Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced on Friday that frequent travellers from China to Singapore will get to use the automated immigration clearance gates from November 16.

They just need to meet the following criteria to apply for this for free:

- Hold a Chinese passport

- Be at least 6 years old

- Have a Multiple-Journey Visa that is valid for at least five years, and

- Have visited Singapore at least three times in the past year.

What are the implications? Here are three questions we're inclined to ask:

1. Will queues for automated clearance become longer? 

To be fair, in all likelihood, the majority of tourists from China wouldn't come to Singapore more than three times in a year, although anyone from China who applies for a visa to visit Singapore is automatically granted multiple-journey visa validity for up to 10 years.

2. Since the language used at our clearance gates is currently English, will there need to be a Chinese option added?

Not all business travellers from China might be able to read English, so this may be necessary to facilitate their automated clearance process.

3. With more travellers using our automated clearance gates, would our airport terminals then need to build more of these?

We're currently able to clear immigration through automated gates fairly quickly, but this would be a likely consideration in time to come.

Currently, those who can use the automated gantry include:

(a) Singapore Citizens above the age 6 whose fingerprints have been registered with ICA during application for the Singapore biometric passport;

(b) Singapore Permanent Residents above the age of 6 whose fingerprints have been registered with ICA;

(c) Long Term Pass holders above the age of 6 whose fingerprints have been registered with ICA; and

(d) Work pass holders (i.e. Work Permit, S-Pass, Employment Pass and Dependent Pass) who have registered their fingerprints with MOM.

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