Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Percentage of Foreign Mothers With Singaporean Children Who Still Hold Long-Term Visit Passes After Eight Years of Marriage to Singaporean Spouses

Question:

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Home Affaris (a) what is the current share of foreign mothers with Singaporean children who remain holding Long-Term Visit Passes (LTVPs) after eight years of marriage to their Singaporean spouses; (b) whether the Government plans to assist this group of foreign mothers to apply and obtain their Singapore citizenship or permanent residency; and (c) if not, whether this group of foreign mothers will remain on LTVPs indefinitely.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1. As at end-June 2024, out of the total number of Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+) holders who were foreign spouses of Singaporeans, 7.5% were foreign mothers with minor Singaporean children and were married to their Singaporean spouse for at least eight years.

2. All Permanent Residency (PR) and Singapore Citizenship applications from foreign spouses are evaluated on a range of criteria, including the ability of the Singaporean sponsor to support the family, length of marriage, and whether the couple has children from the marriage. The fact that the foreign spouse is married to a Singaporean and has Singaporean children will also be considered.

3. Foreign spouses who do not qualify for PR can apply for an LTVP or LTVP+ to reside in Singapore.