When It's More Than Just A Business Trip
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Yanna Evangelista discusses the value of partnering with your immigration advisor at the onset of an international assignment.
Hi I’m Yanna and I am a manager based in Singapore. My consultants and I manage the high volume of immigration applications for multi-national companies, small medium enterprises, regional and local clients, and we assist them to facilitate the transfers of foreign employees and family members into Singapore. We also assist with student pass applications and permanent residency solutions for private and individual clients.
With influx of foreign talent which continue to come to Singapore, the immigration and checkpoints authority and the ministry of manpower work together to exercise proper assessment when granting entry into these individuals. In recent years we’ve been noticing rigorous tightening in work authorization requirements and in our capacity as corporate immigration advisors we partner with our clients in ensuring we give them proper guidance and the right approach is taken to ensure compliance.
One of our recent cases is on the refusal of entry for one of our employees in Singapore. The employee had been travelling to Singapore and a number of locations on a business visa while his employment pass application was still in process. On his third visit he was stopped at immigration, questioned, and eventually asked to depart on the speculation that he was undertaking responsibilities behind the parameters of a business visa. Had we been informed; we would have been able to prepare him and provide him relevant advise on the likelihood of being questioned due to the frequency of his business travels. We would therefore recommend to consult your immigration advisors in order for us to provide appropriate guidance for such instances. We were looped in by the client and were tasked to help clear the record.
We addressed the situation by having several discussions with clients and stakeholders by helping prepare the supporting documentation for the appeal, having several discussions with the authorities, and subsequently monitoring the outcome.
We are pleased to share that the employment pass has since been obtained after a few months of tedious efforts. We are also pleased to confirm that the employee has already moved to Singapore and has commands to employment.
Hi I’m Yanna and I am a manager based in Singapore. My consultants and I manage the high volume of immigration applications for multi-national companies, small medium enterprises, regional and local clients, and we assist them to facilitate the transfers of foreign employees and family members into Singapore. We also assist with student pass applications and permanent residency solutions for private and individual clients.
With influx of foreign talent which continue to come to Singapore, the immigration and checkpoints authority and the ministry of manpower work together to exercise proper assessment when granting entry into these individuals. In recent years we’ve been noticing rigorous tightening in work authorization requirements and in our capacity as corporate immigration advisors we partner with our clients in ensuring we give them proper guidance and the right approach is taken to ensure compliance.
One of our recent cases is on the refusal of entry for one of our employees in Singapore. The employee had been travelling to Singapore and a number of locations on a business visa while his employment pass application was still in process. On his third visit he was stopped at immigration, questioned, and eventually asked to depart on the speculation that he was undertaking responsibilities behind the parameters of a business visa. Had we been informed; we would have been able to prepare him and provide him relevant advise on the likelihood of being questioned due to the frequency of his business travels. We would therefore recommend to consult your immigration advisors in order for us to provide appropriate guidance for such instances. We were looped in by the client and were tasked to help clear the record.
We addressed the situation by having several discussions with clients and stakeholders by helping prepare the supporting documentation for the appeal, having several discussions with the authorities, and subsequently monitoring the outcome.
We are pleased to share that the employment pass has since been obtained after a few months of tedious efforts. We are also pleased to confirm that the employee has already moved to Singapore and has commands to employment.
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Explore more at Fragomen
Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper discusses the practical considerations facing employers and foreign nationals amid recent changes to green card processing.
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Attorney María José Clarke explores Chile’s intensified immigration enforcement framework under President José Antonio Kast, examining new employer compliance obligations, work authorization rules for foreign nationals and the legal and financial consequences of unauthorized employment.
Media mentions
Senior Manager Jonathan Hill examines how the UK's new RAG rating system and stricter compliance metrics could shape universities' approaches to international student recruitment and sponsorship compliance.
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Knowledge Management Director Ana Sofia Walsh and Senior Client Engagement Manager Soraya Driessen examine the European Commission’s EU Inc. proposal and its potential to reshape corporate structures across the EU, highlighting the resulting complexities and unresolved questions for immigration, work authorization and cross-border workforce mobility.
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With less than two weeks until the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Senior Associate Jake Paul Minster outlines important visa and entry considerations for travelers planning to visit the US, Canada and Mexico.
Media mentions
Partner Ali Haider discussed how flexible residency pathways, strong infrastructure and access to healthcare are continuing to drive interest among retirees looking to relocate to the UAE.
Blog post
Partner K. Edward Raleigh analyzes how post‑midterm US business immigration will shift toward heightened enforcement, worker‑protection scrutiny and cross‑agency oversight, urging employers to align hiring practices, sponsorship decisions and documentation with consistent, defensible workforce strategies.
Media mentions
Awards
Fragomen is named “Law Firm of the Year” for Immigration Law by Best Law Firms™ - Australia and receives National and Regional Tier 1 rankings in Immigration Law.
Media mentions
Partner Parisa Karaahmet discusses the broad application of a USCIS memo to adjustment of status applicants and notes that H- and L-visa holders may have a somewhat easier burden in demonstrating factors that support favorable discretion.
Blog post
Senior Manager Alice Spaull and Associate Stephanie Fitton examine the evolving UK immigration and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirements for athletes, their support teams and associated guests attending the Commonwealth Games 2026, highlighting key compliance risks and the importance of early travel planning.
Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper discusses the practical considerations facing employers and foreign nationals amid recent changes to green card processing.
Video
In this video, Partner Diana Quintas discusses how Brazil’s family reunion visa supports long-term international assignments and outlines key eligibility, documentation and compliance considerations for employers and families relocating to Brazil.
Blog post
Attorney María José Clarke explores Chile’s intensified immigration enforcement framework under President José Antonio Kast, examining new employer compliance obligations, work authorization rules for foreign nationals and the legal and financial consequences of unauthorized employment.
Media mentions
Senior Manager Jonathan Hill examines how the UK's new RAG rating system and stricter compliance metrics could shape universities' approaches to international student recruitment and sponsorship compliance.
Blog post
Knowledge Management Director Ana Sofia Walsh and Senior Client Engagement Manager Soraya Driessen examine the European Commission’s EU Inc. proposal and its potential to reshape corporate structures across the EU, highlighting the resulting complexities and unresolved questions for immigration, work authorization and cross-border workforce mobility.
Video
With less than two weeks until the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Senior Associate Jake Paul Minster outlines important visa and entry considerations for travelers planning to visit the US, Canada and Mexico.
Media mentions
Partner Ali Haider discussed how flexible residency pathways, strong infrastructure and access to healthcare are continuing to drive interest among retirees looking to relocate to the UAE.
Blog post
Partner K. Edward Raleigh analyzes how post‑midterm US business immigration will shift toward heightened enforcement, worker‑protection scrutiny and cross‑agency oversight, urging employers to align hiring practices, sponsorship decisions and documentation with consistent, defensible workforce strategies.
Media mentions
Awards
Fragomen is named “Law Firm of the Year” for Immigration Law by Best Law Firms™ - Australia and receives National and Regional Tier 1 rankings in Immigration Law.
Media mentions
Partner Parisa Karaahmet discusses the broad application of a USCIS memo to adjustment of status applicants and notes that H- and L-visa holders may have a somewhat easier burden in demonstrating factors that support favorable discretion.
Blog post
Senior Manager Alice Spaull and Associate Stephanie Fitton examine the evolving UK immigration and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirements for athletes, their support teams and associated guests attending the Commonwealth Games 2026, highlighting key compliance risks and the importance of early travel planning.
