# US citizen temp work in Singapore



## brob (Jan 28, 2013)

My employer needs me to work in Singapore for 2 months. I've read as a US passport holder I can stay up to 90 days and work. Is this length of my stay at the discretion of immigration officers? I've been reading about a visitor pass - would I receive one of these?

Additionally, I will bring my wife to stay with me. She has Italian citizenship and will not be working. Do you how long she can stay? I have seen 30 days on some sites and 90 on others. Have not been able to confirm.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

U.S. citizens are typically granted 90 day visitor passes (passport stamps) upon entry into Singapore. However, the length of stay granted is subject to the immigration officer's discretion.

For Italian citizens in my experience 30 days is pretty common, though sometimes they also get 90 days. If both of you go to the immigration counter at the same time that'll probably increase the chance of getting a pair of 90 day stamps. If she only gets 30 days then one solution, for use one time only, is that she takes a multi-day vacation in Vietnam, Thailand, and/or Malaysia in the middle of your two month trip. And no, a bus across the border and back is not what I have in mind. It should be at least a long weekend, preferably with air travel involved.

....But you mentioned working in Singapore. Are you allowed to do that on a visitor pass? Be careful. Some business activities are OK, such as attending a regular business meeting. Others require more than a visitor pass.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Also, if either/both of you are granted visitor passes shorter than you'd like, there's an official, preferred way to stay longer: apply for an extension of stay. Extensions are not guaranteed, but both of you would have a high probability of approval.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Singapore's Ministry of Manpower publishes a guide describing permitted activities if you do not have a work pass. If you are staying in Singapore on a visitor pass then you do not have a work pass. Please note the separate 60 day limit for the permitted activities on this list. Even if your visitor pass is longer (e.g. 90 days), you cannot undertake any of those activities for longer than 60 days.


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