Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Long Term Visit Passes for Divorced, Widowed or Separated non-Singaporean Mothers of Singapore Citizen Children Under the Age of 21, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether divorced, widowed or separated non-Singaporean mothers of Singapore Citizen children under the age of 21 can be automatically granted a Long Term Visit Pass/Long Term Visit Pass-Plus if they fulfil certain background conditions; and (b) if so, whether the Ministry can make public this list of conditions for the automatic grant so as to assure such mothers and their children of a stable family life.

Answer:

1. Divorced or widowed foreign mothers who have custody of their minor Singaporean children would generally be able to qualify for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+). The LTVP or LTVP+ will facilitate their continued stay in Singapore to care for their children.

2. Each application for LTVP/LTVP+ is assessed carefully taking into consideration the circumstances of each case and other relevant factors such as whether the applicant has adverse records. The vast majority of such foreign mothers have been granted long-term stay in Singapore.