Singapore Study Visa Process: An Overview

The Singapore education institutions have affiliations with top international universities of the UK, USA and Australia which are globally recognized for the degree qualification. Near about 50,000 foreign students, the majority of which come from countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, and South Korea in pursuit of higher education. 

Visa must be issued before landing on Singapore airport. It is like an entry-pass without approval and validation of which, any foreign individual is not allowed to enter Singapore. Singapore student visa is a must for any international student intending to pursue a full-time higher education in Singapore. International students whose admission in higher education institutions has been confirmed should apply within two months prior to the commencement of academic session and not earlier than two months.

The Institutes of Higher Learning in Singapore constitute Universities, polytechnics and the foreign education institution with local campuses. Some of these IHL are-

·         National University of Singapore

·         Nanyang Technological University

·         Singapore Management University

·         Singapore Institute of Technology

·         Nanyang Polytechnic

·         SP Jain School of Global Management

International students need not be there in Singapore to apply for a student’s visa.

Student Visa Application

Foreign students above 19 years of age can apply online for the student pass. The application should be sent online through the Student’s Pass Online Application and Registration+ (SOLAR+) system. Only when the pre-requisites are satisfied and the interview at the embassy is cleared that the application is processed further by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Let’s look at the Singapore study visa requirements.

·         The registration acknowledgement letter from the educational institution

·         Passport details along with the latest passport-size photographs

·         Personal information including academic record, employment history and document supporting financial status

·         Credit/Debit card or internet banking details

·         Bank statements

The processing time for visa application is between 2 to 4 months from the time of submission of application.

A processing fee of S$30 and a fee of S$60 upon successful completion of the process at ICA is payable by the applicant.

Also, a security deposit of S$5,000 should be paid by student national of countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, People’s Republic of China and India. The amount differs for other countries.

You might also like to know whether you can work on your student visa.

Work Permit

International students can engage in full-time employment/internship during vacation, provided there is a valid student pass. Also, a student should be pursuing higher studies in the approved institutions only, to be eligible for employment.

A Student Visa is not required for pursuing short courses and for courses that are theoretically oriented. Such courses can be undertaken for as long as Social Visit Pass is valid. The Visit Pass might or might not be extended.  However, you may continue a full-time degree course upon renewal of your student’s pass.

For more information on student visa for Singapore, please contact recognized studies overseas consultant. Beware of the online frauds! Do not fall prey to any alluring discounts unless authenticated.

Hope this article was helpful for you! Stay tuned for more such articles!

COVID-19 Updates and Information for New Zealand Study Visa

On 24^th March 2020 the Prime Minister of, together with the Minister of Immigration and Minister for Social Development, issued Epidemic Preparedness (Epidemic Management- COVID-19) Notice 2020.

This Epidemic Preparedness Notice enabled the Epidemic Management Notice relating to immigration matters to be issued, which states how particular sections of the Immigration Act 2009 will be invoked to manage the relevant practical effects of COVID-19.

Under the Epidemic Management Notice issued on 2^nd April, people who hold a temporary entry class visa like New Zealand Student Visa that expires between 2^nd April 2020 and 9^th July 2020 inclusive will automatically have their visa extended to 25^th September 2020.

Temporary entry class visas include:

·         Work Visas

·         Student Visas

·         Visitor Visas

·         Limited Visas

·         Interim Visas

Except for the extension which will happen automatically, all visa conditions will remain the same and must be complied with.

Temporary visa holders whose visa expires on or before 1 April 2020 but who cannot leave NZ should reapply on line for a visa in the usual way. It is likely that an interim visa will be issued.

This extension does not apply to residence visa holders.

Visa holders that are concerned they may not be able to comply with the conditions of their visa due to the effects of Covid-19 should contact Immigration New Zealand by phone or email to discuss their particular circumstances.

Relaxation of certain visa restrictions for supermarket workers
From 25 March 2020 to 25 April 2020 (inclusive) the definition of “work” has been amended in a very specific way. The result of this temporary amendment means the following restrictions will be relaxed for certain visa holders who are currently working in supermarkets:

• Work visa holders will be able to work in roles other than specified on their visa; and
• Student visa holders will be able to work more than 20 hours per week.

For these purposes, ‘supermarket’ is defined as a retailer selling food and groceries affiliated with Woolworths New Zealand Limited, Foodstuffs North Island Limited or Foodstuffs South Island Limited.

Make sure you fulfill all the New Zealand student visa requirements irrespective of whichever Visa you fit into and also after COVID-19 situation. The requirements might increase in terms of Health Inspection as a precautionary measure.

New Zealand Student Visa Interview Questions

Here are some of the questions one is likely to be asked during the telephonic interview:

·         What is the purpose of your visit to New Zealand?

·         What is the program that you are going to study?

·         Why have you chosen this course?

·         Why have you chosen this particular University?

·         Please tell me about your previous education.

·         Why have you chosen New Zealand as a study destination?

·         Where you will be staying in New Zealand?

·         Do you know about your work rights?

·         Who are your financial sponsors?

Hope this was helpful.

You can follow this page for more such article on study abroad student visas and study abroad programs as well.

