Renewing your child's LTVP - Dec 2012 Update

My original LTVP renewal post is found here. For the rest o fthe related topics, click on the link above For Pinoys in SG.

Another year rolled in by and you find yourself preparing to extend once again your child's Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP). There have been some changes but otherwise still basically the same as before. Below is the high-level view of the task list.

1. Renew the pass online;
2. Prepare the documents;
3. Payment and e-Appointment;
4. Complete the formalities.

Before you even begin the above steps, you may want to get your kid's picture for the pass. To me, that still remains the most difficult part: coercing your kid to stay still long enough for you to get a decent picture for the ID :)

Just some notes: the "Applicant" will be your child (the one whose LTVP will be extended), while the "Sponsor" will in most cases be the parent (PR with SingPass).

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PART I: RENEW THE PASS ONLINE

There are a couple of things that you should consider about this:

Timing of Renewal
The official site says LTVP-holders can renew their pass online if the pass is still valid for at least 10 days. You need to assume that it means 10 working days and therefore does not include weekends and public holidays.

Just to share: this is my second time renewing my kid's LTVP and in both times, the application is approved exactly 10 working days after I submitted online.

My recommendation: renew the pass around a month before the expiration. More room and time to maneuver. :)

Requirements for the Renewal
Here's what you need:

• Singpass account;
• Financial: AMEX, Visa, Matercard, Nets, or Internet Banking (30sgd);
• Supported browsers and plugins

Go through the documentation for whatever technical specifications are needed for your browser, if needed. I can't stand the frustration of preparing all these only to be stopped by an incompatible browser or whatever.

Actual Renewal Application
Login to Electronic Visit Pass System with your SingPass and enter the necessary information.

 

One of the biggest changes this time around is the option to submit the digital photo. If you have prepared beforehand, you should be able to use this option. (Further details in below section.) Otherwise, just stick to the usual path.

Anyway, since this is a renewal, then most of your kid's information will automatically be filled up as soon as you enter your ID numbers. (If nothing shows up, there's a good chance you mistyped your or your child's number.)

It's straightforward so I won't bore you with the details. Just note that you will be asked to pay online a 30sgd  processing fee. Also, you should have received several emails by now regarding the application. Check your email again 10 working days after.

 

Taking Photos
Just some guidelines about taking the photo:

• Sharp and clear, 35mm wide by 45mm high without border and taken within the last 3 months;
• Taken full face with you looking directly at the camera with head straight and eyes open with no hair across and/or covering your eyes/ eyebrows. Both edges of your face and the top of your shoulder must be clearly shown. You must not look over any shoulder and your head must not be tilted;
• Taken with the image of your face measuring between 25 mm and 35 mm from chin to crown of head;
• Taken without wearing any hat or other head covering, unless you habitually wear a hat or head covering in accordance with your religious or racial custom. If any such hat or head covering is worn, the photograph must still be a full frontal view of your head and shoulders, showing your facial features in entirety with eyes open and clearly visible;
• If you wear glasses, the photograph must show your eyes clearly with no flash reflection off the glasses. The frames shall not cover any part of your eyes. Tinted glasses and sunglasses are not allowed;
• Taken with uniform lighting with no flash reflections, no shadows, no uneven bright spots on the face and no red eyes;
• Of white background, except that where if your hair, hat or head covering is white, the background must be light grey;
• The photograph must show you alone with no chair back, toys or other persons visible;
• The photograph must be printed on high quality paper at high resolution with a matt or semi-matt finish with no ink marks or creases.

For the digital submission, some additional guidelines:

• in JPEG (*.jpg) format;
• file should be about 60kbytes but not more than 150 kbytes;
• dimension of the image should be 400x514 pixels.

For complete guidelines, refer to APPLES (Application for Passport On-Line Electronic System). As for the digital submission, you can use the online image editing tool to crop and resize your image.

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PART II: PREPARE THE DOCUMENTS

 

There are two sets of information that you need to prepare. The first is the list of required documents:

• Approval Notice (available once approved)
• Appendix (VP) - IRAS/CPF Authorisation Form (available once approved)
• Completed Form 14 (available once approved)
• Terms and Conditions of Issue for Long Term Pass Card (available once approved)
• Applicant's recent passport-sized photograph (refer above)
• Applicant's current Visit Pass
• Applicant's Passport + photocopy of applicant's passport particulars

The next is the list of other requirement which may or may not be asked during the formalities (I guess it depends on the officer that you will be talking to):

• Applicant's birth certificate (original + photocopy)
• Sponsor's marriage certificate (original + photocopy)
• Sponsor's divorce certificate, if applicable (original + photocopy)
• Sponsor's spouse's death certificate, if applicable (original + photocopy)
• Sponsor's CPF Contribution History for the last 12 months
• Sponsor's Notice of Tax Assessment for the last 3 years

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PART III: PAYMENT AND E-APPOINTMENT

 

Make Payment

Ten working days after you applied online, you should receive your approval letter from ICA (assuming your application was approved). In the approval letter you will see two important notes:

• The visit pass short-term extension (from date of letter up to 2 months);
• The visit pass long-term extension approval in principle pending payment.

 

From the Electronic Visit Pass System, click on the Enquire Status/Make Payment and follow the steps. You will be asked to cough up 90sgd this time around. (Don't worry, that's the last money that you'll need to pay for this round.) After the payment you will then receive an email notifcation for the successful transaction.

 

Anyway, I suggest you pay up as soon as possible, as the available timeslots are quite limited. (ICA is open weekdays whole day and on Saturday half day only.)

 

Print Approval Forms

Again, go to the Electronic Visit Pass System, click on the Enquire Status/Make Payment and follow the steps. The page should provide you with the links to your forms that you need to print out and  present during the formalities. Do so. Twice. :)

 

Schedule E-Appointment

In case you are wondering, the short-term visit pass allows you to set an appointment within the next two months. This will become evident to you when you go to the E-Appointment System. However, note that the e-Appointment gives you up to 2 months from the time of payment, not based from the short term approval.

 

 

 

In my case, my son's LTVP was to expire on November 15. I got the approval letter and short-term visit pass on November 6 which expires on January 6. I made the payment on November 7 and, as per the screenshots above, gave me from November 8 until January 7 for the appointment.

 

If I was to set the schedule to January 7th, I would need to apply for another short-term extension of the visit pass which, as I understand it, will cost another 30sgd.

 

My advice, don't risk it. Just choose the most convenient date and time for you. Less hassle. Makes everyone happy all around. :)

 

And one more thing: the date of your appointment will be the effectivity date of your long term pass, which expires exactly one year after.

 

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PART IV: COMPLETE FORMALITIES

 

On the date of your appointment, be there on time. Preferrably earlier than your alloted timeslot. ICA has no problem if you are early for your appointment. Not sure if you're late though. Never been late for this things, and I have no intention of trying it out. :)

I suggest that you bring two copies of the forms that you need to fill up. One set you fill up as you are supposed to. The second set for backup, just in case you mess up something. $h!t happens, so it's always best to have a backup.

Also, bring your own ballpen. I'm quite sure the Immigration Officer will like it if you borrow his/her pen to fill up the forms that you supposedly filled up correctly the first time. :)

Oh, and don't forget to bring your kid as well. :) He/She needs to make a personal appearance for that.

And that's it my friends. :) Your kid is allowed to stay in Singapore for one more year.