I would be grateful for some advise on the visa situation...

[Rob_Jonze]

Hi,

I'm relocating to Singapore from England, and would be grateful for a bit of help with the visa situation. My girlfriend has been offered a great job and will get a visa through her employer, but I will be staying with her without employment. Do I need to get a dependancy visa (which I think means I wouldn't be able to work and would lose several 'man points'...!) or can I get a 90 day visa and keep getting it renewed without fear of being deported?

Or is another method?

[nutnut]

If you aren't married, you cannot get a Dependants pass (I have heard something about common law marriage in Singapore, maybe they are coming to their senses) so you can only get the 90 day pass. If you come in and out of the country to renew it there is every chance you will get deported and this is illegal, no one will advise you do this!

Do you have skills to get a job here? maybe you can apply for work also and try and get your own EP?

Otherwise, consider getting married.

[Mad Scientist]

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

[zzm9980]

Hi,

I'm relocating to Singapore from England, and would be grateful for a bit of help with the visa situation. My girlfriend has been offered a great job and will get a visa through her employer, but I will be staying with her without employment. Do I need to get a dependancy visa (which I think means I wouldn't be able to work and would lose several 'man points'...!) or can I get a 90 day visa and keep getting it renewed without fear of being deported?

Or is another method?

If you are married, you could get a dependent's pass and that will generally allow you to work without much difficulty.

Now, before you say "But we're not getting married!"... If you're willing to move halfway around the world with your girlfriend, but not get married, you should *seriously* rethink your relationship. Sorry to be preachy, but thats the mistake I've made myself, and know quite a few other expats and others that have done the same. Most such relationships end in failure. Especially when it involves a Caucasian male going to Asia.

(I know that's not the advice you came here for, sorry )

[sweetgazebo]

Yeap, as with the prev poster's statements if you are following your g'friend half-way across the world, you either are deeply in love with her hence marriage should be on the horizon. Otherwise, you need to ask yourself why are you taking the plunge and coming into a country where you will not likely secure a job.

Other than what was advised by the prev poster your only option is the visa stamped on your passport when you enter Singapore. If you read on some of the threads here you will see there have been some peeps who have tried entering the country the 2nd time for the main aim of extending their stay and have not been granted. If you are looking at this method, you are going to have to take a calculated risk.

Hi,

I'm relocating to Singapore from England, and would be grateful for a bit of help with the visa situation. My girlfriend has been offered a great job and will get a visa through her employer, but I will be staying with her without employment. Do I need to get a dependancy visa (which I think means I wouldn't be able to work and would lose several 'man points'...!) or can I get a 90 day visa and keep getting it renewed without fear of being deported?

Or is another method?

[Rob_Jonze]

Sweetgazebo, ZZM,

Thank you for taking the time to reply, although as you mentioned, I was looking for some practical advise on a visa, not for someone to question my judgement on relocation. I'm travelling 'half way across the world' so obviously I have given it a lot of thought.

For what it's worth, we are looking to get married at some point, but I don't want to have her assume I'm proposing for the wrong reasons.

Also, why are you both assuming that a relationship is unstable just because the parties aren't married, or that marriage is the natural course for all relationships? Considering you don't know either of us at all, nor our backgrounds I find it strange to make such assumptions. How long do you think we have been together?! Why do you think that because I'm a caucasion male going to Asia that I'm destined to cheat on my girlfriend and ruin my long term relationship?!

I'm 30 years old, and don't really need relationship advise, but thanks for your concern all the same, I'm sure you both meant well and I appreciate the sentiment.

As for the work situation; I am a property developer in the UK. I have grafted my arse off for 10 years to be in a position to be able to do this, and I am looking forward to a break and to help my girlfriend settle into a new job in a new country. I don't need to work for a wage while my properties in the UK are rented out, so I will probably do some charity work once settled.

Maybe I should have a look at getting a LTVP, as we have been living together in England for years, and own a house together...

http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/ ... fault.aspx

I'm sure her employer would do the necessary to help.

Thanks for all the help so far.

Rob.

[zzm9980]

It's ok, I understand. I'm sure she was sitting over your shoulder as you typed that. Let's go have a drink together at OT when you get here I just turned 32 and made my mistake at 29. I probably would have typed the same thing you did if I was in your situation!

Seriously though, the hassle of you staying here long term without being married will make you see the wisdom of "just doing it" for the legal reasons at least.

[Rob_Jonze]

Haha! She typed the first draft...

What are your views on this 'common-law spouse' route for a LTVP? Sounds relatively straight-forward and above board. (P.S - Thanks to Mad Scientist for posting the thead link).

Drink sounds good to me. I'll keep you posted on our progress.

Rob.

[ecureilx]

Haha! She typed the first draft...

What are your views on this 'common-law spouse' route for a LTVP? Sounds relatively straight-forward and above board. (P.S - Thanks to Mad Scientist for posting the thead link).

Drink sounds good to me. I'll keep you posted on our progress.

Rob.

Do some read up on OT Too ...

[JR8]

What are your views on this 'common-law spouse' route for a LTVP? Sounds relatively straight-forward and above board.

Views in what respect? You can see how it works, so it is unclear what the question is.

[zzm9980]

Haha! She typed the first draft...

What are your views on this 'common-law spouse' route for a LTVP? Sounds relatively straight-forward and above board. (P.S - Thanks to Mad Scientist for posting the thead link).

Drink sounds good to me. I'll keep you posted on our progress.

Rob.

If you come from a country that has an embassy / consulate / High Commision / whatever that will endorse it for you, then it's your best shot. If it doesn't work, then getting married at home before coming here will look much better than getting married here.

[Rob_Jonze]

Jr8, the question was not aimed at you. Views - opinions - thoughts. Not the process but the practicality. What part of the sentence is confusing you? Would you like some English lessons when I arrive?

Jesus freak christ why are people such arseholes?? I've had enough of this site. People are RUDE!

[JR8]

The 'common law' visa route is something I try and help people with, but I didn't quite understand what it was that you were asking.

[eri_sg1]

hello, you cannot apply for DP if you are not married.
Singapore does not recognize common law marriage.
What u can do is apply for a visa called LTSVP ( long term social visit pass>,
That's what I got when I came here first, it's attached to my fiancé s EP.
If you go to ICA website, u can find EP ( employment pass ) holder under P1,P2 (basicly depending on salary) can sponsor a LTSVP for their fiancée or boyfriend girlfriend. EP under Q or S cannot apply for it.
Just go to your country embassy here to get a letter to prove you have lived together for years and are under common law partnership.

Your LTSVP visa is directly tired to yur girlfriend EP. They will expiry on the same date. You can go travel as much as you want, no prob at all.
Once you find a job here, company will apply a EP for you immediately.