LTVP for common law spouses

[Nowhere Boy]

Hi all, have read a few other forums, but looking for some advice.

My fiance is a female Indian citizen, moving to Singapore in a few weeks. She will be getting a P1 employment pass to work for an MNC. I am a male UK citizen, living in London. I wanted to apply for the LTVP as a common law spouse as we are not getting married until next year.

Can i arrive in Singapore on a SVP, then go to a Commissioner of Oaths with my fiance to notarize our common law spouse relationship? Do we need proof, as we haven't always been living together? Her MNC will sponsor me as well for LTVP, but wondering whether notary proof done in Singapore will be enough for MOM.

Would appreciate advice from people who have gone through this!

Thanks

[sundaymorningstaple]

Short answer. no. Longer answer, if you want to commit perjury go ahead. It might work but the odds are it wont.

[Nowhere Boy]

Sorry, not sure i follow, where is the perjury? We are not married, but currently live in a US state that recognises common law marriage, i.e. we live together as man and wife when we are not on secondment with our jobs.

I understand that singapore does not recognise common law marriage, but it does provide for the possibility when applying for an LTVP. We need either notarization or our embassies to provide a letter. So i was asking what notariztion would be acceptable, i.e. could we get this done in singapore! If we got it outside singapore, is that acceptable?

Where is the perjury? Really don't want to get this wrong!

[JR8]

I think a difficulty is that you'll have a problem making a case you are effectively married, if you haven't been living together.

Or to put it another way, your plans, marriage plans, mean nothing to the Singapore authorities. What they see is a boyfriend wanting to get resident's status on the back of his girlfriend.

Unless you prove otherwise.


Edit to add: This was written before I saw your follow-up of 7:18

Follow on:
What embassy are you thinking will attest to your common-law marriage? I wonder if India even recognises the idea. It surely doesn't matter if where you live recognises it, as you are not American. And Britain, in my experience they are loath to stray outside of their standard embassy services. Attesting to something in America that they can't possibly have any knowledge of not being one of them.

If you have a persuasive case it can be done. But unfortunately people who do it never seem to come back to the forum after taking advice, and let us know how they did it. Perhaps you will be different, though odds on probably not.


Maybe try contacting this poster from yesterday and seeing if she can shed any light for you...
http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/sutra5 ... ht=#594114

[sundaymorningstaple]

Do we need proof, as we haven't always been living together?

This was the issue I was talking from as well. If you haven't been living together prior to coming to Singapore, it's not going to happen by going to your embassy here and making a false declaration.

You later post has clarified that somewhat. In that case as declaration at your embassy should be sufficient as I would assume you are bound to have some sort of documentations that you are living together if such proof were to be requested by the Singapore Gov't. Things like credit card bills in both names or coming to the same address, Loans with both names. Phone bills/utilities for the same address with each other's names, that sort of thing that places you both at the same location at the same time.

The other thing you might need to document is the fact that she had residency status in the UK as otherwise, it looks bogus to me as you have already said you only live together between jobs. Anyway, it's very hard when both are of the same nationality. You may well have a problem with different citizenships. As JR8 said, I don't think the British embassy/consulate does that sort of thing anymore. You might try a notary public and just hope that it will fly.