See you soon.

Requirements Guide for Singapore Student Visa

Singapore attracts students from across the world despite being a little heavier on pocket. Singapore is not only known for its vibrant environment and lovely tourist destinations but also is a home to some of the top-ranking universities.

If you are planning Singapore for your higher education, then you need to make sure that you have authentic documents to fulfil the Singapore Study Visa requirements

This article will purely focus on the documents required for Singapore Student visa.

Let us discuss the features and key information related to study visa before we put light on the documents required for Singapore student visa to it.

Type of Singapore student visa:

Every visa is referred to as a ‘Pass’ in Singapore, like Student Pass, employment pass and social visit pass etc. At least one month before your course starts and not more than two months, you must submit new applications for Student Pass. You must submit your application on the official registration system to apply for the Student Pass. Submit on SOLAR - Student’s Pass On-Line Application & Registration system.

Except the ‘Immigration Exemption Order’ holders all the international students have to apply for the Student Pass, if they want to pursue full-time studies in Singapore.

Steps to be followed before applying for Singapore student visa:

The institute where you have been offered admission must register you through the registration system before submitting an application for Student Pass through SOLAR. You have to submit the eForm 16 once the institute registers you with SOLAR. The following details must bechecked before you log into your SOLAR account:

·         SOLAR ‘s registration notification with your login username and password

·         Travel documents along with the passport details like passport number and its validity

·         Personal email address

·         One recent coloured passport-size photograph

To submit the eForm 16to Student Pass unit - Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), you need to take a printout of the form. For issuance of the Singapore Student Visa this is one of the important formalities that needs to be completed. You must ensure the Singapore Immigration Department that you will always have a valid Student Pass till your stay in Singapore.

Documents required for Singapore student visa:

Submit the below documents to complete the formalities:

·         Valid passport and copy of particular pages for submission

·         Departure/Arrival card granted on entering Singapore

·         One recent coloured passport-size photograph taken with white background

·         Duly signed printout of eForm 16 submitted through SOLAR

·         IN Principal Approval Letter Copy

·         Medical Report in the prescribed format

Make sure the laboratory reports are not more than three months from the issue date when you submit the application. You will not be granted the Student Pass in case you fail to fulfil the medical requirements.

Singapore student visa- Processing time

Generally, four weeks is the processing time of the Singapore student visa. if the immigration department requires some additional documents or information then, some applications may take longer time than usual. 

Cancellation of Singapore student visa

you must surrender your Singapore Student Pass within one week from the date of completion of your programme if you want to cancel your visa.

Hope this information regarding the Singapore study visa was helpful to you. For more such articles on studies overseas, keep following this space.

See you soon!

The Pointwise Guide to Germany Student Visa

Nowadays, Germany has been on the mind of international students due to research opportunities, infrastructure, teaching system, low-cost studies, and career prospects, proving as one of the beststudies abroad destination.The universities for higher education, universities of applied sciences and the college of art and music are spread across the country.The first thing you have to do once you get an offer letter from one of theseuniversities in Germany, is to check out whether you need a Germany Student Visa. 

Generally,to get higher education from Germany many students don’t need the student visa, but they definitely need the residence permit. It depends on which country you’re coming from. Visa application is required to be submitted at the embassy office well before entering to Germany as the process will take few months to complete.

There are two kinds of visa granted to the foreign nationals, one is Schengen visa, and another is National visa. Students enrolled in language courses continuing not more than 3 months may apply for Schengen visa. This visa cannot be extended.

Countries which do not require German Visa to study

·         Switzerland

·         Liechtenstein

·         Norway

·         Iceland or any other European Country

Countries which require German Visa to study

·         Canada

·         New Zealand

·         Japan

·         US

·         Australia

·         Israel

·         South Korea

·         Andorra

·         El Salvador

·         Monaco

·         Taiwan

·         Brazil

·         Honduras

Process of Applying Student Visa

If you are going for a Germany student visa, apply at least 3 months in prior to your travelling month. Contact your local consulate or local embassy of German for applying for the student visa.Go through the below Germany study visa requirements which needs to be followed.

·         Application form which is completed

·         Two photographs

·         Valid Passport

·         Admission Letter form a German University

·         Transcript of your academic record

·         German Language Proficiency Certificate

·         Funding Proof

·         Certificated regarding health insurance

·         Declaration of authenticity for the submitted documents

Proofs stating zero criminal record has to be submitted to the embassy you are dealing with for the German visa along with the proof of funds justifying the amount required to survive in Germany.

International students intended to stay for more than 3 months should apply for a national visa. There are certain conditions abiding national visa. 

·         International students whose admission is not yet confirmed at the higher education institution can only apply for a prospective student visa. It is valid for 3 months and can be extended further for 6 months as a residence permit upon confirmation of admission.

·         students can apply for normal student visa once admission is confirmed which can be converted to a residence permit valid for a maximum of 2 years.

·         The residence permit is liable to be revoked if the study course is not fulfilled and discontinued in between. 

Hope this article was informative.

Keep looking out for this space for more Visa and Studies Overseas articles.

See You Soon.