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United States Visas from Singapore

Obtaining a United States visa from Singapore can be a complicated endeavor depending upon the visa category being sought and the specific factual circumstances of the visa seeker. Therefore, some visa seekers make the decision to retain the services of professional legal counsel in an effort to streamline and understand the overall process.

United States Family visas are often sought by American Citizens or lawful permanent resident with a loved one in Singapore. Immigrant spouse visas, often referred to by their categorical labels: CR1 Visa or IR1 Visa, are currently being sought out by Americans with a Singaporean husband or wife. The K1 visa was designed as a travel document specifically intended for the unmarried fiance of an American Citizen to be used for the purpose of reuniting the bi-national couple in the United States of America, legally marry in the USA, and file for adjustment of status. In the past, the K3 visa was often utilized as an expedited travel document for the spouse of an American Citizen. Recently, policy changes at the US State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC) have resulted in the “administrative closing” of many K3 visa applications. There are some who feel that the K3 visa’s utility is currently negated due to faster processing of immigrant visa petitions. However, there may be a point in the future when processing backlogs at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will require the processing of more K-3 visas.

Family based visas are not the only types of travel documents sought by Singaporeans wishing to travel to the USA. On the contrary, there are a large number of employment based visa categories which are used by Singaporean nationals wishing to take up employment in the United States. Travel documents such as the L1 visa or the E2 visa were designed for those wishing to travel to the United States to engage in business activity. Meanwhile, travel documents such as the EB-5 visa were designed for those wishing to invest in the United States economy and obtain Lawful; Permanent Residence in the process. Although the EB-5 visa requires a significant investment in the form of capital, the benefits accrued in the form of Permanent Residence are not insignificant. For this and many other reasons, some Singaporeans opt to invest in the United States of America while obtaining an immigration benefit.

For information pertaining to Consular Processing please see: US Embassy Singapore