Sinaporean Citizen Spouse, Disabled American Citizen

[shepard]

My wife is a citizen of Singapore (by birth.) I am a disabled American citizen, and we are wondering if it would be possible to live in Singapore.

My wife lives and works in Singapore, and makes enough to support both of us.

Originally we were going to live in the US, but we are now thinking about living in Singapore instead.

Here are my questions:

Since I am disabled, does that mean I can't live in Singapore?

Where is a good place for information/guides to start the process?

I have a couple of misdemeanors on my record from when I was 18 (2 hot checks) would this disqualify me from living there? I am 35 and have had no trouble except that.

Thank you for any help you can provide!

[offshoreoildude]

My wife is a citizen of Singapore (by birth.) I am a disabled American citizen, and we are wondering if it would be possible to live in Singapore.

My wife lives and works in Singapore, and makes enough to support both of us.

Originally we were going to live in the US, but we are now thinking about living in Singapore instead.

Here are my questions:

Since I am disabled, does that mean I can't live in Singapore?

Where is a good place for information/guides to start the process?

I have a couple of misdemeanors on my record from when I was 18 (2 hot checks) would this disqualify me from living there? I am 35 and have had no trouble except that.

Thank you for any help you can provide!

I personally don't think your disability will be an issue for you to apply for a long term pass (LTVP or LTVP+ - see www.ica.gov.sg). What is might prevent is finding a job - Singaporean employers are pretty old school when it comes to cripples and gimps. The island has improved it's access for disable people somewhat but I know at my condo it would be impossible to live there as a disabled person if you didn't have a maid to help with your wheel chair.

BTW - it's perfectly ok to call someone a retard, cripple or handicapped person here - no PC rules. The main private group helping handicapped people is "The Handicaps Association" for example and I've seen collection boxes for "Singapore Retards Association" or similar.

[offshoreoildude]

Oh and for misdemeanors.... not a lot of hard data points on that but I don't think Singapore is as hard on that as say Canada.

[shepard]

Thanks for the reply!

I am not in a wheelchair of anything, and you can't even tell I am disabled from my outward appearance.

I will not be working so finding a job is not an issue, I am just concerned with being denied based on being disabled, or my criminal record.

Thanks!

[offshoreoildude]

Thanks for the reply!

I am not in a wheelchair of anything, and you can't even tell I am disabled from my outward appearance.

I will not be working so finding a job is not an issue, I am just concerned with being denied based on being disabled, or my criminal record.

Thanks!

The biggest barrier will be your wife's income level - it needs to be north of S$4000 or so per month and preferably a lot more if she's supporting you 100%.

[shepard]

The biggest barrier will be your wife's income level - it needs to be north of S$4000 or so per month and preferably a lot more if she's supporting you 100%.

She doesn't make quite that much, but her parents would probably be willing to co-sponsor (if that is even allowed.)

Thanks!

[zzm9980]

The biggest barrier will be your wife's income level - it needs to be north of S$4000 or so per month and preferably a lot more if she's supporting you 100%.

She doesn't make quite that much, but her parents would probably be willing to co-sponsor (if that is even allowed.)

Thanks!

It's not.

What is her income? The farther from that number the harder it will be. Also, how long have you been married? I can't imagine it is a problem for an American, but there is a lot of pressure by ICA to make sure a marriage isn't a 'marriage of convenience'.

[shepard]

It's not.

What is her income? The farther from that number the harder it will be. Also, how long have you been married? I can't imagine it is a problem for an American, but there is a lot of pressure by ICA to make sure a marriage isn't a 'marriage of convenience'.

She makes about 3k+ a month.

No big deal, we will just live here in the US. We were just thinking of living in Singapore, but it honestly sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

Thanks for all the help guys!

[ecureilx]

BTW - it's perfectly ok to call someone a retard, cripple or handicapped person here - no PC rules. The main private group helping handicapped people is "The Handicaps Association" for example and I've seen collection boxes for "Singapore Retards Association" or similar.

never heard of the retards association .. though, fyi, the Handicaps Welfare Association was formed and named as such by Handicaps themselves -it was started off as a Handicaps Friendship association and grew to become a "welfare" association ..

[zzm9980]

BTW - it's perfectly ok to call someone a retard, cripple or handicapped person here - no PC rules. The main private group helping handicapped people is "The Handicaps Association" for example and I've seen collection boxes for "Singapore Retards Association" or similar.

never heard of the retards association .. though, fyi, the Handicaps Welfare Association was formed and named as such by Handicaps themselves -it was started off as a Handicaps Friendship association and grew to become a "welfare" association ..

The one that got me was brochures at Starbucks showing how people with autism "can be productive", and it shows someone sweeping with an overly exaggerated "retard" look on his face (head cocked, tough hanging out of his mouth). If I was even remotely PC, it would have been the most offensive thing I'd have ever seen in my life. In the US the boycott would be so strong Starbucks would have to file chapter 11.

Hell, one time in the US I was sitting outside with some friends drinking coffee, and someone told a story about something. I forget what. But I said (a bit too loudly) "That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard". Some guy barrelled across the parking lot screaming "WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHAT THE F*CK DID YOU JUST SAY?!", got to our table, and then looked saying "WHO SAID THAT?!" None of us answer, and he have hard a hard time taking any of us, let alone three, so he walked away.

[Mi Amigo]

I guess context is everything (not that I'm intending to condone bigoted behaviour of course). Reminds me of the furore that Ian Dury caused with his song Spasticus Autisticus.

[JR8]

Hell, one time in the US I was sitting outside with some friends drinking coffee, and someone told a story about something. I forget what. But I said (a bit too loudly) "That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard". Some guy barrelled across the parking lot screaming "WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHAT THE F*CK DID YOU JUST SAY?!", got to our table, and then looked saying "WHO SAID THAT?!" None of us answer, and he have hard a hard time taking any of us, let alone three, so he walked away.

Reminds me of a situation I witnessed in the office in the US.

A colleague from another branch was trying to urgently find a building contractor who was working in our office. He asked where he was and what he looked like.

Colleague #2 - He's up on the 10th floor today.
Colleague #3 - He's a big guy, like 6'5". And about 250lbs.
Colleague #2 - Er, he's usually in tan dungerees.
Colleague #3 - And he's about 40.

Colleague #1 - [Raises eyebrows. Still does not look like he's confident he'll find him].

[I observe this game of 'The elephant in the room' with growing disbelief].

Me: He's a huge black dude, you can't miss him.

[Colleagues 2/3 stare at me open-mouthed]

[vishalgupta2]

Hell, one time in the US I was sitting outside with some friends drinking coffee, and someone told a story about something. I forget what. But I said (a bit too loudly) "That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard". Some guy barrelled across the parking lot screaming "WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHAT THE F*CK DID YOU JUST SAY?!", got to our table, and then looked saying "WHO SAID THAT?!" None of us answer, and he have hard a hard time taking any of us, let alone three, so he walked away.

Reminds me of a situation I witnessed in the office in the US.

A colleague from another branch was trying to urgently find a building contractor who was working in our office. He asked where he was and what he looked like.

Colleague #2 - He's up on the 10th floor today.
Colleague #3 - He's a big guy, like 6'5". And about 250lbs.
Colleague #2 - Er, he's usually in tan dungerees.
Colleague #3 - And he's about 40.

Colleague #1 - [Raises eyebrows. Still does not look like he's confident he'll find him].

[I observe this game of 'The elephant in the room' with growing disbelief].

Me: He's a huge black dude, you can't miss him.

[Colleagues 2/3 stare at me open-mouthed]