What does it mean when the upload button disappears or “4 lines” appear?

• ICA informs you of the outcome by email (or by post, for applications submitted before 26 June 2024). You can also check the application status online at MyICA or the e-Service.
• ICA does not publish what individual e-Service displays mean, such as an upload option disappearing or the lines shown in a status view.
• “ICA may contact the main applicant/ sponsor for other supporting documents that are not listed above when making an assessment on your application.”
• ICA’s PR page also says: “You may be required to provide additional documents to support your application.”
• Successful applicants receive an In-Principle Approval (IPA). For applications submitted on or after 26 June 2024, instructions for completing formalities are shown in the ICA e-Service.

Sources: ICA — Becoming a Permanent Resident · ICA — PR document checklist (PDF) · ICA FAQ — completing PR formalities

Self-reported by applicants on public platforms. Not ICA policy; may not be representative.

• Applicants commonly report that the “upload documents” or update button disappears shortly before a result. In the Facebook-group reports, this was usually 1–7 days before, most often 2 days.
• It is not a reliable countdown. Some applicants saw the button disabled 4–10 weeks early, and some saw it disappear and then reappear. It happens before approvals and rejections alike.
• On Lowyat, applicants describe the e-Service status changing to what they call “4 lines” (from “3 lines”). On Lowyat and Expat.com, this and the button change are reported days to about 3 weeks before a decision, for either outcome.
• Results seem to arrive in batches, often right after ICA portal maintenance. Members report the status changing around 5am, with the SMS or email following around 9am.
• Requests for more documents are not an outcome signal. A family CV request typically arrives 2–4 months in. Requests for payslips or an employer letter at 6–9 months come before many approvals, but also several rejections.
• On public forums, reported requests (family CVs, 6 months of payslips, proof of race, English translations) came anywhere from 3 to 20 months in, before both outcomes.

Sources: Applicant reports collated from Singapore PR Facebook groups (anonymised, Oct 2026) · Lowyat — Singapore PR application timelines thread · Expat.com — PR approval chances 2023 · Expat.com — waiting more than 20 months for a PR result