Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who have Appealed for Their Foreigner Relatives to Enter Singapore Since Circuit Breaker
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the number of appeals by citizens and residents for foreign relatives to enter Singapore and for waivers of Stay-Home Notice (SHN) costs, as raised by Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Minister of State Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim noted that 18,600 entry applications were processed from April 2020 to January 2021, with a 97% approval rate. Rejections were mainly due to insufficient proof of a family nexus, while prior entry approval remains mandatory to manage COVID-19 importation risks. Regarding financial relief, the ICA processed 371 appeals for SHN or swab test cost waivers, with a success rate of approximately 60%. Although visitors are typically responsible for these expenses, the government reviews all waiver requests on a case-by-case basis.
Transcript
15 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) since April 2020, how many Singaporeans and Permanent Residents have appealed for their foreigner relatives or dependants to enter Singapore; and (b) how many have appealed for a waiver of the Stay-Home Notice Dedicated Facility accommodation cost for their relatives or dependants.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, to manage the risk of importation of COVID-19 into Singapore, all foreign visitors, including family members of Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs), are required to seek prior approval before entering Singapore. From 1 April 2020 to 31 January 2021, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) processed about 18,600 applications for entry of foreign family members of SCs and PRs. Ninety-seven percent of these applications were approved. The remaining 3% were rejected, mainly because the applicant was unable to provide proof of SC or PR nexus.
Foreign visitors entering Singapore are required to pay for the costs of their COVID-19 swab test and stay at dedicated Stay-Home Notice (SHN) facilities, if required. All appeals for waiver of costs are assessed on a case-by-case basis. From 1 April 2020 to 31 January 2021, ICA processed 371 appeals for waiver of costs for SHN stays or COVID-19 swab tests for family members of SCs and PRs. About 60% of these appeals were successful, while the remaining were either withdrawn or were unsuccessful.