Need advise for my situation.

[moon02]

Hi all.

I have gone through a few pages of the topics and hope I am not double posting!

Here's my situation:

I (Singapore citizen) travelled to London in November 2011 for a long holiday and to visit family. I then met my current partner whom is of French nationality. He is working as a pastry chef in London for near to 5 years now. We intend to get married and settle down in Singapore so he applied for a job in Singapore 2 months back. He managed to get a job in a reputable hotel but his EP was not approved.

Right now, we are planning to return to Singapore in May this year to get married and hopefully, apply for a LTVP+ (I understand there is no separate form for this and the normal LTVP).

I am in a tricky situation as I am not able to prove that I have been working for the past 12 months as in I am in London. Before leaving for the UK, I was a supervisor in a restaurant, earning S$2600/month. I hold a Diploma and would say that my employment history is rather positive.

I wish to know if any one have had similar situations and can share with me their experiences in this.

And also,

1. Does he need to apply for a visa for us to get married in Singapore?

2. What are the chances of him securing employment in Singapore?

3. IF he gets LTVP instead of LTVP+, can he still seek employment so his pass is changed to EP or SP?

We are a young couple and do not mind to settle down in other countries but both of us are really keen on settling down in Singapore. Yet, reading the forum makes us less confident as many posts/replies are negative!

I hope someone can guide me in this.

Thank you very much!

[the lynx]

Hi all.

I have gone through a few pages of the topics and hope I am not double posting!

Here's my situation:

I (Singapore citizen) travelled to London in November 2011 for a long holiday and to visit family. I then met my current partner whom is of French nationality. He is working as a pastry chef in London for near to 5 years now. We intend to get married and settle down in Singapore so he applied for a job in Singapore 2 months back. He managed to get a job in a reputable hotel but his EP was not approved.

Right now, we are planning to return to Singapore in May this year to get married and hopefully, apply for a LTVP+ (I understand there is no separate form for this and the normal LTVP).

I am in a tricky situation as I am not able to prove that I have been working for the past 12 months as in I am in London. Before leaving for the UK, I was a supervisor in a restaurant, earning S$2600/month. I hold a Diploma and would say that my employment history is rather positive.

I wish to know if any one have had similar situations and can share with me their experiences in this.

And also,

1. Does he need to apply for a visa for us to get married in Singapore?

A normal tourist visa will do actually, but he has to leave when it expires. And no, no border-hopping to extend it.

2. What are the chances of him securing employment in Singapore?

Hard to say because I'm not from his industry but if his skills are highly niched, his employer should be able to explain to MOM why he should be approved for the visa. I can suggest his prospective employers to consider him as a trainer to teach/upgrade local chefs on French pastries, that may be good.

3. IF he gets LTVP instead of LTVP+, can he still seek employment so his pass is changed to EP or SP?

As you probably know already, LTVP will not allow him to work (while LTVP+ does) but once he finds an employment here and it is approved, yes, he can change to EP/SP.

BTW LTVP+ only works if you're married for 3 years and with a child already.

We are a young couple and do not mind to settle down in other countries but both of us are really keen on settling down in Singapore. Yet, reading the forum makes us less confident as many posts/replies are negative!

I hope someone can guide me in this.

Thank you very much!

[moon02]

Thank you for your quick reply. I read the website but my understanding is that those who have SC child or are married for 3 years have higher chances of getting the LTVP+. Or am I wrong?

Do you think it's more advisable for him to secure employment before we head back to Singapore? Because I think our case doesn't sounds too positive..

Thank you again!

[the lynx]

Thank you for your quick reply. I read the website but my understanding is that those who have SC child or are married for 3 years have higher chances of getting the LTVP+. Or am I wrong?

No you're not wrong. That was exactly what I was implying. You can apply but your chances are higher if the marriage was 3 years old and you have a child.

Do you think it's more advisable for him to secure employment before we head back to Singapore? Because I think our case doesn't sounds too positive..

If he is able to, that'll be even better. But it may be challenging as many employers prefer to interview candidates face to face. Not all though, and I'm not sure how it work in hotels and restaurants for his case. Just try your luck and let us know how it goes.

Thank you again!

[sundaymorningstaple]

7. Who is eligible for the LTVP+? Do all foreign spouses of Singapore citizens qualify for LTVP+?
Couples who have at least one child who is a Singapore Citizen from their marriage will be eligible to apply for the LTVP+. For those without an SC child, we will look at other factors such as duration of marriage, and will in general consider more favourably those who have been married for at least three years. Each application will be considered on its own merits. Other factors that we consider include the ability of the sponsor to financially support the family, and good conduct of both the sponsor and the applicant.

The operative words here are "having a SC child makes one eligible for the LTVP+".

However if not...... Married for at least 3 years MAY BE CONSIDERED. I would assume that would depend also on the income bracket of the sponsor (SC spouse). BUT even then there are no guarantees without a SC child born OF THAT UNION.

[taxico]

...Do you think it's more advisable for him to secure employment before we head back to Singapore? Because I think our case doesn't sounds too positive..

yes, it is advisable.

maybe he can line up a string of interviews around may, come here on a holiday, get married in singapore (ie, paperwork @ ROM), and go for the interviews before heading back.