from a 3rd world country on a 30 day visa it gets much trickier. .

Me haven't been here as long as you .. but I agree, a lot of mysterious processes are never in black and white, for good reason - so people don't game the system.

Example, somebody from an ASEAN country was asking about visa to Singapore on an unrelated forum, and the girl said she is 20, and has more than 60k s$ equivalent, and if that's good to visit Singapore. I asked why 60k, and she said that's the amount recommended to get US visa. I didn't bother ask how she "saved" that much cash ...

[JR8]

Refer to my post of yesterday of my doing similar vs US immigration, and the results of it.

The way to try and wipe the slate clean now, is to go and get a proper visa from the embassy. The embassy will already know/see the circumstances, but they'll ask her anyway... 'I can travel frequently, and I now appreciate that this falls outside of the typical pattern of a tourist visitor using the SVP on arrival', etc [or similar].

[sundaymorningstaple]

The problem is, that there is not a proper visa for what she is trying to do, and that is accompany her S Pass husband in Singapore in defiance of the curbs deliberately put in place by ICA to limit just that happening. I suppose she might be able to sweet talk them, but married I kind of doubt it as their hand are pretty much tied as well.

[imsanal]

Thank you all for the time and feedback.

Yeah, now its a clear picture why they refused entry. It could be this 5th month problem though I never had an intention of abusing the visa system, it was just trying to stay with my family in a way I could manage. Also the current spass salary barrier for dp makes it impossible for people like me to stay as family here. Though I earn an average of 4.5k to 5k every month, the fixed pay/month won't be anywhere nearby.

As per the feedback I'll try to apply with form14 next month. Hopefully by end of 2015 we can manage to get admission in sit / ntu. I don't know whether there are any hidden regulations for ICA for spouses abroad applying student pass. Keeping fingers crossed.

[imsanal]

The one and only single thing which makes me worry is why ICA approved the visa online if they don't want her to enter Singapore again for 5th time. It could have helped us to avoid all this drama and 12 hour trauma at airport, isolated in a locked room like convicts

[ecureilx]

The one and only single thing which makes me worry is why ICA approved the visa online if they don't want her to enter Singapore again for 5th time. It could have helped us to avoid all this drama and 12 hour trauma at airport, isolated in a locked room like convicts

You are missing the point

ICA or most govt agencies here don't go about publishing the what and what nots...

If she has a phone they would have definitely allowed her to use it.

[JR8]

I think the OP makes a valid point. we know that physical immigration always has the last word, 101% understandable why that is = fine, but what might they have known or concluded, that was not already revealed via the online visa application that had led to the earlier approval?

Bouncing out visitors who arrive and are looking forward to a stay, 'all pre-approved' etc., surely doesn't make for very good PR/policy?

[x9200]

Yes, except that not necessary the rejecting decision was made based on the pre-existing data and could have been made based on what the border officer got at the time she was interviewed. I believe they always do profiling.

4 months a year is a lot but not necessary will lead to an immediate rejection at the next attempt to cross the border. There may be some other factors, the country of origin is surely one of them but the list is probably much longer. If they would like to reject based on some pre-existing data it would probably require some effort to collect it and prepare. Many databases are probably linked but unlikely all the databases so why should they invest their time and money to figure out if there is no guaranty this person will attempt to cross the border again in any critical time?

Just an imaginary example that may sound silly but maybe is not that silly afterall. They saw her spending 4 months within 2014 and this raised a red flag so they held her to do some extra screening. They connected to the ezlink database and noted that every time she was visiting the spendings for the cards registered to her husband were like tripled. Buses/MRTs and such are subsidized services I believed... Then they connected to another database etc. etc.

Besides, if I am not mistake the US immigration do or used to do exactly the same. Many people got just turned back after flying in to the States with valid visas.

Edited to add some more comments.

[sgstrait]

The officer will think : she's not here on business, she's not here as a tourist, she's not here as a student she's not here as an employee, she's not here to attend a trade fair, she's not here to invent something so what is she here for? Most probably to live with her husband, but there's a different process for that which they haven't gone through.

[ful babu]

May not be completely relevant ...

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/i ... at-airport

[sundaymorningstaple]

Several points are definitely relevant.

The ICA did not reveal how many women were turned away, but said that although it welcomes visitors of all nationalities, "every visitor's entry into Singapore is neither a right nor automatic, and each entry is considered on its own merits"

A spokesman said visitors can be subjected to additional interviews and checks, adding: "The granting of visit passes to visitors is assessed and determined by the ICA officers at the Singapore checkpoints upon their arrival."

[ecureilx]

The officer will think : she's not here on business, she's not here as a tourist, she's not here as a student she's not here as an employee, she's not here to attend a trade fair, she's not here to invent something so what is she here for? Most probably to live with her husband, but there's a different process for that which they haven't gone through.

And how is the husband on low pay able to afford her stay - will be one of the thoughts ...

Luckily Singapore ICA doesn't accuse anybody of anything ... they just keep their thoughts to themselves.

Vs, example HK, a couple I know travelling to HK was held and then directly accused of running a prostitution ring, since the wife's passport was under her maiden name and the husband and wife were of different nationality ...

[FaeLLe]

Another thing that struck a flag for me is - Why did you get your singaporean friend to apply for a visa for your spouse?

Frankly she might have been better off applying on her own merits with a copy of your EP as a local contact. I have got my spouse's sister to come to Singapore in that way.

Just to play devil's advocate have you considered that your friend might have just got annoyed with you relying on his SingPass for a visa and "terminated" it so you stop relying on that route !

[ecureilx]

Another thing that struck a flag for me is - Why did you get your singaporean friend to apply for a visa for your spouse?

Frankly she might have been better off applying on her own merits with a copy of your EP as a local contact. I have got my spouse's sister to come to Singapore in that way.

Just to play devil's advocate have you considered that your friend might have just got annoyed with you relying on his SingPass for a visa and "terminated" it so you stop relying on that route !

And come to think of it, donkey years ago, a friend's friend (no comments) was visiting Singapore

She wanted to renew her SVP and asked me to give my ID, and didn't feel it's proper so I gave some excuse

She then found a guy in a mall in Orchard Road, and along with the guy's ID she went to ICA - those days where you can go to ICA with a PR/SC ID and extend ..

And guess what happened ? She got held in ICA for a day, and then released with a 7 day extension, and that's that. Turns out the guy whose ID she carried was being wanted by ICA for some unrelated matter, and they took the chance to find the guy.

I can't recall if ICA did find the fellow- but i guess that's what they did, as the girl was holding the guy's ID and knew where to find him

True story -

[best_queen_18]

HI,

I just want to ask if you have IPA you can enter Singapore already? even you refused to enter last month due to ineligible for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies? i have friend her SPASS already approved and plan to come back soon.

thank you.