Should we apply for LTVP? Please help!

[AJAJ]

hi,
just to give you some background on us before asking the question.
My bf and I are planning to get married in a years time and we have been together for close to 2 years. He is working in Australia from Iran. I am a singapore citizen working in Singapore with salary of close to $5000+ a month. He will be moving to Singapore once we tie the knot.

so here are my questions
1. Should we apply for LTVP after we get married?
2. What are the success rate?
3. After he finds a job and gets a work visa, does it mean he has to give up his LTVP?
4. Would it be better for us to try to apply for LTVP plus? if we get rejected can we keep apply till successful?
5. Should he come to Singapore to work under a work visa first before we get married.
6. Would #5 increase our chances of getting the LTVP?
7. Any agents in Singapore that can assist us in getting the LTVP/LTVP plus?


Answers from those that were in my shoes before would be appreciated!

Answers from these who knows more about this system please help!!

Thanks

AJAJ

[x9200]

Regardless what you are going to apply for it would be good if you live or at least be together married for at least two years. Anything else may look in the eyes of authorities as a marriage of convenience.
Ideal scenario would be him coming to Singapore on EP, working here for a few years and only then applying for anything you may want including PR on his own merits or via family bonds. With you both not even married yet his chances of getting even LTSVP directly after you get married may not be very high.

[AJAJ]

Regardless what you are going to apply for it would be good if you live or at least be together married for at least two years. Anything else may look in the eyes of authorities as a marriage of convenience.
Ideal scenario would be him coming to Singapore on EP, working here for a few years and only then applying for anything you may want including PR on his own merits or via family bonds. With you both not even married yet his chances of getting even LTSVP directly after you get married may not be very high.

hi X9200, thank you for your reply. so basically the best bet is for him to work in singapore for a few year first before we apply for LTVP?
So its not an automatic grant for foreign spouse marriages that we can apply for LTVP?
This makes it hard for couples to live a good married life in singapore~!

[the lynx]

Regardless what you are going to apply for it would be good if you live or at least be together married for at least two years. Anything else may look in the eyes of authorities as a marriage of convenience.
Ideal scenario would be him coming to Singapore on EP, working here for a few years and only then applying for anything you may want including PR on his own merits or via family bonds. With you both not even married yet his chances of getting even LTSVP directly after you get married may not be very high.

hi X9200, thank you for your reply. so basically the best bet is for him to work in singapore for a few year first before we apply for LTVP?
So its not an automatic grant for foreign spouse marriages that we can apply for LTVP?
This makes it hard for couples to live a good married life in singapore~!

Well that's the idea they have... Especially for foreigner couples (or of one foreigner).

[AJAJ]

anyone know any lawyers or agents that can assist us in the process of getting a work pass in Singapore.

I know its been difficult for alot of other foreigners to be granted a work pass here b oo...

[x9200]

anyone know any lawyers or agents that can assist us in the process of getting a work pass in Singapore.

They will not help you beyond anything you can manage by yourself - judging from your posts so far you should have no problems with this.
What is his background / education?

[AJAJ]

anyone know any lawyers or agents that can assist us in the process of getting a work pass in Singapore.

They will not help you beyond anything you can manage by yourself - judging from your posts so far you should have no problems with this.
What is his background / education?

He studied in Australia in mechanical engineering and working now in Australia for almost close to 2 years. He is on work visa in Australia, passport from Iran.

Not sure if passport matters though..

[sundaymorningstaple]

It could. I don't know what the government's position is on Iranian citizens. Getting a lawyer will just get him sidelined as ICA doesn't like lawyers and frankly I doubt that any lawyer will attempt it as they know they are powerless with ICA.

I would concur with x9200 for the rest.

[AJAJ]

It could. I don't know what the government's position is on Iranian citizens. Getting a lawyer will just get him sidelined as ICA doesn't like lawyers and frankly I doubt that any lawyer will attempt it as they know they are powerless with ICA.

