Singapore PR: Sample Suggestions

Rejection of a Singapore PR application is not as rare an occurrence as one would like. This is because the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) received thousands more applications than can be approved. Singapore permanent residence status is a sought-after position and can lead you to eventual Singapore citizenship.

This makes immigration to Singapore extremely popular and means that the Singapore PR approval criteria are rigorous. The authority receives thousands more Singapore permanent residence applications than they are allowed to approve.

For the individual who is applying, this situation makes the Singapore PR application stressful, and PR rejection can be a devastating blow. Months of hard work and no small amount of hard-earned money results in rejection. What can cause further frustration is that the ICA does not provide reasons for the rejection in the rejection letter that they issue. You might have very likely followed all the instructions to the letter, submitted all the supporting documents as instructed, and still been rejected simply because other applicants were better qualified.

Regardless of the reason for the rejection, there is an appeals process in place. If you feel that you are qualified and have met all the requirements since you first submitted your Singapore PR application, you can consider appealing the outcome.

What are appeal letters?

The purpose of such a letter is to appeal the decision of the ICA on your Singapore PR or citizenship application. An appeal is more successful when, during the waiting period, there are significant changes to your portfolio that can improve your chances of acceptance.

If you have made no improvements to your contribution to Singapore society since you submitted your initial Singapore permanent residence application, your appeal will likely be the same as your original application. You need to show that you are making a meaningful contribution to society, something like an economic contribution or contribution to the education system, or you need to indicate further time spent volunteering, for example.

You would then include any enhancements or changed circumstances in your appeal letter for the ICA’s reconsideration. Unless you can show that there has been improvement, it would not make sense to appeal. If you submit an appeal letter that will likely not be approved, then you will just be giving the permanent residency department (ICA) more work and will delay your own Singapore PR approval.

So when you receive a PR application rejection, you should consider carefully whether you want to follow the appeals route or whether you are going to submit a new Singapore permanent residence application. An appeal can end up delaying the process significantly if it is rejected.

When to File your Appeal Letter

You should appeal within six months of the rejection date. Although, it is best to submit an appeal as soon as you receive the rejection letter. There are some important factors to consider when deciding whether you want to appeal or not. Deciding to submit an appeal letter can significantly delay your next application should the appeal be rejected.

How long do you wait for feedback?

There is no way to tell the processing time for an appeal. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority takes great care with appeals in general, and it might take quite some time for them to process. Most appeals receive results within a few weeks, but others can take up to six months. If you are eager to become a Singapore permanent resident, then you might decide that to save time, you would rather submit a brand new Singapore immigration application.

Is there a maximum amount of appeals?

As of today, you can only make one appeal per rejected application to become a Singapore permanent resident. If you give the ICA reason to believe that you are trying to take advantage of the appeals process, then it is a very bad sign for you going forward. You must show significant improvements when you appeal. Singapore immigration is a very intricate process and something that the ICA takes very seriously.

An Important Consideration

It is not sufficient to just have a good appeal letter. If you have filed an appeal, then you cannot submit a new application until you receive feedback on the appeal. If your appeal is rejected, then you cannot submit a new PR application immediately; you will have to wait a considerable amount of time.

Overall, failed appeals can not only delay your Singapore PR status but also delays your Singapore citizenship application should this be in your future plans.

Tips for creating a good appeals letter

It is actually quite difficult to have a rejection overturned with an appeal letter. An appeal should only be made if you have a very strong case for one. Generally, it is best to always provide a custom and unique appeal letter; we strongly advise against relying heavily on internet templates. Always provide supporting documents with your appeal letter, and remember to make reference to these documents within the letter.

The tone of your letter is crucial. You want to remain positive and confident but not cocky and always respectable. A common mistake that people make when appealing a rejection letter is to overpraise Singapore. Remember that the purpose of your appeal is to convince the officer reviewing your case that you are good for Singapore, not that Singapore is good for you. So refrain from praising Singapore too much as it detracts from the actual purpose of your appeal.

You need to start your letter by listing changes that have been made since you received the rejection. If there were any particularly strong points in your original application, you could repeat them here. Remember that this letter is not the same as your cover letter. There are fundamental differences as the appeal is based on information that the Singapore checkpoints authority already has that you are adding to. It is not the first impression.

Your appeal should be spelling and grammar checked carefully and should ideally be one page long and not longer than a page and a half.

Should I Consider Professional Services?

It is always good to receive some support, be very wary when you decide to use a writing service. Some writing services will use standardized templates, and the officer reviewing your case will notice this immediately. Ensure that your appeal letter is unique and customized to your circumstances.

The ultimate goal of SPIC is to make sure that we have successfully helped you through your Singapore immigration journey. This means approval on all of your immigration applications, including both PR and citizenship. This necessarily means that your success is our success, your worry is our worry, and we take the responsibility to assist you very seriously.

In Conclusion

Applicants have a decision to make when they receive a Singapore PR rejection. They can either decide to start the application process from scratch, or they can submit an appeals letter and hopefully get a positive appeal result. Appeals must be used carefully.

Deciding to write an appeals letter in your Singapore immigration is a very personal decision, and many applicants decide not to risk having their appeals rejected. Using the services of a professional immigration assistance company can give you a much higher chance of being successful in your Singapore immigration journey.

A company such as SPIC has years of experience and can help you with other strategies to reach approval that you might not have considered. We are also aware of other factors that many people do not immediately consider. Contact us today for more information.

Our ultimate goal is to have our clients receive approval all the way to their Singapore citizenship applications, and we can assist at any point during the process. Whether it be with your initial attempt to submit, organizing your documents in a suitable file and format, or at a later date when you worry about possible appeals, etc.

Our contact details are available on this webpage. Contact us today so that we can help you submit your Singapore PR application, appeals, or citizenship application.