I have a job offer in Singapore! ...but need urgent advice on how I can bring my girlfriend with me!

[aea100]

Dear all,

I really hope someone can help me out with an urgent query!

I have been offered a job in Singapore - and I will need to make a decision about whether to accept it next week. The company will sponsor me to get the necessary EP and it is a permanent role, so that's all no problem. I work as a chartered accountant.

I am British, but I currently live in Hungary (for last 5 years). I have a long-term girlfriend (Hungarian) who I would like to bring with me to Singapore. As far as I know she can enter on a tourist visa with me (for 90 days I believe (?)) and then hope to get a job offer that would enable her to get an EP too. She currently works as a journalist / content writer for a tourism website (for last 2 years since graduating). She has a degree from one of the top universities in Hungary.

My question is what happens if she cannot get a job in the 90 days. We could both cope on my salary, so that really isn't the issue, but I wonder if the authorities will allow her to leave the country after the 90 days and re-enter on a new tourist visa for another 90 days? I've heard she can apply for an extension once there, but I guess that would only be for a fairly short-period of time and likely just a one-off extension? Frankly, she would be happy with any job in the short-term as long as she has the necessary permit to stay - and allows her to search for something more suitable long-term.

Any advice or views from similar experiences would be really useful! I'm sure this situation must have come up many times in the past!

Andy.

[Strong Eagle]

If she doesn't get a job in the first 90 days, and it is very unlikely that she will, you _may_ be able to seek an extension or do a visa run... but your and her options are very limited... you might end up with 90 more days, or maybe 30, or maybe none... she will not be allowed to stay.

There are no provisions for girlfriends. There are no provisions for common law marriage for British citizens. The only real option is to get married, all legal like. Then you can get a DP for her.

[ecureilx]

There are no provisions for girlfriends. There are no provisions for common law marriage for British citizens. The only real option is to get married, all legal like. .

oh ho ...

Old school romance, living together, getting to know each other etc etc is dead in Singapore

[bgd]

I had friends in exactly the same situation. He English and she Hungarian. They were here for a good few years before they married. I don't recall which pass she was on, but she was able to work, although never found anything suitable.

They have since left Sg but let me see if I can get hold of him and find out how they did it. The caveat is this was sometime ago and Sg is tougher on passes now.

[PNGMK]

I had friends in exactly the same situation. He English and she Hungarian. They were here for a good few years before they married. I don't recall which pass she was on, but she was able to work, although never found anything suitable.

They have since left Sg but let me see if I can get hold of him and find out how they did it. The caveat is this was sometime ago and Sg is tougher on passes now.

Possibly on an LTVP with a defacto letter - I think the brits could do it in the past. I had a pommy mate who did the same a LONG time ago with an angry Finnish woman.

[sundaymorningstaple]

There are no provisions for girlfriends. There are no provisions for common law marriage for British citizens. The only real option is to get married, all legal like. .

oh ho ...

Old school romance, living together, getting to know each other etc etc is dead in Singapore

I never "lived together" with any of my girlfriends or previous wives before marriage. Your idea of old school and mine are about a generation apart. In fact. The only girl I ever lived with before a legal commitment was my current wife of 33 years (a Singaporean born & bred). So, while a generation apart, I find that it is probably the best way, in hindsight!

It's not dead in Singapore, it just damned hard what with the cost of owning private property or waiting until you are 35 so you can buy HDB one as a single and then don't have to worry about getting acclimatized and constantly waking up her or your parents in the process.

[ecureilx]

I never "lived together" with any of my girlfriends or previous wives before marriage. Your idea of old school and mine are about a generation apart. In fact. The only girl I ever lived with before a legal commitment was my current wife of 33 years (a Singaporean born & bred). So, while a generation apart, I find that it is probably the best way, in hindsight!

mine was in jest, mostly wondering about SG inc view of unmarried couples ... even unmarried can't get A housing loan ... Agreed. .

[bgd]

I had friends in exactly the same situation. He English and she Hungarian. They were here for a good few years before they married. I don't recall which pass she was on, but she was able to work, although never found anything suitable.

They have since left Sg but let me see if I can get hold of him and find out how they did it. The caveat is this was sometime ago and Sg is tougher on passes now.

Possibly on an LTVP with a defacto letter - I think the brits could do it in the past. I had a pommy mate who did the same a LONG time ago with an angry Finnish woman.

Yes, it was exactly that. He just confirmed. The letter was from the UK, they were a couple there before moving.

[Barnsley]

I have been offered a job in Singapore - and I will need to make a decision about whether to accept it next week. The company will sponsor me to get the necessary EP and it is a permanent role, so that's all no problem. I work as a chartered accountant.

Do you have your IPA letter for your EP then?

Otherwise unlikely as it may seem , you don't actually have anything gauranteed.

That's the new world order in Singapore these days.

[PNGMK]

I'd add that CPA falls smack into the middle of the local PMET employment class the gahmen is trying to protect. I doubt OP will make it in.

[ecureilx]

I'd add that CPA falls smack into the middle of the local PMET employment class the gahmen is trying to protect. I doubt OP will make it in.

If he's being transferred internally, or his employer justifies his speciality, I guess it's not a big hurdle to cross

[Strong Eagle]

Gents, if you search around, I think you'll find several posts that indicate that the British High Commission will no longer issue any common law marriage letters as common law marriage is not recognized in the UK.

That's the big hurdle... Singapore wants to see one.

[x9200]

@aea100, check if Hungary can do anything for you to testify your common law marriage. Afterall, you live there, not in the UK, and your GF is a Hungarian citizen.