I would concur with x9200 for the rest.

thanks for that. apprecaite it.

however i still feel really clueless on what to do now as if we get married, we might not even be able to stay together for the time being just because of all the MOM restrictions....

any advice?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Get married in Australia. Come to Singapore. Apply for LTVP. You will probably get the LTVP if you are married before you arrive. You will NOT get an LTVP+ as you have to have been married for 3+ years for that. In the meantime he can look for a job. If he can find a job and secure an Employment pass or even a work permit, it will allow him to stay here until such time as you have been married over 2 years. After two or three years, apply for PR. (Oh, if you are already married when you get here, he can work on a WP and not be penalized for it by MOM.) However, he really shouldn't settle for anything less than an S pass. If he gets an S or EP then the LTVP will be cancelled anyway until such time as he is no longer employed. There is a chance, however, that he will not be given an LTVP as it is entirely discretionary by ICA to give it. So, with that in mind, maybe it might be a good idea not to burn any bridges......

You can thank your fellow citizens here for all the grief as it is due to their whining that MOM has made it all the more difficult for foreigners to come here.

[x9200]

If what SMS said fails you may consider a temporary migration to Australia but I don't know how strict they are over there - at least coming from Singapore with your salary level they should not see your marriage as of the convenience.

[AJAJ]

Get married in Australia. Come to Singapore. Apply for LTVP. You will probably get the LTVP if you are married before you arrive. You will NOT get an LTVP+ as you have to have been married for 3+ years for that. In the meantime he can look for a job. If he can find a job and secure an Employment pass or even a work permit, it will allow him to stay here until such time as you have been married over 2 years. After two or three years, apply for PR. (Oh, if you are already married when you get here, he can work on a WP and not be penalized for it by MOM.) However, he really shouldn't settle for anything less than an S pass. If he gets an S or EP then the LTVP will be cancelled anyway until such time as he is no longer employed. There is a chance, however, that he will not be given an LTVP as it is entirely discretionary by ICA to give it. So, with that in mind, maybe it might be a good idea not to burn any bridges......

You can thank your fellow citizens here for all the grief as it is due to their whining that MOM has made it all the more difficult for foreigners to come here.

hi SMS, thanks for that. basically i can see that the singapore government i just afraid of marriage for convenience situtations..

but they failed to consider marriage for true love...

if you know any other solution or advice, please do let me know!

[Mi Amigo]

if you know any other solution or advice, please do let me know!

I don't think there is any other solution - the advice given above by SMS and x9200 is the best you are likely to find. Your best course of action is to carefully study the options mapped out above, do some research on the ICA, MOM websites, etc., then make a clear plan.

[the lynx]

Get married in Australia. Come to Singapore. Apply for LTVP. You will probably get the LTVP if you are married before you arrive. You will NOT get an LTVP+ as you have to have been married for 3+ years for that. In the meantime he can look for a job. If he can find a job and secure an Employment pass or even a work permit, it will allow him to stay here until such time as you have been married over 2 years. After two or three years, apply for PR. (Oh, if you are already married when you get here, he can work on a WP and not be penalized for it by MOM.) However, he really shouldn't settle for anything less than an S pass. If he gets an S or EP then the LTVP will be cancelled anyway until such time as he is no longer employed. There is a chance, however, that he will not be given an LTVP as it is entirely discretionary by ICA to give it. So, with that in mind, maybe it might be a good idea not to burn any bridges......

You can thank your fellow citizens here for all the grief as it is due to their whining that MOM has made it all the more difficult for foreigners to come here.

hi SMS, thanks for that. basically i can see that the singapore government i just afraid of marriage for convenience situtations..

but they failed to consider marriage for true love...

if you know any other solution or advice, please do let me know!

True, many people marry for true love but with the flood of marriages of convenience, how else would you suggest ICA to look out for in every marriage intention?

3 years' of marriage (best with a child) is the only way ICA can rely on to tell if it is really a real marriage.

[zzm9980]

I would say (slightly) in your favor is your salary level, and that you're female. It's a less common scenario. I would suspect that ICA is more wary of the older Uncles making minimal salary marrying 20yr old PRC, Vietnamese, or Thai girls.

Just an opinion of course. Do not take this opinion as tacit endorsement to do anything rash

edit: And this opinion is based on common sense and recent (in the past year) articles were MOM answered MP's questions about the approval process for approval of marriage to WP holders. Not quite the same scenario, but the approval rate was surprisingly high and seemed to hinge on the Singaporean making enough money to support the new spouse.