Immigration (Amendment No. 5) Regulations 2007

No. S 657

Immigration Act

(CHAPTER 133)

Immigration (Amendment No. 5) Regulations 2007

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 55(1) of the Immigration Act, the Minister for Home Affairs hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Immigration (Amendment No. 5) Regulations 2007 and shall come into operation on 1st December 2007.

Amendment of regulation 2

2. Regulation 2 of the Immigration Regulations (Rg 1) is amended by inserting, immediately after the definition of “Form”, the following definitions:

“ “group Singapore visa” means a Singapore visa granted to and in respect of 3 or more non-citizens for those non-citizens to travel to and enter Singapore as a group within a specified period;

“holder”, in relation to a Singapore visa, means the non-citizen to whom it was granted or a person included in it;”.

Deletion and substitution of regulation 3 and new regulations 3A to 3E

3. Regulation 3 of the Immigration Regulations is deleted and the following regulations substituted therefor:

“Application for Singapore visa

3.—(1) Every application for a Singapore visa shall —

(a)

be made in such form as the Controller may approve (to be completed in accordance with any directions on it) by or on behalf of the person who will be the holder of the Singapore visa if the application is granted (referred to in this regulation and regulation 3D as the applicant);

(b)

be made in such manner as the Controller may approve, which may include the use of such electronic application service on what is commonly known as the Internet as the Controller may provide for this purpose;

(c)

be accompanied by —

(i)	one photograph of the applicant, which shall be taken not more than 3 months before the date of the application and shall comply with the specifications set out in the Second Schedule;
(ii)	such other personal identifiers as the Controller may require;
(iii)	photostat copies of the applicant’s foreign passport or foreign travel document, which must be valid for not less than 6 months after the applicant’s expected date of arrival in Singapore;
(iv)	where required by directions in the application form, a letter of introduction from a public authority or public officer, or an employer or a business associate or a prospective employer or business associate of the applicant, where applicable, resident or conducting business in Singapore; and
(v)	such other documents and information as the Controller may require in any particular case; and

(d)

be accompanied by the relevant fee specified in the Interpretation (Singapore Visa — Fees) Order 2007 (G.N. No. S 652/2007).

(2) In addition to the requirements specified in paragraph (1), the Controller may require an applicant for a Singapore visa to provide his finger impression and submit to all steps as may reasonably be required for the taking of a finger impression.

(3) Nothing in this regulation shall prevent the Controller from requiring an applicant for a Singapore visa to furnish such other particulars, information and documents as the Controller may specify in any particular case.

Grant of Singapore visa

3A.—(1) Before granting a Singapore visa for or in respect of any non-citizen, the Controller must be satisfied of the identity of the non-citizen.

(2) Every Singapore visa shall be granted by the Controller for and on behalf of the Government and may be granted —

(a)	to a non-citizen for that non-citizen to travel to and enter Singapore within a specified period; or
(b)	to and in respect of 3 or more specified non-citizens for those non-citizens to travel to and enter Singapore as a group within a specified period (referred to in these Regulations as a group Singapore visa).

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), evidence of a Singapore visa that has been granted to a non-citizen may be given by —

(a)	a label that is affixed to the non-citizen’s passport by the Controller;
(b)	an imprint or endorsement that is stamped in the non-citizen’s passport by the Controller; or
(c)	a document that is given to the non-citizen by the Controller.

(4) Where —

(a)	the name of a child or person is included in the passport or other document of identity of a parent of the child or of a spouse or other relative of the person, as the case may be; and
(b)	the child or person accompanies that parent, spouse or relative (as the case may be) to Singapore,

the child or person shall be taken to be included in any Singapore visa granted to the parent, spouse or relative (as the case may be) if, and only if —

(i)	the child’s or person’s name is included in any imprint or endorsement on the passport or other document of identity of that parent, spouse or relative;
(ii)	a separate label is affixed to that passport or document of identity evidencing the grant of a Singapore visa in respect of the child or person; or
(iii)	a separate document evidencing the grant of a Singapore visa in respect of the child or person is given to that parent, spouse or relative by the Controller.

(5) If a group Singapore visa is granted to and in respect of 3 or more non-citizens for those non-citizens to travel to and enter Singapore as a group within a specified period —

(a)	these Regulations shall apply as if each of them were the holder of the Singapore visa, subject to sub-paragraph (b); and
(b)	if any such non-citizen fails to travel to and enter Singapore at the same time together with the group within the specified period, the Singapore visa deemed under sub-paragraph (a) to have been granted to that non-citizen shall cease to be valid when the rest of the group enters Singapore.

Validity of Singapore visa

3B.—(1) A Singapore visa may be granted subject to any of the following general conditions as to validity where specified therein:

(a)	the Singapore visa shall be valid to enable the holder thereof to travel to and enter Singapore on a single occasion within a specified period;
(b)	the Singapore visa shall be valid to enable the holder thereof to travel to and enter Singapore on a restricted number of occasions within a specified period; or
(c)	the Singapore visa shall be valid to enable the holder thereof to travel to and enter Singapore on an unrestricted number of occasions within a specified period.

