Bringing my (Indonesian) girlfriend

[Harrison.Bergeron]

Hi,

I'm an American expat currently living in Taiwan. My girlfriend is an Indonesian citizen. We're trying to get out of Taiwan together, and Singapore is one of the places we're thinking about. However, while visiting Singapore last month, I heard there were some difficulties between Singapore and Indonesia in the past.

Does Singapore issue student visas for studying Chinese, and would she be able to get one? Is it possible for her to get a work visa of some sort (she's an assistant in a school here, and is a university graduate), or repeated tourist visas? If we were to get married first (eeeek! we're not ready yet!), would Singapore recognize a marriage license from Taiwan, or would it have to be from the U.S. or Indonesia?

Also, are there any major problems for Indonesians living in Singapore that might cause us to reconsider? (Taiwan is a pretty rotten place for "third worlders", which is one of several reasons we want out.)

Many thanks,

Harry

[sydgirl]

I can't answer many of your questions but I can say that I don't think your girlfriend will have any major problems living here simply because she is Indonesian. Singapore doesn't recognise "living together" so marriage is something for you to consider. Not sure if that requires you to get married in the US or Indonesia. Your girlfriend can apply for a dependants pass if you are trying to get an employment pass.

[k1w1]

Your gf won't need to be your wife if she wants to study (student visas are independent). Life will be a lot easier for her on a DP though: she can study and work (or both) with a lot more ease and she will have the same rights for minimum pay as an EP holder (bear in mind this might make it harder for her to actually get work).

Good luck, anyway.

[yuks]

Depending on what regulations the US embassy has and what class Emplyoment pass you get, you may be able to apply for a Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) for her. This will enable her to at the very least stay in Singapore for the same period of time as your EP, and she would also be able to study or work just by getting a Letter of Consent (LOC), which is a lot easier than trying to apply for a student pass or an EP.