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Many Singapore permanent residents dream of having their Singapore passport, but gaining citizenship is more challenging than it seems. Despite stating that Singapore PRs can apply for Singapore citizenship after two years, the government is much stricter on selecting new citizens.
You would have heard more rejected Singapore citizenship application cases rather than approvals. And you might have chanced upon this article because you want to know the next best move after a rejection!
Although the immediate response for many is submitting an appeal letter, we highly discourage you from rushing into the preparation.
In this article, you will understand what comprises the Singapore citizenship application, some possible reasons why your application was rejected and what significant changes that ICA looks at if you consider filing for an appeal.
It can be disheartening to receive a rejection letter. Unfortunately, like any other application, the ICA would never disclose the reason(s) for rejecting your Singapore citizenship application. There is no telling, but some common reasons would be:
Suppose you are convinced you have applied with zero errors. In that case, rejection may be because your profile needs to be more convincing in terms of your financial stability and commitment record in Singapore.
Singapore has the world’s most powerful passport, along with Japan. The benefits of Singapore Citizenship are envied by many around the globe.
There are limitations to accepting new citizens in a country with a limited land resource. Thus, the Singapore citizenship application approvals are much stricter. Its process is longer than a Singapore PR application, with more detailed information expected of the applicant.
Processing varies from one profile to the other. There is no exact template for everyone. Every applicant’s profile is unique, and it is best to prepare all requested information that would put your best profile forward.
The Singapore Citizenship application is an online submission. Its system will only save your information for seven days. It will erase all your details afterwards.
To avoid the hassle of re-submitting, ensure you prepare ALL the correct documents beforehand. Prepare a checklist of the documents to submit and provide readable digital soft copies.
Due to the number of documents required, applicants spend about four hours completing their online Singapore Citizenship application on average.
Can you imagine spending so many hours of your time again just because of incomplete information the first time?
It is expected to wait for the application outcome. Depending on the complexity of your case, you can expect to wait for at least six months, some even to 2 years.
The Singapore citizenship application outcome will be notified through postage.
There is no portal where you can constantly check your application status. You can call ICA for an update on your status, but you are advised to wait patiently for the results. They say, ‘no news is good news’!
There would also be a case where the ICA contacts you to submit additional documents. Ensure that you are prepared for that.
Writing an appeal letter happens when you feel your profile should seriously be reconsidered – for all the good reasons.
Many things can change in a year, and some can be significant enough to overturn ICA’s decision to reject your application in the first place.
The main changes in your profile could be:
Stronger financial stability would often make a better case for yourself. You must demonstrate a significant monthly salary increment to qualify for a profile change.
Being promoted at work is another excellent point in the appeal letter for your Singapore citizenship application rejection. It shows that you are advancing in your career, and the promotion indicates the value you bring to your organization.
Starting a family and welcoming a newborn signifies your long-term plans in Singapore. It is the kind of profile that is more favoured, especially with Singapore’s dwindling fertility rate. With this change, your appeal will have a higher chance of overturning your case.
Owning a property in Singapore is more than just having shelter over your head. It demonstrates your property investment abilities, which could be seen as a long-term commitment.
These four significant changes are possible factors to include in your appeal letter. The one question you must ask yourself is:Â how would these changes make you a better Singapore citizen candidate than the initial application you submitted?
Back up your appeal with evidence of the change(s), like the last six months’ pay slips, appraisals, birth certificate of your newborn baby, etc.
What if none of these points applies to you? What if there were no substantial changes since you applied for Singapore citizenship application?
Then your appeal letter would be a weak argument, and you would most likely be rejected, again.
Save yourself some time. It would be better to wait for the next opportunity to submit a new Singapore citizenship application.
An appeal letter is something that one prepares for a rejected Singapore Permanent Residency application too. For more valuable tips on writing an effective appeal letter and strengthening your profile, read this article: What Is An Appeal Letter For Singapore PR Citizenship?
Before you even begin your next move, seek the advice of professionals. If you have tried submitting and failed again, it’s clear that you need help finding out what was missing.
At The Immigration People, we would review your profile, documents and past rejected application(s). What can be improved?
Being rejected may lead you to seek a professional Singapore immigration agency to assist you. A good immigration agency should do more than form-filling!
They should help you prepare your application correctly, showcase your profile strength in a well-written cover letter and testimonials and ultimately increase your approval chances for a successful Singapore citizenship application.
We are not able to provide an exact number.
Any salary increment can be mentioned as ICA will take in all other significant changes, such as job changes, promotions, new investments or insurance policies, family changes, etc.
Suppose you feel your application’s rejection decision was unjust and have grounds to justify why ICA should consider you. In that case, you may submit an appeal letter to ICA!
You are advised to submit the appeal letter to ICAÂ within the first six months from the date stated in your rejection letter.
Generally, you will save time and application fees with an appeal.
However, if there are not many changes to your profile, we advise you to submit a new Singapore Citizenship application. You can submit another one six months AFTER receiving the rejection letter. You will be expected to pay the usual application fee of S$100 per applicant.
ICA only allows ONE appeal per rejected application. It is best not to abuse the appeal system; there is no point in trying without trying to improve your situation, credentials, qualifications, etc. Don’t waste your chance!
At The Immigration People, we provide a complimentary one-on-one consultation. Our highly experienced Singapore immigration specialists will be able to advise on your profile correctly. Feel free to drop us an email at [email protected] or contact us at +65 6240 6995.
Our fees for Singapore Citizenship application services are quoted based on how complex your profile is, the size of your family and the steps to complete formalities. You can expect prices from S$3,950 onwards.
Please share with us some details about your needs, we will get back to you.