Foreign Spouses with Children in Singapore

Mr David Ong asked the Prime Minister what is the Government's position on foreign spouses, especially those with children in Singapore in the event of the demise of their Singaporean husband or wife.

The Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Prime Minister): **** Mdm Speaker, the Government recognises the importance of families and is committed to supporting Singaporeans in getting married and having children.

To help the couple remain together in Singapore, the foreign spouse of a Singapore citizen is typically granted a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) in the first instance. The foreign spouse is allowed to seek employment while on the LTVP.

ICA will then require some time to assess that the marriage is stable, before it considers the foreign spouse for longer term immigration facilities such as Permanent Residence (PR) and citizenship. The factors considered include the length of marriage, whether the couple has children from the marriage and the ability of the Singaporean sponsor to support the family.

Where the foreign spouse does not yet qualify for PR, we have introduced the Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+), an enhancement over the LTVP. The LTVP+ holder is eligible for a range of benefits, including healthcare subsidies for inpatient services at a level similar to PRs, and is facilitated in their job search as they only require a Letter of Consent from MOM. They are not counted towards the foreign worker quota of their employers and their employers are also not required to pay the foreign workers' levy for them.

For foreign spouses who are widowed and have young children who are Singapore Citizens, ICA would generally facilitate their continued stay in Singapore through a renewable LTVP or LTVP+. This is to enable them to care for and raise their Singaporean children here.

Help is available to those who face financial hardship, and the family may also be referred to a Family Service Centre which will help them to adjust and tide over this difficult period.

Mdm Speaker: Asst Prof Tan, next question.