Marriage of convenience
57C.—(1)  Any person who contracts or otherwise enters into a marriage —
(a)knowing or having reason to believe that the purpose of the marriage is to assist one of the parties to the marriage to obtain an immigration advantage; and
(b)where any gratification, whether from a party to the marriage or another person, is offered, given or received as an inducement or reward to any party to the marriage for entering into the marriage,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.
(2)  Any person who arranges or otherwise assists in arranging a marriage between 2 other persons, with the intention of assisting one of the parties to the marriage to obtain an immigration advantage, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.
(3)  This section shall apply to a marriage entered into whether in Singapore or outside Singapore.
(4)  In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1) or (2), it shall be a defence for the person charged with the offence to prove that, although one purpose of the marriage was to assist a party to the marriage to obtain an immigration advantage, the defendant believed on reasonable grounds, when contracting or entering into the marriage, that the marriage would result in a genuine marital relationship.
[Act 7 of 2016 wef 01/10/2016]
(5)  For the purposes of subsection (4), what constitutes a genuine marital relationship is a question of fact and the court shall have regard to all the circumstances of the case in determining the question.
(6)  In this section —
“gratification” includes —
(a)money or any gift, loan, fee, reward, commission, valuable security or other property or interest in property of any description, whether movable or immovable;
(b)any office, employment or contract;
(c)any payment, release, discharge or liquidation of any loan, obligation or other liability whatsoever, whether in whole or in part; and
(d)any other service, favour or advantage of any description whatsoever;
“immigration advantage”, in relation to a party to a marriage, means the grant or extension of the validity of any visa, pass, permit or re-entry permit under this Act or the regulations or any order made thereunder for that party or for a child or parent of that party.
[Act 18 of 2012 wef 19/12/2012]