Did ICA give you a PR rejection? Here is a step-by-step guide on how to know if you should write and submit an appeal letter or re-apply instead. Find out here.
Many people who submit a Singapore PR application to become a Singapore permanent resident receive a PR rejection letter from Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). If ICA also told you that you got your PR rejected, you are not alone. Also, do not worry because we have the solution to it.
Did you get your PR rejected? Here are potential reasons for your PR rejection
There are many reasons for getting your PR rejected. Reasons can range from missing supporting documents, incomplete forms, weak identity profiles or more.
Unfortunately, ICA website also does not provide any reason for you getting your PR rejected. ICA also does not assist you by explaining your mistakes for amendment or changes. Thankfully, we know how to best solve it.
You have 2 solutions – write and send a PR appeal letter to ICA or wait and re-apply
There are usually only two options for you at this time to obtain your Singapore permanent residence.
1) Write and submit an appeal letter to ICA for your PR rejection decision overturn
The first step or option will be to actually write and submit an appeal letter to ICA website regarding this matter within 2 months of the PR rejection date. PR appeal is actually a common route that is taken by many people in Singapore as there is minimal waiting time for you as well.
Are there templates or an example for sample appeal letter to ICA?
Some people ask us for an example of, or sample appeal letter to ICA template, but we strongly do not recommend that. Such an example or sample PR appeal letter is unlikely useful in itself. To know how to process your PR appeal successfully, we need to first understand how ICA works.
ICA does not approve PR appeal letters lightly for immigration to Singapore. This means that unless your case was a simple case of you having left out one crucial document in the initial process, chances are you need to demonstrate clear and significant progress in terms of your profile in order for them to accept the appeal letter.
Should you send in an appeal letter to ICA for PR rejection?
Going to write a letter and submit a PR appeal is usually ideal if you had only missed out perhaps one or maximum two documents during your initial application. If so, then a PR appeal is your best option. For most people, this is not actually the case.
However, if your PR rejection was because of weak profile qualifications in the eyes of ICA, then waiting and re-applying instead of trying to write an appeal letter is the smarter decision for you.
How long will ICA take to reply to your appeal letter?
The processing time is long-ranging. ICA can take from a few weeks or months to a year to reply to your letter.
2) Wait and re-apply
The second option will be to re-apply again after first waiting for approximately 6 months or more. This is the recommended route if your profile is weak and was most likely the reason for getting your PR rejected. In such a case, you will need to demonstrate a significant improvement in your profile (for example your job, salary and more) first, then re-doing the whole process. It takes more time, but remember, you just need to get it approved once.
How long must you wait before re-applying?
Generally, you can submit your next application 6 months or more after the initial date stated.
However, you definitely do not want to keep submitting and keep getting rejected over and over again.
In between this duration of time before you resubmit, applicants should not do anything that can potentially ruin their chances. For instance, you definitely should not change job or company in the interim time unless it is to a significantly higher salary position at a prestigious company in Singapore. Every step you do in between now and re-applying has to be about improving your profile.