Offence Fine for Fake Marriages in Singapore

Source: Suhaney Wordpress

Fake marriage or Sham marriage is a marriage of convenience entered with the intention of deceiving authorities or people about it purpose. While there are many different cases that fake marriages are being arranged for the ease of securing visa, visit passes, long-term passes or permanent residence in Singapore. Though it is considered legally valid and conform to the formal legal requirement, Singapore parliament has passed a bill, approve changes in Immigration Act which criminalize fake marriages.

The changes will allows Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to prosecute couples, middlemen or marriages agencies if proven that gratification such as monetary awards changes hands between involved parties. The change in law was due to the increasingly offences by Singaporean whereby they have agreed to a fake marriage in terms of monetary gains.

Upon convictions, punishments may vary from a S$10,000 fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or both.  

Moreover, fake marriage also command another criminal offence under Section 177 of the Penal Code of furnishing false information to the authorities.