Deported - Can I re-enter on a tourist visa?

[deja vu]

Hi Friends,

Not the best way to start posting on this forum...but I'm afraid I have to

I am an Indian National, who just completed my contract in Indonesia. To satisfy the requirement of the Exit Permit, I went to Singapore from Yogyakarta for an onward flight to Bali. I was to spend 4 hrs at the airport before taking my flight to Bali. Both the flights were on Air Asia. I assumed that since this was a transit, and did not involve entry to the city, I would not require a visa.

However, the Immigration at Changi Airport, thought otherwise and said that for Budget Airlines (this rule doesn't apply to the full-value airlines) I have to exit from Immigration and check in again. Since I was not carrying a valid visa to enter, they took my passport & phone etc, and make me stay overnight in the IP room, and then send me back to Yogyakarta, Indonesia on the next flight (which unfortunately was next morning, and so I had to spend a night in that crappy place!)

There's no stamp on my passport declaring this "deportation". The paperwork that was done was shared between the airlines and the Immigration, and I was not given anything.

I arrived in Indonesia, and took a visa on arrival.

I need to go to Singapore in Sept/Oct to get my Indonesian Work Visa done.

Now my question is:

a) Will this affect my chances of getting a Singapore Tourist Visa in future?
b) Do I mention this on the disembarkation card when I next travel to Singapore?
c) Will this affect my visa application for any other country?

Thanks,

[amarettoSour]

Wait what? this sounds weird to me as well. I would have thought the same regarding not needing a visa since you're not entering the country! how did they find out you don't have any visa to enter? if you just stay inside the airport usually no one would even ask to see your passport until you get on the next flight.

anyway, i don't think they really deported you though. i would think if it's a formal deportation (the kind that would cause you trouble in the future) you would definitely know and be properly notified.

sorry this is happening. hopefully you won't have any problems in the future.

[Strong Eagle]

How did you even get near immigration? Transfer flights keep you within the terminal.

[deja vu]

When I asked the Air Asia representative for my onward boarding pass, they directed me to the Immigration.

The Immigration said if the Airline will issue a boarding pass, they have no objections to my boarding, but the Airlines said that the rule was that I have to exit immigration and check in again so that the 'check-in' staff can see me!! (whatever that means!)

[deja vu]

anyway, i don't think they really deported you though. i would think if it's a formal deportation (the kind that would cause you trouble in the future) you would definitely know and be properly notified.

sorry this is happening. hopefully you won't have any problems in the future.

Apparently, for budget airlines - Air Asia, Tiger etc - you cannot have continuous travel..no in-terminal transit is allowed. You have to have a visa, exit immigration and then check-in again.

I don't know what "real deportation" feels like but here I was handed over to the Immigration Police, who asked me to switch off my phone. Then I was taken to the IP room, where I was asked to put my baggage in one room, which was then locked. All my precious personal belongings - wallet, camera, phone - were all put in a locker (including a pen) which could be opened with two keys used simultaneously, one of which was given to me, the other they kept.

I was then issued blanket, sheet and pillow and showed a bunk bed. That's how I had to spend 24 hrs till the next flight. There were separate areas for men and women, and they were not allowed to interact at all. A smoking room was separate for which the lighter was chained to the main reception desk (which was behind a glass cover), so if you wanted to smoke, you had to ask for the lighter.

There were no toiletries and if you wanted to bath, brush etc, you had to use your own.

You were given one styrofoam glass to drink water from (which you had to maintain till you're there) and were called for meals.

It felt nothing better than a slightly comfortable jail to me.

I'm not sure if its legally so, but I did feel my basic human rights were being violated. My passport was taken from me, and handed over to the Indonesian Immigration authorities, who threatened to deport me to India and I had to then bribe to get myself a Visa on Arrival - to which I'm eligible anyways.



All this because I had a 4 hr transit at the Changi Airport.

[deja vu]

Another questions -

Can a Singapore PR holder apply a tourist entry visa for me online? I've heard its much faster and takes only 1 working day to process?

[Mad Scientist]

I am missing something here, if OP could share with us will be good for others

You flew to SG from Yogya? Yes ? How did you exit Yogya Immigration?

Definitely there will be stamp on your PP?

From SG to Bali . you need to have another Boarding Pass.

Did you go to transit counter at Changi or not?

I am getting confused here. Who stop you in SG? ICA Border control or the Airline or Airport Police?

