NON-CITIZEN WIVES OF SINGAPORE CITIZENS (Permanent residence in Singapore)

Inche Rahmat Bin Kenap asked the Minister for Defence whether he will permit a male Singapore citizen who marries a non-citizen outside Singapore to bring his wife to reside permanently with him in the Republic.

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, wives of Singapore citizens are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Singapore under the Immigration (Prohibition of Entry) Order, 1966. However, Sir, in the consideration of such applications, various factors have to be considered, namely:

(a) whether the marriage is valid in the eyes of the law;

(b) whether the wife qualifies under paragraph 4 of the Schedule to the Immigration (Prohibition of Entry) Order, 1966, which provides that the wife of a citizen of Singapore, married either before or after 1st December, 1954, should not as from that date have been living separately from her husband for a continuous period of five years; and

(c) whether the husband is in a position to support the wife in Singapore.