(2) A Singapore visa shall cease to be valid —

(a)	at the end of the day specified in the Singapore visa;
(b)	where the Singapore visa is valid for travel to and entry into Singapore on a single occasion during a specified period, on the completion of that journey;
(c)	where the holder of the Singapore visa is granted any pass under these Regulations, when that pass is cancelled in accordance with these Regulations; or
(d)	where the Singapore visa is cancelled in accordance with these Regulations.

(3) A Singapore visa to travel to and enter Singapore during or within a period is not permission for the holder to travel to Singapore, or to enter Singapore, outside that period.

Endorsement of Singapore visa

3C.—(1) The Controller may, at any time, endorse on any Singapore visa such alterations or additions as may be necessary to render accurate the particulars recorded therein regarding the identity or status of the holder of that Singapore visa.

(2) The Controller may at any time delete any endorsement made under paragraph (1).

Refusal of Singapore visa

3D. The Controller may, by notice in writing or otherwise, refuse a Singapore visa to any applicant therefor.

Cancellation of Singapore visa

3E. The Controller may, by notice in writing or otherwise, cancel any Singapore visa granted to or in respect of any person.”.

Amendment of regulation 21

4. Regulation 21 of the Immigration Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after the word “pass” wherever it appears in paragraphs (1) and (3), the words “or Singapore visa”.

Amendment of regulation 22

5. Regulation 22 of the Immigration Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after the word “pass” wherever it appears in paragraphs (1) to (4) and in the regulation heading, the words “or Singapore visa”.

Amendment of regulation 22A

6. Regulation 22A of the Immigration Regulations is amended by deleting paragraph (2).

New regulation 22B

7. The Immigration Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 22A, the following regulation:

“Storage of personal identifiers

22B.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), all personal identifiers collected under any of the provisions of the Act and these Regulations, together with all identifying information related thereto, may be stored in such form as the Controller considers appropriate.

(2) The storage of all personal identifiers collected under any of the provisions of the Act and these Regulations, together with all identifying information related thereto, must enable the matching of a digitised version of the photograph provided by an applicant for a Singapore visa, pass or permit with —

(a)	any previous application for a Singapore visa, pass or permit from the applicant; and
(b)	any other digitised photographs of the applicant held by the Controller,

in order to confirm the validity of evidence of the applicant, or a person to whom a Singapore visa has been granted, or a pass or permit has been issued.”.

Amendment of regulation 40

8. Regulation 40(1) of the Immigration Regulations is amended by deleting “3(9),”.

Amendment of First Schedule

9. The First Schedule to the Immigration Regulations is amended by deleting Form 2.

New Second Schedule

10. The Immigration Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after the First Schedule, the following Schedule:

“SECOND SCHEDULE

Regulation 3(1)

specifications of applicant’s photograph

1. Standard and quality

(a)	The photograph must be in colour.
(b)	The photograph must have a plain white background or, in the case where the applicant’s hat or head covering is white, a plain light grey background.
(c)	The photograph must be in sharp focus and clear with no ink marks or creases.
(d)	The photograph must be printed on high quality paper at high resolution with a matt or semi-matt finish.
(e)	The photograph must be taken with uniform lighting and must not show any flash reflection or shadow on the applicant’s face or any uneven bright spots or red eyes.

2. Dimensions

(a)	The photograph must be 35 millimeters wide by 45 millimeters long when measured without borders.
(b)	The applicant’s face must take up at least 70% of the photograph and be between 25 millimeters and 35 millimeters when measured from his chin to the crown of his head.

3. Style

(a)	The photograph must show the applicant looking directly at the camera, with eyes open and clearly visible. Both edges of the applicant’s face must be clearly shown.
(b)	The photograph must not show the applicant looking over any shoulder (portrait style) and his head must not be tilted.
(c)	No part of the applicant’s face must be obstructed by any hair.
(d)	The top of the applicant’s shoulders must be visible in the photograph.
(e)	The photograph must not show the applicant wearing any sunglasses.
(f)	If the applicant wears any optical aid, the photograph must show the applicant’s eyes clearly with no reflection off the glasses.
(g)	The photograph must not show the applicant wearing any hat or other head covering, other than a hat or other head covering which the applicant habitually wears for religious reasons or due to custom. If any such hat or other head covering is worn, the photograph must still be a full frontal view of the applicant’s head and shoulders, showing the applicant’s facial features in its entirety with eyes open and clearly visible. Both edges of the applicant’s face must be clear.
(h)	The photograph must show the applicant alone with no chair back, toys or other persons visible.”.

Amendment of Third Schedule

11. The Third Schedule to the Immigration Regulations is amended by deleting item 1.

[G.N. Nos. S 433/98; S 602/98; S 194/99; S 599/99; S 459/2001; S 184/2002; S 226/2002; S 6/2003; S 201/2003; S 346/2004; S 396/2004; S 31/2005; S 615/2005; S 18/2006; S 245/2006; S 412/2006; S 523/2006; S 537/2006; S 728/2006; S 73/2007; S 214/2007; S 347/2007; S 582/2007]

Made this 29th day of November 2007.

TAN YONG SOON

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.

[MHA 112/2/037; AG/LEG/SL/133/2002/1 Vol. 4]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 55(2) of the Immigration Act).

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