The US has one of the strictest immigration rules among western nations. At the same time, the US is one of the choicest destinations for Singaporeans looking to study, work, and find greener pastures outside their country. Citizens of some countries have it easier than others when planning to move to the US, and Singapore may be one of them. There are several ways available to move to the US from your country. It’s all good for you since this article reveals different methods to move to the US from Singapore. Keep reading to find which is best for you and make an informed decision.
1. Family Sponsorship
If you have a US citizen as a relative, you may qualify for the US family reunification program. However, a primary condition for this to work is that you must be a direct relative of the individual. The US immigration department’s definition of direct relatives includes the parent, siblings, spouse, or a child below 21 years old.
Your US relative would have to petition for your visa and verification that you are an immediate relative. Also, your US relative must be able to sponsor your stay in the US and tender relevant proof that they can cater to your needs when you arrive.
2. Go with a Study Visa
In the 2020/2021 academic session, international students made up about 6% of the total student population in the US, of which 3558 were Singaporeans. American tertiary institutions give admission to foreigners once upon meeting the admission conditions.
Thankfully, Singapore government agencies and private sectors in the country do sponsor the most promising students to study abroad, and that includes the US. You may enjoy such benefits if you fall into that category.
Applying to US tertiary institutions for studying is one of the easiest methods of getting into the country.
3. Marry a US Citizen
An advantage of falling in love and eventually marrying a foreigner is that it gives you easier access to your partner’s country. The same applies if you marry a US citizen. Your US spouse will be the one to initiate this process, and you can trust the US to verify if your relationship is authentic.
The Home Office would subject your marriage to a series of screenings to ensure the union is not one of the sham matrimonies arranged by those plotting how to get US citizenship.
If you pass that interview and other verification processes, the Home Office will decide on the application. If granted, the spouse visa can get you into the US.
4. Secure a Job
The US has strict rules concerning employing foreigners for jobs citizens could do, making it quite challenging to move abroad on this platform. But we said difficult and not impossible. The US can issue up to 140,000 work-based visas yearly, according to the nation’s immigration policy.
You can search for companies with foreign vacancies. Such an enterprise must have received clearance from the Department of Labor to hire a foreign worker
Another means is to get an American employer to sponsor your H1B1 visa. This visa is also known as the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Professional Visa. It is a special type of permit for Singaporeans that allows them to work in the US. The primary condition is that you should have a specialty occupation. These include jobs in fields like engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, and computer sciences, to mention a few.
5. International Transfer
If you are working for a company with a branch in the US, you may be lucky to get a transfer to the United States to work in one of your company’s branches. That means you will move to the US with an L-1 visa. The visa allows you to remain in the US as long as you are still working with your company.
6. Win a Diversity Lottery
The diversity lottery has been another option for immigrating to the US since 1990. The Immigration Act of 1990 founded the Diversity Visa (DV) program, which allows up to 55,000 randomly selected immigrants to get visas to move into the country. The program takes place only once a year.
You should be on the watch for when the entry starts. Registration is online, so that shouldn’t be a problem. The site uses sophisticated technology to prevent more than one entry per applicant. Upon submission, the system acknowledges your application with a confirmation number which you must never forget.
You must continually follow up by checking your application status using the confirmation number given. The US government does not and would not send any notification to selected applicants. Meanwhile, the downside of this method is that the probability of being selected is very low. To be precise, the DV monitoring body places your chance of selection at 0.61%.
Final Thoughts
We’ve dealt with six legal options to move to the US from Singapore. What remains is to decide which one would work for you. Most importantly, do not try any illegal means of entry into the country. If you’re apprehended, you may have just shut your chances of ever moving to the US.
