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Visit ICA or Do Another Visa Run?

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IronMac
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Visit ICA or Do Another Visa Run?

Post by IronMac » Thu, 16 Jul 2009 4:13 pm

Hi all,

Bit of a pickle here and would appreciate any advice. As I posted about in another thread, I'm currently waiting on my LTVP (submitted June 15th) based on my EPEC (approved June 4th). The problem is that my latest chop or extension to my tourist pass is up on July 22nd and my passport is full of entry stamps.

I have an entry stamp for April 5th for which I extended on May 4th until June 4th at ICA. I did a visa run to JB on May 25th for which I applied online for a 90-day extension. ICA would only give me 30 days on that (valid until July 22nd) because my wife was not with me when I went down there for the chop. I should have said, wait right there while I get my wife down from the side of her mother's hospital bed. If you want to see my wife mad, just get between her and her mother.

At the end of that visit, the ICA staffer said that this was my last extension and that if I wanted another one to bring my wife down. I figured that I had nothing to worry about since my LTVP was in process at that moment.

I've called and emailed ICA about my LTVP and they said that there was nothing I could do nor could they tell me what was the holdup. They suggested that I could go down to their offices to see what was going on.

So, my wife is suggesting a visa run this coming Monday but I am worried that the officer will be pretty suspicious with all of these stamps. Should we head down to ICA instead? Thanks!

Otherwise, things are going pretty well. Mother-in-law has survived her third hospital visit in less than a year. Picked up some work from a Canadian Web outfit to supplement the American jobbie. :D

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littlegreenman
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Post by littlegreenman » Thu, 16 Jul 2009 5:07 pm

Hi IronMac,

my advise would be to go down together with your wife. You don't have anything to lose. That is of course if your wife can find the time to do so. If you do another visa run you might get disappointed. Who knows what comment they put under your name/passport number in their computer (they can do that, I found out that mine had the comment "extremely tall"?!?!)

Sorry to hear about your mum in law.

IronMac
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Post by IronMac » Sat, 18 Jul 2009 2:37 pm

Thanks lgm, my MIL is one tough lady.

No joy yet from ICA regarding my LTVP based on my EPEC. Talked it over with my wife and she thinks that the visa run is the best bet since there's no arguing with the people down at ICA. She points out that on our first visit for an extension that the counterperson said to just go to JB and get another entry visa.

My wife and I ran over responses to potential questions at the border...what have you been doing in SG?...taking care of my sick MIL (true, two hospital visits since I arrived)...what do you do back in Canada?...I am self-employed (true)...what were you doing in JB?...grocery shopping with my wife (somebody help me with these bags!!). :D

IronMac
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Post by IronMac » Mon, 20 Jul 2009 7:23 pm

Still here! The fact that I was sweating like a dog and weighted down by groceries probably prompted the officer to pity me as he contemplated the possibility that in a few years he may be in the same predicament. :lol:

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:28 am

Congrats on buying some extra time! :wink:
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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littlegreenman
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Post by littlegreenman » Tue, 21 Jul 2009 4:50 am

Hehe for all those who are waiting for their PR application outcome I just stumbled across this John Mayer song:

So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change


and for those of us who applied from overseas like myself or IreSG:

It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change

IronMac
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Post by IronMac » Tue, 21 Jul 2009 7:30 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Congrats on buying some extra time! :wink:
Thanks SMS! No joy from ICA about LTVP based on EPEC but it's two different agencies so that may explain it. PR appt in three weeks too.

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