*Double your giving this December! Every dollar donated to our campaigns will be matched dollar-for-dollar this December!*

The Struggle

Mr Lim, a 42-year-old Singaporean met his wife, 33-year-old Mdm Irene in 2010 while she was working in Singapore under work permit. When Mdm Irene’s work permit expired in June 2011, she returned to the Philippines. As she was a former work permit holder, Mdm Irene approached ICA to seek permission to marry Mr Lim but was rejected. In 2012, Mdm Irene and Mr Lim had their son out of wedlock. Once again, their marriage application was rejected. In 2013, Madam Irene made a third application and declared that she had one child with Mr Lim. ICA then banned her from entering Singapore.

In September 2018, Mdm Irene made a fourth application to marry Mr Lim but was rejected. After which Mdm Irene and Jonathan moved to Malaysia and Mr Lim would travel to and fro just to be with his family. Mdm Irene’s ban was lifted earlier this year, and the family had moved to Singapore in March 2019.

The past years have not been easy for the family to be constantly separated. While they are relieved that the family has now moved back to Singapore, they are worried about not being able to put their 7-year-old son through school as he has not been enrolled in any school since the family moved to Malaysia and subsequently to Singapore. Mr Lim has applied for Long-Term Visit Pass for his wife and son, in hope of enrolling their son into a local primary school so that he will not be deprived of the chance to study.

Help Needed – Give Hope

Mr Lim is the sole breadwinner of the family and works as a freelance driver, earning about $1,500 a month. When the case workers met the family, Mr Lim told us how he would fly over to the Philippines once a year between 2013 to 2018, just to celebrate his son’s birthday. The loving dad hopes to provide the best for his family, no matter how hard he needs to work to support his family.

The family is currently residing in a transitional shelter, and hopes to owe a place to call home one day. With the family relying on his income which is barely sufficient to cover, Mr Lim and Mdm Irene are worried that their son would not be able to attend school due to the family’s financial constraints, especially when Mdm Irene is unable to work as she is on Social Visit Pass.

Financial Breakdown

Although Mr Lim is a Singapore citizen, Mdm Irene and their son are both holding Social Visit Pass. As such, they are unable to afford the higher foreigners school fees.

Ray of Hope would like to assist Mr Lim’s son with his school fees for a year at $5,736** ($478 x 12 months). Fees are based on 2020 fee structure will be subjected to the Long-Term Visit Pass approval of Mr Lim’s son.

*Mr Lim is currently not receiving any assistance from SSO.

**In the event that the Long-Term Visit Pass application for Mr Lim’s son  is rejected, the funds raised would be re-channeled to other areas of assistance that the family requires, i.e. living expenses.