[h=2]Foreign spouse of EP holder more favored than Citizen’s[/h]
October 7th, 2012 |
Author: Contributions
I am a Chinese American married to a Singaporean, and I identify with the sentiment expressed in the letter “Make it easier for foreign spouses of citizens to sink roots” (Sept 26).
My husband and I got married a few months ago, and I qualify only for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP), which gives me neither the right to work nor any health subsidies in case of a medical emergency.
The LTVP Plus requires us to have a Singaporean child, but no one in the right mind would have a child without health insurance and a job. The irony is that we do want to start a family.
We enquired at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority about applying for permanent resident status and were advised to wait at least six months, otherwise there would be a risk of being rejected. This is to deter couples engaging in sham marriages.
But my husband and I dated for more than four years prior to marriage.
The wife of an Employment Pass (EP) holder is able to work with a Dependent’s Pass and a letter of consent from the authority, but frustratingly, I must find a company willing to sponsor me with an EP.
It is one thing to be an open economy but another to favour EP holders over one’s citizens, which is not the fault of foreigners.
Judging from my job search here, I also find that employers are not really interested in “talents” but, rather, someone willing to accept a low wage, which means people from certain countries have a competitive advantage.
I came here because of my husband and his ageing parents. The Government is supposed to share my pro-family values, yet I feel like I have been punished for being a citizen’s wife and a highly educated woman.
.
Laura Chen
* The letter first appeared in TodayOnline on (1 Oct)
I am a Chinese American married to a Singaporean, and I identify with the sentiment expressed in the letter “Make it easier for foreign spouses of citizens to sink roots” (Sept 26).
My husband and I got married a few months ago, and I qualify only for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP), which gives me neither the right to work nor any health subsidies in case of a medical emergency.
The LTVP Plus requires us to have a Singaporean child, but no one in the right mind would have a child without health insurance and a job. The irony is that we do want to start a family.
We enquired at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority about applying for permanent resident status and were advised to wait at least six months, otherwise there would be a risk of being rejected. This is to deter couples engaging in sham marriages.
But my husband and I dated for more than four years prior to marriage.
The wife of an Employment Pass (EP) holder is able to work with a Dependent’s Pass and a letter of consent from the authority, but frustratingly, I must find a company willing to sponsor me with an EP.
It is one thing to be an open economy but another to favour EP holders over one’s citizens, which is not the fault of foreigners.
Judging from my job search here, I also find that employers are not really interested in “talents” but, rather, someone willing to accept a low wage, which means people from certain countries have a competitive advantage.
I came here because of my husband and his ageing parents. The Government is supposed to share my pro-family values, yet I feel like I have been punished for being a citizen’s wife and a highly educated woman.
.
Laura Chen
* The letter first appeared in TodayOnline on (1 Oct)
