Quote:
Originally Posted by SEAJ
Say WHAT? It’s that different in Singapore? (Or is that Malaysia??)
I of course do not know what all is involved with applying for an APEC card from Singapore, but I would THINK that since this is a Multi-nation effort to enhance the mobility of business travelers – ergo business - among APEC economies that there would be certain uniformity and similar standards.
** All I needed to apply for my APEC card was to fill out a very straight-forward/simple application form accompanied by 2 pictures, copy of my passport and a support letter which I had my Financial Controller (my staff) sign requesting that I be issued the card as I am required to travel to various countries to oversee our investment portfolio/search investment opportunities.
** The way I understand it, the company supporting the card application should be at the same country as where the application is lodged at. Ie. No requirement for you to have a company in the foreign country.
** As far as I know, there were NO checks on my company carried out. And in fact, I doubt they’d have time to do such check as I received my first country’s approval within ONE week of my application; within this one week of my application submission to the Hong Kong immigration department, I received confirmation of such from the Business Mobility Group - the transnational body responsible for the issuance of these APEC Cards. This confirmation also gave me a website where I was able to “Track” the progress of my application – and as above I got “approved “ by the first country within one week.
** The whole process takes approximately 3 to 4 months for all the participating countries to advise their approval to the Hong Kong immigration department; but you can nominate a maximum of 5 countries which you need to visit as a priority/should expedite when you submit your application and receive an interim card.
** My APEC card costs me only HK$427 (same price from when I applied for the first of my consecutive 4 cards) – a heckuva saving over the quite high cost of having to apply to individual countries. I remember a few years ago having to apply for a ONE visit visa good only for one month from Vietnam and it cost me US$200. But more important having an APEC card saves me all the cost, time and hassles of having to apply for visas to individual countries.
** When I use my APEC card to enter a country listed on my APEC card (this time I got 18 countries, including Russia) I am granted stays of 60 days, but I also read that there are countries who will grant 90 days.
Please double check for yourself from these web pages. Like I said, all my applications had been a breeze but of course this is from Hong Kong.
http://www.businessmobility.org/index.asp
https://eabtc.ica.gov.sg/eabtc/index.xhtml
https://eabtc.ica.gov.sg/eabtc/xhtml/info/Faq.xhtml
http://www.immd.gov.hk/en/services/h...avel-card.html
SEAJ |
i am afraid what you say is very true
not everyone can get the apec card
if you apply in spore the spore ministry of home affairs will surely check one's
background carefully
unless you are working in the spore goverment stats board,most ordinary
people will not be able to get a supporting letter from the regulatory bodies
the only way to get round this is to register a trade company in hong kong and then use it to support your application
personally i feel it is better to have hong kong citizenship than to have a spore passport if you plan to stay long term in china
on another note i realise japan also take better care of its citizens who are overseas than the spore embassies overseas
most spore embassies only pay lip service and go by the book strictly
if you ever get into trouble outside spore, you will know what i mean