Your next q, yes SG PR can sponsor you?
On the Embarkation card , you have to declare on your denied entry as they already have your name in the database

[Saint]

Did you go to transit counter at Changi or not?

Air Asia don't have any air side transit counters at any airport which they fly from. I found this out a few years ago when I was catching a connecting flight from HK to SG.

I do think immigration where a little harsh but technically they played it by the book. Below is what I found on the ICA site

* Nationals of the Commonwealth Independent States may be granted entry into Singapore without visas if they are on transit to or from a third country. However, they are required to fulfill the following conditions:


•They are in transit to or from a third country
•They hold -
◦A valid passport
◦A confirmed onward air-ticket
◦Entry facilities (including visa) to the third country
◦Sufficient funds for the period of stay in Singapore
•They continue their journey to the third country within the 96-hour visa free period granted
•They satisfy Singapore's entry requirements, as determined by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority officers at the Singapore Checkpoints.

http://www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=96

Unfortunately for the OP he wasn't in transit from or to a third country, only Indonesia to Singapore to Indonesia!

Also Air Asia would have also been in trouble as they let you board the flight without the required visa to enter Singapore. I would make a serious complaint to Air Asia if I was you!

[kookaburrah]

Saint hit the nail in the head.

Air Asia allowed you to board a flight without a valid visa and they should acknowledge their role in your unfortunate predicament.

I would complain in writing and keep all correspondence religiously. Although the OP should have been aware of the rules, the airlines have an obligation to check.

I say keep the correspondence as they will corroborate your story if you are ever challenged by Singapore immigration.

[JayCee]

I've flown with airasia quite a lot in the past and am sure it says in their terms and conditions that they are a point-to-point airline and hence are not responsible for any connections you need to make.

Whilst airasia shouldn't have let you on the flight in the first place without a valid visa you should also really have checked the conditions when you booked the flight and known that just staying in the terminal and changing to your next flight wasn't possible, so you can't really blame immigration for doing their job

[x9200]

Whilst airasia shouldn't have let you on the flight in the first place without a valid visa [..]

I am very surprised they did not get fined... or maybe they did.

[JR8]

Air Asia are a point to point airline. That means connecting flights are treated as totally separate bookings. I had the joy of doing three legs in one day coming back from Sipidan to SG. Some might recall also how I wrote about the nightmare of BA treating SG-Berlin as point to point, despite the connecting flights being listed on one BA itininerary #

I expect they do it, as being a budget airline they cannot afford the liability of a late flight stopping passengers from making an onward connection (food, drink and probably hotel).

This means on each flight, you have to go 'out the airport', and walk back in and check in, just like if it was your first flight that day.

Yes, it is a major PITA, but part and parcel of hopefully getting a decent price i suppose.

The OP's situation is really rough. I would be inclined to get a written apology (or compensation) out of AA. Their smallprint T&C will give you an idea how likely that is. Then together with a copy of your original itinerary/s write to ICA, explain the situation, and ask them if the matter might prejudice any visit in future. It is better knowing where you stand, than letting it stress you out.

[deja vu]

Update:

I did apply, and got a 5 wk multiple entry visa. Now it remains to be seen if I face any issues in the immigration...fingers crossed!

If any of the forum members are free on 14th/15th september 2010, would love to catch up for some drinks/dinner or something.

Let me know

[4hour]

so how's it going? did you face any issue with immigration?

[deja vu]

UPDATE:

I landed at the Changi airport, and went to Immigration. He first stamped me entry, and I was relieved.

Then he scanned my passport....looked at me...and cancelled the stamp. Then he signalled to another immigration person - "A", he said....don't know what that meant. All I know is I was escorted to the Immigration Officers Desk..and I said to myself - "Here we go again!!"

..At the desk, the same questions again..diff guy tho'. He keeps babbling...when you know you should have a visa, why you didn't take a visa. ..and blah, blah, blah....and like my nickname, I felt a sense of 'deja vu'..tho' nothing nice about it!!

Then one of the guys says - you know you could've got a city visa the last time, but then we don't HAVE to give it...its our discretion!!! (if I had a license to kill...I think we all know who would be missing from this life that day!!!)

...and then after giving half an hour of stress, they stamped my visa and let me in.

Now, don't know if I'll have to go through this every time..and in other countries also.....I will find out!



Conclusion: Irrespective of the country, the Immigration official - Indonesia or Singapore - are all the same..a bunch of ass#$%^ !!