SPR Female to marry a foreigner, issues with passes/permits

[tealeaf]

Been lurking around the forum for awhile to get answers for a few questions, used the search function and I'm still confused, hope some users would be able to help:

Scenario:
I'm a female Singapore citizen with a degree, 26, graduating very soon. I'm in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend (27) from USA, and we visit one another often. We wish to be married in future, and would like to see if there's any possibilities for us to be living in Singapore together.

Problem:
He has only High School qualifications and not much work experience, he could not get a Work Permit or any passes to come to Singapore. Financial background forbids him to be able to afford for a Degree to make him be more eligible to get a Work Permit in Singapore. So the only solutions I could think of would be:

1) Get married in Singapore and sponsor him a LTSVP. However he will not be allowed to work, and moving from LTSVP to Employment Pass will be difficult due to his background (work experience/no degree). Will this marriage be seen as "Marriage of convenience?" (which is not of course). This is not an ideal solution as we want to be both working together and make a living.

2) Get married in Singapore, but is there any choices for me to sponsor him a Dependent Pass (since they can work...)? I read on the ICA website that Dependent Pass is only for people with an Employment Pass and not for Singaporean Citizens? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

3) Or is there any other way for us to live and work together in Singapore with such conditions? Your advise will be deeply appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

[x9200]

He has only High School qualifications and not much work experience, he could not get a Work Permit or any passes to come to Singapore. Financial background forbids him to be able to afford for a Degree to make him be more eligible to get a Work Permit in Singapore. So the only solutions I could think of would be:

Is it really true? There are so many different modes of getting a degree. He can work to finance it and take the course part-time. I would not recommend online degrees unless they are from a very reputable institution.

1) Get married in Singapore and sponsor him a LTSVP. However he will not be allowed to work, and moving from LTSVP to Employment Pass will be difficult due to his background (work experience/no degree). Will this marriage be seen as "Marriage of convenience?" (which is not of course). This is not an ideal solution as we want to be both working together and make a living.

Probably

2) Get married in Singapore, but is there any choices for me to sponsor him a Dependent Pass (since they can work...)? I read on the ICA website that Dependent Pass is only for people with an Employment Pass and not for Singaporean Citizens? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

You are not. It's only for the EP holders.

3) Or is there any other way for us to live and work together in Singapore with such conditions? Your advise will be deeply appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

IMO his best chance is to get a degree in the field he is working right now so it will match at the end with his experience. After 2-3 years, he will be in a much better position although still far to guaranty any success.
Another option would be for you, to sponsor his study in Singapore or find out if he is eligible for any local stipend.
What about you going to the States?

[tealeaf]

Thanks x9200 for your respond. From what I gather from your reply, I guess the only way for us to work it out would be to either:

1) Upgrade himself by taking a degree and come and live in Singapore on a Student Visa. Money issues though since hes paying full school fees without government subsidy as a international student.

2) Me joining him in the States. With 9% unemployment rate... I guess this is the quickest solution to join one another.

Guess this is our only two choices..

[Mad Scientist]

This might help although you need to confirm with ICA on special visa permit

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic ... highlight=

[x9200]

Thanks x9200 for your respond. From what I gather from your reply, I guess the only way for us to work it out would be to either:

1) Upgrade himself by taking a degree and come and live in Singapore on a Student Visa. Money issues though since hes paying full school fees without government subsidy as a international student.

Not necessarily. I don't know his background and local eligibility criteria but there are many potential options you may want to check. Just one from the top of the google list:
https://tgonline.moe.gov.sg/tgis/normal/index.action

[sundaymorningstaple]

The problem with tuition grants at the moment seems to be the fact that even if they get the grant, graduate, they cannot find jobs due to the current situation here. There are a couple of 1st page threads at the moment regarding this very problem.

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic80652.html

I also note that the page you linked was last updated in 2009 so not sure how relevant it is today.

Worth looking into though.

[x9200]

It links to the pages with the up to date (2011) lists of participating institutions.
Agree that there seems to be more and more posts with people that can not get a job (or the work pass) after the studies, but then who know what's going to happened in the next 2-3 years? What would worry me more is if he could get such grant. Sorry, but as I said, IMO there are many options for such upgrade both here and I bet also in the States. An old cliche but if there is a will there is also a way.

[tealeaf]

This might help although you need to confirm with ICA on special visa permit

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic ... highlight=

Thanks for the link, I have read it and tried to google for the "Special Working Permit" but theres no such result via ICA website. I will try calling ICA to enquire about it.

I found a similar description to the "Special Working Permit" but the difference would be the education requirement for Permits/Passes is in tact... http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/ ... lders.aspx

If we do manage to get a LTSVP for him, and find him a job (via connections) he won't pass the test from ICA for a Work Permit due to Education background.

///

The problem with tuition grants at the moment seems to be the fact that even if they get the grant, graduate, they cannot find jobs due to the current situation here. There are a couple of 1st page threads at the moment regarding this very problem.

Thanks for the suggestion on Grants, x9200, I overlooked it. For the grants, I recalled that they will have to pay 3 years back to the local relevant industry by working. If you can't find a job isn't that kind of being screwed and stuck to pay for breaking the bond by the time the student Visa expires? Anyway that is a totally different topic for this matter. I'll consider the grant options with this problem in mind.

[Mad Scientist]

Another way to go is setting up a business entity here and have your bf apply to MOM under EP for that business. Not sure what you can do but this is one avenue you can look into

[x9200]

Thanks for the suggestion on Grants, x9200, I overlooked it. For the grants, I recalled that they will have to pay 3 years back to the local relevant industry by working. If you can't find a job isn't that kind of being screwed and stuck to pay for breaking the bond by the time the student Visa expires?

You have to check this out for the particular grant but as I wrote earlier, I expect the risk will be rather to have his work pass approved. In such case it is a bit hard to believe that one ministry (MoE) will force him to unconditionally and immediately pay his debts because another ministry (MOM) refused to issue him a pass. Please verify this in MOM/MoE as some absurd situations can happen.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Very similar to the lock up that happens between MOM and ICA quite often, especially lately with EPECs and LTVPs. Where we've actually seen EPEC holders being refused an LTVP.

[x9200]

Yeah, but I think these situations are a bit different (although I don't know how the grant agreement is phrased): EPEC just says that somebody's academic qualifications are sufficient. It is just like to say, somebody has to be 18y old to be employed. There is no obligation of any kind involved.
For the grant it seems to say, you will get it but then you will have to work for us. Then the same party says, we don't want you to work for us.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I think, at the moment, all the departments in the gahmen are scrambling, trying to cobble up solutions to the GE. I really don't think that they have had the time to do much integrating between ministries as it were and that's probably why all the confusion. That's why I wrote the following last week, and it wouldn't surprise me if it happened.....

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/sutra5 ... ous#537626

Granted it doesn't make sense, but neither did the results of the GE so who's to say?

[x9200]

Yeap, I read this. Another option would to let them pay the bond over extended period of time but from the publicity point of view what you suggested is IMO better. Also pretty delicate balance with the GE outcome factor somewhere at the background.

[Mad Scientist]

Reimbursement of study grant, bond and the likes over an extended period of time is only allowed for PRs and locals alike.
Foreigners will have to pay it in full unless granted by the Ministry in writing. Each case is treated on its own merit. Default payment will have sever repercussion in gaining employment, visit to Singapore etc. From my understanding you will need a local to be your guarantor in case of default.
We are talking about government study loan, bond or grants. This does not apply to private funding.