Singapore Expats

We’ve been overseas for 20yrs and are hoping to return with our 3 overseas born kids with dual citizenships. I’ve been a stay-at-home parent for the past 12yrs since my eldest was born - hence I’m “unemployed”. Would they hold that against me, the sponsor of my spouse?

Being a sponsor means being able to financially provide for your spouse. No employment = no income = low chance of approval until you find a job here in SG with a salary that can support a family.

I do wonder if they would consider assets/investments instead of income on appeal. Not sure I’ve seen any posts attempting it.

MOCHS wrote: ↑

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 1:40 pm

Being a sponsor means being able to financially provide for your spouse. No employment = no income = low chance of approval until you find a job here in SG with a salary that can support a family.

They gave my son his citizenship in 10days but what’s the point if I can’t sponsor his father who has twice or three times my earning power - hence, has enabled me to care for the kids.

If what you say is true, that the sponsor needs to be the one working, I’ll never be able to earn enough to support the family on my income - but that doesn’t define our financial status and ability to provide for the kids a whole.

We have less “luxuries” being a single income family but we’ve been fortunate that this arrangement has allowed us to care for our 3 kids. Had we both worked, we’d probably stop at 1, or none.. we’re here to help Singapore’s declining birth rate!

The only case I’ve seen so far on this forum is Sunjackal. His SC wife was unemployed but he was employed in SG so his salary was looked at during the application. He was given one year LTVP.

Then his PR was approved some time later. But the catch is he and his family moved back quite soon after his son was born.

OP is moving back after 20 years, quite obvious to ICA they want their spouse to have access to subsidies here in their older age. Gonna be challenging. But if OP’s kids are less than 12 years old, who knows?

MOCHS wrote: ↑

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 7:16 am

OP is moving back after 20 years, quite obvious to ICA they want their spouse to have access to subsidies here in their older age. Gonna be challenging. But if OP’s kids are less than 12 years old, who knows?

Gosh, we’re not that old and still have lots to contribute - we did school here then subsequently worked and settled. We’re quite comfortable to stay where we are and we don’t need no handouts. If anything, we get better benefits staying where we are. Singapore is expensive, cramped and stressful for kids but the only reason we need to be back is because of our aging parents and the need for the kids to spend time with their grandparents while they can. And yes, all the kids are below 12.

I’m “unemployed” because childcare is expensive where I am so it made more sense to be home. We’re also fortunate that my spouse has 3-4times my earning power so it also doesn’t make sense for me to get a job in SG first because I will never be able to “support the family” based on my income.

It’d be awfully narrow minded if ICA required all SC sponsors to be the more affluent/supporting spouse in the relationship. I just applied for my son’s citizenship as well and he got his citizenship in 10 days - but what’s the point of the whole family being citizens but not grant the main breadwinner of the family a visa?

**sorry, some redundant/repeated information in my last post as I thought the previous post didn’t get uploaded

fionawong wrote: ↑

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 1:19 pm

It’d be awfully narrow minded if ICA required all SC sponsors to be the more affluent/supporting spouse in the relationship.

The first thing you should know about ICA is to play by their rules. Not the other way round. That’s how the SG system works. The Singaporean who sponsors the application should be employed, that’s what being sponsor means. I don’t earn big bucks and still got LTVP and PR for my husband.

You should also alter your way of thinking. You’re not the only Singaporean with a foreigner spouse. I’ve seen way too many Singaporeans online who think because they studied/worked/did NS in SG and or have SC children, their spouse deserves a PR/LTVP.

There are many cases of sham marriages, hence why ICA has to be careful about each application. If it was that easy for foreigner spouses to get these long term visas, you wouldn’t hear about people struggling to get them. Even in the ROM cert, they also specify that being married to a Singaporean does not guarantee the spouse a long term visa.

You gotta be humble and you’ll be rewarded eventually.

Like I said in an earlier post, Sunjackal’s SC wife wasn’t working and his LTVP got approved on his salary alone. You can certainly try for your own spouse.

Hi, I'm a stay at home parent and got my spouse's and kids' LTVP approved earlier this year. So it's possible. I'm not sure if it mattered to ica, but I wrote a letter of explanation as part of the application and explained that I'm a stay home parent. I also uploaded some proof of assets like bank statements, deed etc.

Singapore is very reasonable if you explain things to them logically. The country do welcome all citizens back.

A few Singaporeans might cheer what they perceive as anti-foreigner policies… until it affects their ability to bring a foreign spouse into the country. What’s good for the goose, right?

But, I do agree, despite hurdles being thrown up on many occasions, reasonableness has always prevailed in all cases I’ve had direct experience with (myself and around a dozen extended family members).