New measures to help foreigners who marry Singaporeans

[the lynx]

From your beloved news channel:

SINGAPORE: More measures have been introduced to help couples in which one spouse is a Singaporean and the other a foreigner to better plan for their future, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced on Friday (Oct 24).

From January next year, the process of applying for a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) will be revised. Couples are encouraged to jointly submit an application for a Letter of LTVP Eligibility, which will be valid for a year, before getting married. The couple can then use the letter to support their application for an LTVP after marriage.

Under this process, the wait for the issuance of an LTVP will be reduced to up to six weeks, instead of up to six months for couples who only submit their application after marriage.

According to the MSF and ICA, the joint application will "help prospective spouses have sufficient pertinent information about each other before committing to a marriage".

The move will also provide greater clarity, prior to marriage, on whether the foreign spouse qualifies for a long-term stay in Singapore, based on the circumstances of the couple at the time of the LTVP application.

The LTVP allows a foreign spouse to stay in Singapore for one year, before the visa needs to be renewed again.

EASIER FOR FOREIGN SPOUSES TO GET A JOB

It will also be easier for spouses on LTVP to seek employment. The Manpower Ministry will issue a Letter of Consent, tied to the LTVP, to foreign spouses who want to secure employment.

Such spouses will not be counted against the foreign worker quota and employers need not fork out a foreign worker levy to hire them.

Upon the issuance of a Letter of Consent, the validity of the foreign spouse's LTVP will be extended to two years.

However, the ICA and MSF said that marriage to a Singaporean does not automatically qualify a foreigner for a long-term stay in Singapore.

"All applications will be assessed on a set of prevailing criteria, including the ability of the Singaporean sponsor to support and look after the family," the authorities said.

[bgd]

Must be losing too many Singaporeans.

[ecureilx]

From your beloved news channel:
...

All is ok, as long as they don't make it compulsory, for locals marrying foreigners to attend seminars, before the marriage date can be accepted .. (it happens in a nearby Asian country- all foreigners marrying the locals there - must attend a series of seminars before they are allowed to marry ... )

[nakatago]

From your beloved news channel:
...

All is ok, as long as they don't make it compulsory, for locals marrying foreigners to attend seminars, before the marriage date can be accepted .. (it happens in a nearby Asian country- all foreigners marrying the locals there - must attend a series of seminars before they are allowed to marry ... )

Yes, the Philippines with redundant redundancy of red tape

[ecureilx]

Yes, the Philippines with redundant redundancy of red tape

lol

[zzm9980]

According to the MSF and ICA, the joint application will "help prospective spouses have sufficient pertinent information about each other before committing to a marriage".

The move will also provide greater clarity, prior to marriage, on whether the foreign spouse qualifies for a long-term stay in Singapore, based on the circumstances of the couple at the time of the LTVP application.

TL;DR:
"Make sure your prospective foreign spouse is deemed good enough before committing".

I think the intention is just to give a warning to those who want to marry their Geylang and karaoke sweethearts.

I just see this causing more resentment in those being told the women they love aren't good enough for Singapore.

[Strong Eagle]

Yes, the Philippines with redundant redundancy of red tape

Ahh... the Department of Redundancy Department