Rationale for Requiring Work Permit Holder to Seek Approval to Marry Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident

Debated in Parliament on 2 Mar 2020.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The requirement applies only to work permit holders (WPHs) because they are considered transient workers who are less likely to meet Singapore's long-term stay criteria compared to Employment or S Pass holders.
Marriage to a Singapore citizen or permanent resident does not automatically grant the right to stay, so the policy aims to prevent situations where approval might be futile by signaling early that not all marriages will be permitted.
In the last five years, about 80% of WPHs who applied have been granted approval to marry a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, showing the policy is not absolute.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Louis Ng Kok Kwang

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower what is the rationale for the requirement that a current or former work permit holder who wishes to marry a Singapore citizen or permanent resident must seek approval from the Ministry when S Pass and Employment Pass holders are not subject to the same requirement.

Mrs Josephine Teo

Work pass holders are meant to be transient. Persons who wish to stay in Singapore for the long-term must meet stringent criteria. Work permit holders (WPHs) are much less likely to meet the criteria than Employment or S Pass holders. As marriage to a Singapore citizen (SC) or permanent resident (PR) does not confer an automatic right of stay, it is better to have conveyed a clear signal in certain cases by not permitting the marriage in the first place. That said, in the last five years, about 8 in 10 WPHs have been granted approval to marry an SC or PR.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The requirement applies only to work permit holders (WPHs) because they are considered transient workers who are less likely to meet Singapore's long-term stay criteria compared to Employment or S Pass holders.
Marriage to a Singapore citizen or permanent resident does not automatically grant the right to stay, so the policy aims to prevent situations where approval might be futile by signaling early that not all marriages will be permitted.
In the last five years, about 80% of WPHs who applied have been granted approval to marry a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, showing the policy is not absolute.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Rationale for Requiring Work Permit Holder to Seek Approval to Marry Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident | PAPERCUTS

Rationale for Requiring Work Permit Holder to Seek Approval to Marry Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident

Debated in Parliament on 2 Mar 2020.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The requirement applies only to work permit holders (WPHs) because they are considered transient workers who are less likely to meet Singapore's long-term stay criteria compared to Employment or S Pass holders.
Marriage to a Singapore citizen or permanent resident does not automatically grant the right to stay, so the policy aims to prevent situations where approval might be futile by signaling early that not all marriages will be permitted.
In the last five years, about 80% of WPHs who applied have been granted approval to marry a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, showing the policy is not absolute.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Louis Ng Kok Kwang

Mrs Josephine Teo

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The requirement applies only to work permit holders (WPHs) because they are considered transient workers who are less likely to meet Singapore's long-term stay criteria compared to Employment or S Pass holders.
Marriage to a Singapore citizen or permanent resident does not automatically grant the right to stay, so the policy aims to prevent situations where approval might be futile by signaling early that not all marriages will be permitted.
In the last five years, about 80% of WPHs who applied have been granted approval to marry a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, showing the policy is not absolute.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Rationale for Requiring Work Permit Holder to Seek Approval to Marry Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Louis Ng Kok Kwang

Mrs Josephine Teo

Summary

Questions Identified

Rationale for Requiring Work Permit Holder to Seek Approval to Marry Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Louis Ng Kok Kwang

Mrs Josephine Teo

Summary

Questions Identified