Mother overstayed for 25 years in Singapore

[Betancourt]

Hi everyone, I'm going to tell a story and I have a few queries after that. Also, please pardon me for my bad English.


Let's just call me Tom, I'm 25 this year. I have a Singaporean father, a Malaysian mother and 2 sisters. My 2 sisters and I are stateless, people without a nationality. My mother gave birth to me in 1989 in Singapore when she wasn't even married to my father. She still isn't and had been overstaying in Singapore ever since until May this year when I decided to go to ICA for help. After more than half a year of investigation, my parents were both issued a warning letter by the authority who decided not to charge them. My mother was advised to go back to her country, Malaysia, to reapply for her IC and passport, after which so she can re-enter Singapore. She finally got her passport on August 20th and decided to come back to Singapore on 26th. But when she tried to do that, she was stopped by the Singapore custom. The officers there say she was refused entry into Singapore and asked me (thru phone) to send a letter to ICA Singapore to bail her in.

The next day I contacted ICA and I was told that I need to fill up form 14 and 39.

My sisters and I are currently stateless and are staying in Singapore with a Long Term Visit Pass and needed to report to ICA every month. We are essentially helpless as there isn't any country that will recognize us. So my mother is needed here to get married to my father so we can start trying to apply for Singapore Citizenship. Nothing can be done without my mother in Singapore.


So, my questions will be:
What is form 14 and 39?
Can we go to the ICA building to ask directly?
Is there a recommended solution to this issue?
What are the chances for my sisters and I to get Singapore Cityzenship?

Thanks in advance for your time in answering my queries.

[nakatago]

Quoted for future reference.

Hi everyone, I'm going to tell a story and I have a few queries after that. Also, please pardon me for my bad English.


Let's just call me Tom, I'm 25 this year. I have a Singaporean father, a Malaysian mother and 2 sisters. My 2 sisters and I are stateless, people without a nationality. My mother gave birth to me in 1989 in Singapore when she wasn't even married to my father. She still isn't and had been overstaying in Singapore ever since until May this year when I decided to go to ICA for help. After more than half a year of investigation, my parents were both issued a warning letter by the authority who decided not to charge them. My mother was advised to go back to her country, Malaysia, to reapply for her IC and passport, after which so she can re-enter Singapore. She finally got her passport on August 20th and decided to come back to Singapore on 26th. But when she tried to do that, she was stopped by the Singapore custom. The officers there say she was refused entry into Singapore and asked me (thru phone) to send a letter to ICA Singapore to bail her in.

The next day I contacted ICA and I was told that I need to fill up form 14 and 39.

My sisters and I are currently stateless and are staying in Singapore with a Long Term Visit Pass and needed to report to ICA every month. We are essentially helpless as there isn't any country that will recognize us. So my mother is needed here to get married to my father so we can start trying to apply for Singapore Citizenship. Nothing can be done without my mother in Singapore.


So, my questions will be:
What is form 14 and 39?
Can we go to the ICA building to ask directly?
Is there a recommended solution to this issue?
What are the chances for my sisters and I to get Singapore Cityzenship?

Thanks in advance for your time in answering my queries.

[sundaymorningstaple]

http://www.ica.gov.sg/data/resources/do ... Form14.pdf
http://www.ica.gov.sg/data/resources/do ... %2014A.pdf
http://www.ica.gov.sg/data/resources/do ... rmV39A.pdf
http://www.ica.gov.sg/data/resources/do ... rmV39I.pdf

As far as the rest, I have no idea. You are sadly between a rock & and a hard place. This is a sad story and all because your parents never bothered to get married. I don't think it's going to be easy but if your father's name is on the Birth Certificates, I feel there is a good chance of SC but it is going to take time for sure. Why didn't your parents every bother to get married?
I believe I'd go to immigration and lay your case before an officer in a face to face meeting so that you can present your story fully.

As you were stateless, did you do NS? If no, that will present a problem.

I wish you luck.

[rajagainstthemachine]

do you have any medical records from the hospital you were born in?
your father is a Singapore Citizen, so wouldn't you automatically qualify to be a Singapore citizen by birth?

What is form 14 and 39?
have you head of a website called google?
Form 14: http://www.ica.gov.sg/data/resources/do ... Form14.pdf
Form 39 : http://www.ica.gov.sg/data/resources/do ... rmV39A.pdf

Can we go to the ICA building to ask directly? I would imagine so.. that's a place you would want to start
Is there a recommended solution to this issue?
What are the chances for my sisters and I to get Singapore Cityzenship?

do you have any medical records from the hospital you were born in?
your father is a Singapore Citizen, so wouldn't you automatically qualify to be a Singapore citizen by birth?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Raj, they fail all of the tests

Citizenship by descent

At least one parent must meet one of these conditions:

The father is a Singapore citizen who was born in Singapore. Both he and the child's mother were lawfully married at the time of the child’s birth.

The father is a Singapore citizen by registration. Both he and the child's mother were lawfully married at the time of the child's birth. The child must not have acquired citizenship of its country of birth.

The mother is a Singapore citizen who was born in Singapore (applies to minors born on 15 May 2004 or later).

The mother is a Singapore citizen by registration (for minors born on 15 May 2004 or later). The child must not have acquired citizenship of its country of birth.

In the case where the father or mother is a Singapore citizen by descent only (i.e. not born in Singapore), one of the following conditions must apply:
Within a period of 5 years before the child's birth, the parent must have accumulated at lease 1 year of residence in Singapore within a period of 5 years before the child's birth; or

The parent must have resided in Singapore for 4 years before the child’s birth.

To the OP......

I would suggest you go to the following link and work from there to see if your sisters or all of you can qualify for citizenship by registration.

https://www.ecitizen.gov.sg/topics/page ... pageId=183

There is hope....90% of stateless applicants obtained S’pore citizenship between 2003 and 2012

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/90 ... 3-and-2012

[Betancourt]

No, I didn't go NS nor had any education. I also have never stepped outside of Singapore before.
Both of my sisters and I have birthcerts, with " This child is not a citizen of Singapore atthe time of birth."
As for why my parents chose to ignore this issue is because they had been refusing to face the fact due to fear.

I have one more question, for the form 14 and 39, are they usually used for allowing people who got refused entry to Singapore to be able to enter Singapore again? In this case, my mother?

[rajagainstthemachine]

yes its for your mother..

[PNGMK]

Sometimes I just am amazed.... this issue of stateless kids actually a problem in Brunei as well but it has been years or decades since I've heard of it happening in Singapore.

I think OP needs to investigate MY citizenship as well.

I doubt his mother will get back into Singapore

[rajagainstthemachine]

I think they are hesitant to pursue this because op has no formal education and they consider that a liability.

[PNGMK]

People; this is why you register your kids births with your home embassy!

[niceit198]

you're age 25 , father/mother only can suport child up to 21 year old. 21 year+ only can apply through your merit.

it really hard, singapore if really not allow any, next way could try on malaysia.

[thismyvoice]

Have your dad tried talking to his MP? Maybe he can help your family. As for yourself, 25 years of age, no NS and not educated, ...., chances look slim to be honest.