Automatic PR Status for Foreign Spouses of Singapore Citizens with One Singapore Citizen Child

72 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens and who have at least one Singapore Citizen child together can be granted Permanent Residence automatically after a specified period of time so that the Singaporean family can be complete and stable.

Mr K Shanmugam: Permanent Residence (PR) is not automatically granted to foreigners who are married to Singaporean Citizens (SCs). Each PR application is evaluated holistically on a range of criteria, such as the financial ability of the SC spouse to support the foreign spouse. The fact that there are SC children from the marriage would be a plus factor.

Foreign spouses who do not qualify for PR yet may be granted a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+) for them to remain in Singapore with their families. Those who are granted LTVP and LTVP+ are allowed to seek employment to help support their families.

In 2015, ICA implemented the Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment (PMLA). The PMLA provides greater clarity, prior to marriage, on whether the foreign spouse can qualify for long-term stay in Singapore. It helps prospective Singaporean-foreigner couples better plan for the future. Prospective Singaporean-foreigner couples are strongly encouraged to undergo the PMLA before marriage.