Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Number of Foreign Students’ Applications to Study at a Local Private School that were Rejected in the Past Five Years

Question:

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the past five years, how many foreign students’ applications to study at a local private school have been rejected; and (b) what are the reasons for declining such applications when these foreign students have received offers by the local private schools to study there.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1.   From 2017 to 2021, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) received annually, an average of 52,700 applications for Student's Pass (STP) to study in private schools. A large majority – about 80% – were successful, while about 20% were rejected.

2.   Securing a place in a school does not and cannot guarantee STP approval. ICA assesses each STP application holistically, and on its individual merits. For example, an applicant could be rejected because he has adverse records, or is unable to show that he has the ability to financially support himself for the duration of the course.