Singapore Expats

Moving to SG with long term girlfriend

Relocating, travelling or planning to make Singapore home? Discuss the criterias, passes or visa that is required.
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rdueej
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Post by rdueej » Fri, 21 Mar 2014 10:11 am

East Dragon wrote:This topic is about moving to SG with long term GF. What about a Singaporean bring a long term GF into SG?

I am a Singaporean, divorce, have been with my Vietnam GF (fiancee) for 3 years. Every 3 months I would visit her in Vietnam and every 6 months I would together with her enter into Singapore for one month. Most of the time, upon entry, she would be asked to the ICA office for verification. I am very worry that one day, she would be refused from entry and subsequent visit to Singapore would be ban.

From what I understand from this topic, foreigner who are working in SG can apply for a LTVP for their GF. Can I know as a Singaporean who are working here, in their own country, have any procedure to apply for a LTVP for their fiancee?

I am self employer, my last few years income are between $40K to $70K before tax.

Please advice.

Many thanks.
A proof of living together needs to be provided for the application. The standard document for this used to be a letter from the embassy of the one of the parties involved. This would usually state that the couple are considered to be in a 'common-law' marriage according to the laws of one of their countries.

Some western country embassies provide this letter and that is how these applications were approved. I am quite sure these common-law marriage confirmations are not provided by Singapore or Vietnam governments.

Unless you manage to get a letter stating this for your case, it would be very difficult to convince ICA.

In almost all cases, if you are sure about it, then getting married would be the simplest way to solve these problems. If your girlfriend had previously lived in Singapore on certain work passes (like WP), you need to get prior approval from MOM before you marry her.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:25 am

As Singapore does not recognize common law marriages, I'm afraid you are out of luck. The only reason that Singapore allows de facto/common law marriages for foreigners is the fact that in order to obtain the skillsets necessary, they have to turn a blind eye to certain living arrangements that western countries have. In Asian societies it's frowned upon so it isn't going to fly here. In fact, I don't ever remember, in all my anecdotal evidence, of hearing about an ethnic Asian based common law marriage (from an Asian country) being allowed to come to Singapore on an EP and have an LTVP given to the common law spouse.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

East Dragon
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Post by East Dragon » Fri, 21 Mar 2014 8:37 pm

So our government is giving this privilege only to foreigners employee who are working in Singapore.

As a Singaporean we don't have that privilege??????!!!!!!!!

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Post by x9200 » Fri, 21 Mar 2014 8:46 pm

East Dragon wrote:So our government is giving this privilege only to foreigners employee who are working in Singapore.

As a Singaporean we don't have that privilege??????!!!!!!!!
It's less about your government but more about your conservative society. It is not that common in Singapore that SG citizens live together without being married as it is for example in the Western countries. This is reflected by your law. In other words, you may blame your countrymen for this, not necessary your government.
I once had to fight a local HR head of my company to sponsor my unmarried spouse LTVP as according to her this was not the local way. You have such law because of people like her.

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Post by rajagainstthemachine » Fri, 21 Mar 2014 10:19 pm

East Dragon wrote:So our government is giving this privilege only to foreigners employee who are working in Singapore.

As a Singaporean we don't have that privilege??????!!!!!!!!
Sadly, It would appear so... but why don't you marry her to make matters easier for yourself?

I hope one day the bill will be passed for Live-in relationships to be made formally legal in India, at the moment our supreme court has passed a historic judgement approving such relationships.
To get there early is on time and showing up on time is late

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PNGMK
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Post by PNGMK » Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:20 pm

East Dragon wrote:So our government is giving this privilege only to foreigners employee who are working in Singapore.

As a Singaporean we don't have that privilege??????!!!!!!!!
Nope. Sucks to be living in a conservative country doesn't it?

Old Pinky believes very much in the 'traditional' family... (not that he really had one himself AFAIK) and until he passes....

FYI I wouldn't really call it a 'privilege' - defacto marriages are a bit of a double edged sword. Just ask any guy who has lost 50% of his assets to some girl who just 'moved in'.

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Post by westcountry » Sat, 26 Apr 2014 2:32 am

ecureilx wrote:
westcountry wrote:.......we just don't want to get married....
just out of curiosity ... why not????
It's not that we don't want to marry at all, but more that we don't want to do it in a rushed unplanned manner for the sake of getting a visa.

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Post by westcountry » Sat, 26 Apr 2014 2:36 am

PNGMK wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:It's always been rather hard to get ICA/MOM around the statutory declaration IF the girl is from one of our regional countries. Had she been from your own country (if a western country) it would be relatively easy, but in their eyes the girls from neighbouring countries are only looking for a ticket into the country. It's wrong, but that has never stopped them from using their rules in their ball park. They also tend to move the goalposts as and when they feel like it. Like changing the basic income/academic requirements for EPs. It's their ballpartk so what to do?
Close but not quite. I'd say it's more that a common law marriage or defacto has no legal basis in MY therefore how can the OP be in one with a MY citizen? I hope his work around works.
Sadly it didn't work. We got a reply from MOM saying 'your country does not recognise common-law relationship although you have furnished a notarised affidavit to us', and that our application was rejected.

We have appealed but am not confident it will be approved and we are currently having to live in a hotel in JB as what we didn't know until day 59 of getting 30 day social visit passes was that Malaysians can only spend 60 days out of every 90 in Singapore!

technick
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Post by technick » Mon, 19 May 2014 3:22 pm

Well I finally gave up looking for alternatives and just coughed up 50K to put my GF of 10 months into university here. Gives her a Visa and I guess a decent degree at the end of it. Opening companies or employing her as a maid etc was just peeing into the wind.

Ballsy I know, but it beats getting married ;)

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