A married couple were arrested after the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) carried out simultaneous early morning operations at homes in Fernvale and Chinatown on Thursday, 27 August.
The 59-year-old Singaporean man and his 52-year-old wife, a Chinese national, are suspected of making false declarations in applications for immigration facilities. ICA is also investigating them for possible marriage of convenience offences.
The pair have not been convicted of any offence and investigations are ongoing.
Couple Married in January 2025 But Allegedly Lived Apart
According to ICA’s preliminary investigations, the couple solemnised their marriage in January 2025.
However, investigators found that they were not living together. The man was staying in a public housing flat in Fernvale, while the woman was living in a rental apartment in Chinatown. Both work as janitors for separate companies.
The Singaporean man had allegedly sponsored the woman’s applications for a Long-Term Visit Pass, or LTVP, in which she declared that she was staying at his Fernvale residence.
An LTVP allows eligible foreigners, including foreign spouses of Singapore citizens, to stay in Singapore for an extended period. A Singapore citizen spouse must sponsor such an application through ICA.
ICA Officers Watched Both Homes Before Moving In
ICA officers were briefed at about 4.10am before leaving for the two locations at around 4.35am.
At the Chinatown unit, officers began observing the residence at about 4.45am before entering at approximately 6.54am.
They questioned the woman about matters including her marriage and living arrangements. Eight other people staying in the apartment also had their particulars recorded and may subsequently be asked to assist with investigations.
The woman was arrested at around 7.35am on suspicion of making false declarations in applications for immigration facilities.
Meanwhile, officers began observing the man’s Fernvale flat at about 4.50am and entered at around 5.20am.
They interviewed him about his marriage and where his wife was staying. His mother, nephew and domestic helper, who were in the flat, were also interviewed. The man was arrested at about 7am.
Both were subsequently taken to ICA for further investigations.
11 People Arrested Over Two Weeks
The two arrests form part of a wider enforcement effort.
ICA Assistant Superintendent Mitchell Tan said 11 people had been arrested over the preceding two weeks for suspected false declarations in applications for immigration facilities. They will also be investigated for possible marriage of convenience offences.
A marriage of convenience offence under the Immigration Act involves entering a marriage to help a party obtain an immigration advantage where gratification is offered, given or received as an inducement or reward. It is therefore not established simply because a married couple lives separately.
Anyone convicted of the marriage of convenience offence can be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to 10 years, or both.
Separately, knowingly providing materially false or misleading information to obtain an immigration pass can carry a fine of up to S$8,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.
ICA’s official statistics show that 15 people were arrested for marriage of convenience-related offences in 2025, down from 41 in 2024, a 63.4 per cent fall.
ICA said cases are submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for prosecutorial assessment after investigations. No charges against the couple had been reported as of 30 August.
