Frequently Asked Questions

WHO MAY APPLY FOR A NON-IMMIGRANT VISA IN SINGAPORE?

Any person who is legally present in Singapore may apply for a visa here.  However, applicants should base their decision on whether to apply here on more than just convenience or delay in getting an appointment in their home district. Do not apply in Singapore if your only reason is because it takes too long to get an appointment in your home country.

First, there can be NO guarantees as to issuance of the visa.  Nor can there be a guarantee of processing time.  If refused, there is no refund of the application fees. Applicants who are not residents or citizens of Singapore are generally advised to apply in their country of nationality or residence.  In cases where further information or investigation is required, applicants must be prepared to wait in Singapore while the application is pending.  In some cases this may stretch to three or four months.  Applicants should not assume they can fly into Singapore while on vacation and "get their visa stamped."

During the visa interview, a Consular Officer is required to assess the bona fides of the applicant and the likelihood that they will return abroad from the U.S. If the applicant is applying in Singapore, the Consular Officer will be looking for significant ties to Singapore which would encourage the applicant to return to Singapore. Applicants from other countries will have an extremely difficult time in showing these types of significant ties to Singapore and would do better to apply in their home countries.