Long Term Pass card to be issued to foreigners residing in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Singapore will introduce a new Long Term Pass (LTP) card to all foreigners residing in Singapore on Student’s Pass (STP), long term visit pass, Employment Pass (EP) and Dependant’s Pass.

The move is part of the government’s initiative to enhance the national security of the country, said the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The LTP card will replace the current stamp endorsement on the travel documents and the paper-laminated Disembarkation/Embarkation card issued to long-term pass holders. The LTP card will bear the photograph and fingerprint of all cardholders aged 15 and above.

With the added personal identifiers, government agencies will be able to verify the cardholder’s identity through face and fingerprint matching.

The LTP card boasts better security features compared to the present card, containing biometric features to provide more secure means of identifying individuals and facilitate travel, while deterring forgery and fraudulent use of the card.

All new long term visit pass and STP holders will be issued with LTP cards in the second half of 2008.

MOM will also open a new Employment Pass Services Centre in 2009 to register and issue the new cards to those currently holding on to the various types of employment passes.

The ministry said they will transit to the new cards from the second quarter of 2009 during renewal of their passes. They will be informed when and how to register.

- CNA/yb/vm