Chinese national woman, 57, gets 6 months’ jail + S$2.5K fine for overstaying in Singapore for more than 22 years

Summary

• A 57-year-old Chinese national was jailed for six months and fined S$2,500 after overstaying in Singapore for 8,081 days.

• Wang Youying surrendered to the police on Aug 4 after being unable to produce documents proving her legal status in Singapore.

• She had previously served one month in jail and paid S$2,000 after another overstay conviction in October 2002.

SINGAPORE: A 57-year-old Chinese national has been jailed for six months after overstaying in Singapore for more than 22 years.

Wang Youying pleaded guilty to an offence under the Immigration Act and was sentenced on Aug 21. She also received a S$2,500 fine, which she couldn’t pay. Wang had overstayed by 8,081 days, equivalent to 22 years, 1 month, and 16 days.

The story began with a 14-day visit pass issued when Wang entered Singapore on June 5, 2004. She was allowed to stay until June 19 that year. She didn’t leave when the pass expired and didn’t seek an extension, Lianhe Zaobao reported (Aug 24).

Not the first time: She had already been convicted for overstaying once before

This wasn’t Wang’s first overstay offence. On Oct 30, 2002, she was convicted after staying in Singapore for more than 90 days beyond her permitted period. She received one month in jail and a S$2,000 fine.

She was released on Dec 31 and later sent back to China. Wang returned to Singapore in 2004, then stayed for more than two decades after her visit pass expired.

She surrendered at Bukit Merah East Neighbourhood Police Centre on Aug 4. She couldn’t produce documents showing that she had valid status in Singapore.

Police arrested her and handed her to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority for investigation. The court wasn’t told how she supported herself during those 22 years or where she lived.

A strange case that raises ordinary questions

The prosecution sought six months’ jail and a S$2,500 fine, pointing to her previous conviction for the same type of offence.

During mitigation, Wang said she had a serious illness and wanted to return to China soon. She also asked the court for leniency. But because she couldn’t pay the fine, she will serve another five days in jail instead.

Singapore’s immigration rules depend on people keeping track of their legal stay and seeking approval when they need more time. The sensible lesson is that when a pass expires, deal with it before the calendar turns into a history book.