Kailangang Information

Kamusta! I am on my way there to Singapore and I needed information from you.

My foreigner husband will be travelling ahead of me and I was wondering if it is easy to have our one (1) month visit visa extended as he planned to search for any IT job there?

What are the information and requirements needed for him or for me to have our visit visa extended? And, may mga pinoy bang pwededng tumulong sa amin if I need an extension?

Kindly send me a reply.

I would appreciate it very much.

Your kabayan,
   
Lore

Hi Lore:

You will have to consider some things:

1. You cannot be sure if you will be given a one-month stamp on your passport. The immigration officer will decide on that. If it is your first time to Singapore, you may have to be subjected to some questions. Depending on your ticket and how you prepared for your accommodation in Singapore, the officer will decide on number of days you can stay. There is a 14-day visit pass aside from the regular 30-day pass.
2. If you are travelling on a budget airline, the chance of being questioned is higher, especially if you are a lady and travelling alone.
3. Never say you or your partner are looking for a job in Singapore. The SG governement is tightening on that. It's good if you can give a name and number of a friend or relative who is living in SG.
3. If you are staying in hotel, make sure you print all the booking references, including your travel itineraries. They must match.
4. If you are given a pass, around 5 days before your pass expires, you can go online to extend your pass for a month. The extension can be done online. You just need your passport and disembarkation card details. The website for SG immigration is ica.gov.sg. This, again, depends on reviewing officer. When you do it online, the offcer may contact you and maybe ask you to come to immigration office to present some documents, like extension of hotel booking, etc. The result from online extension application comes after a day.
5. If you have a permanent resident or citizen 1st-cicle relative of SG, you can have an extension for 2 months. Only 1st-circle relative.
6. I am assuming that you don't have an issue on means of support during stay. The immigration officer may have to ask you on that. You need a credit card to pay for pass extension if approved.
7. Before you can even reach SG, remember that you will have to go through immigration in the Philippines. Prepare to answer questions there, like what will you do in SG, accommodation, means of support, etc.. Don't ever say anything about looking for job, even if it only your partner looking for a job.

I hope the information above helps.
Good luck!

Your husband can apply for an EPEC (Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate) before starting the job search.
Having one shows that he fulfils the criteria to work in Singapore. And it allows him to stay in Singapore to look for a job for up to a year.
If his EPEC application is rejected, you know beforehand that he won't be allowed to work there, so you can save the time and money for the trip.
One month is probably not enough to find a job, better plan 3 to 6.

The authorities stopped issuing EPEC with effect from today (Dec. 11, 2011).
Existing EPEC holders can only get a one-time non-renewable 3 months LTVP for their job search.