marrying a foreigner in singapore

[strangerdoom]

Hi all,

Anyone here can advise on the procedure on marrying a foreigner in singapore?

I understand that should register at ROM first. Then base on the ROM cert, apply for PR at immigration. Right? The approving period is around 3 months. So what is the chances of the application is approved at the first attempt? What to do done if application fails?

Please advise!!
Thanks a million!

[Yutenji]

Hi, Sounds like the real question is "what the procedure for getting PR for my husband/wife?", because the marriage part is just as you describe e.g. "register at ROM".
First, an warning that will be repeated to you many times when you get married ... marriage doesn't guarantee PR status for your spouse.
Next, chances seem to be better (compared with 5, 10 years back) that PR will be granted first time round, but again it is treated case-by-case and all depends (in my cynical opinion) on your value to Singapore.
Finally, if the first application fails you can Appeal, or just wait a bit then re-apply. Unfortunately, they won't tell you why your earlier application failed, so there isn't really a way to adjust your next application to improve the odds.
Good luck.

[strangerdoom]

Hi, Sounds like the real question is "what the procedure for getting PR for my husband/wife?", because the marriage part is just as you describe e.g. "register at ROM".
First, an warning that will be repeated to you many times when you get married ... marriage doesn't guarantee PR status for your spouse.
Next, chances seem to be better (compared with 5, 10 years back) that PR will be granted first time round, but again it is treated case-by-case and all depends (in my cynical opinion) on your value to Singapore.
Finally, if the first application fails you can Appeal, or just wait a bit then re-apply. Unfortunately, they won't tell you why your earlier application failed, so there isn't really a way to adjust your next application to improve the odds.
Good luck.

Hi Yutenji,

Seems that you are rather familar with the procedure. Thanks for the info.

Wonder if education background plays a part? What other factors can improve the odds?

[Yutenji]

Hi Strangerdoom, Not sure this adds much to my earlier answer, but you never know ...
I first got PR about 8 years back. I was rejected on my first attempt. They'd made a mistake in the process, so out of a little guilt they gave me a few hints about 'why' (very unusual). On this occassion, my application was basically ok, but they seemed to have filled a quota. They suggested that if I reapplied 'straight away' then the timing would be good to get into the next 'quota'. Lo and behold I was accepted 2nd time around without changing a single item on my application.
As I mentioned, I believe the process has become smoother, faster and (pure speculation) more likely to succeed, in recent years. I hope so, because my wife has just applied !!
Most (admittedly anecdotal, unproven) factors that help/hinder are not really in your direct control ...
- Education. The higher and more valuable to Singapore's positioning in the world, the better
- Race. Don't kill the messenger, but it's widely believed that certain races/countries are more welcome than others. I won't say more!
- Income. Again, widely believed but unproven, the more you're paid, the more they'll take in taxes, therefore that's got to be a plus
I hope this helps. Please get other opinions too, since I may well be wrong/out-of-date.
Good luck