You’ve just received your PR application results, and it’s not good.
Rejection can sting. We feel you. We’ve been there.
So, what do you do when your Singapore PR application is rejected?
By all means, take the time you need to get over your disappointment first.
But don’t dwell on it for too long. There are actions you can take going forward.
Here’s our guide to help you take action when you receive a rejected Singapore PR application.
By the end, you’ll learn:
- What your options are when your PR application is rejected
- If you should appeal for Singapore PR
- How to prepare and submit an appeal
What are your options when your Singapore PR application is rejected
Option A
If your Singapore PR application is rejected, you can submit an appeal to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). You have to submit this appeal, within 6 months of the date stated on your results letter from the ICA.
Option B
Submit a new application again, after waiting 6 months upon the date stated on your results letter from the ICA.
The advantage of an appeal over a new application, is that you save time and admin fees.
- You don’t have to wait out 6 months
- You don’t have to pay the online application administration fees
Generally, fewer people get approved via this method. So, before you submit an appeal for Singapore PR, it would be good to consider what would warrant an appeal to help reverse ICA’s decision on your application.
Should you appeal?
Here’s the general guideline. You want to submit a strong appeal for the effort to be worthwhile.
Typically, the following two factors help to strengthen your appeal or improve your chances of approval:
- Significant progress made since submitting your PR application. For example, these could be things like new professional achievements, innovations, and contributions. It could also be in the form of completing further educational certificates or professional certificates in Singapore, or that’s recognised worldwide in your industry.
- Other merits that you did not present in your application – you can present them in the appeal. Other merits can include meaningful contributions and participation in your industry, community, and society.
If you decide to go ahead with an appeal, the next section provides some key pointers to help you out.
If you’re planning a re-application instead, learn 24 PR application tips to help improve on your next application.
How to appeal against a rejected Singapore PR Application
Step 1: Review your PR application form that you originally submitted. You want to review it for any mistakes. You also want to review it for any areas where you could have been clearer or more detailed in your description. These can be points to address and elaborate on in your appeal.
Step 2: Consider all your merits in terms of your professional life, social life, and other achievements or contributions in Singapore. You want to reflect on the points that would demonstrate your commitment to Singapore and the ability to contribute long-term. If you possess unique (and useful) skills or knowledge, you could expand on this in your appeal.
Step 3: Consider supporting documents that you can show to prove the statements made within your appeal. Be critical when looking at these documents – the goal is NOT the more the merrier. These documents should be relevant to the authorities’ review (in consideration of the time and effort they take per case).
Step 4: Draft your appeal letter, based on key points and documents you have identified earlier. The goal when writing your letter is to be clear, concise, and provide details where appropriate for clarity. You also want to be comprehensive in the information you provide because ICA assesses you holistically.
Make sure to state your application ID (from your submitted application) in the appeal letter.
You can address the letter to the Controller of Immigration.
Step 5: Edit your appeal. Apart from reviewing for grammatical and spelling mistakes, what’s most important is to make sure the points you want to make stand out clearly.
Step 6: Review your appeal package (letter plus supporting documents) and submit to ICA via email or post.
Step 7: You can submit your appeal package by post to ICA’s mailing address.
ICA’s mailing address:
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
Permanent Residency Department
ICA Building
10 Kallang Road
Singapore 208718
If you have any changes to your profile after submitting your appeal, and need to update the ICA, you can email your updates to ica_pr@ica.gov.sg.
Singapore PR appeal processing time
The processing time for the PR appeal varies from case to case. Generally, you can expect a wait similar to the ICA’s application processing time of 4 – 6 months. From our observation, the processing time is wide-ranging from a few weeks to a year.
Get expert help directly
If you have a specific question about the permanent residency appeal, you can send your questions to our email: hello@samandnic.sg. (We reply within 2 business days.)
If you need help with your appeal, we provide services to prepare your appeal package with tailored advice and support. As the first step, you can schedule a free consultation here to review your case one-on-one.
