Case of Patil Shubham Bhagwan (“Patil”)

2           Patil, a 27-year-old Indian national, was charged for harbouring a 19-year-old Indian man, Sharma Kartik (“Sharma”), with reckless disregard as to whether Sharma’s stay in Singapore was valid. Sharma had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of his visit pass since 8 September 2025.

3          Investigations by ICA found that Patil had purportedly allowed Sharma to stay in his Chai Chee Road unit from September 2025 until April 2026. Sharma was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a $4,000 fine. Following the completion of his sentence, he was deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

Case of Laddi (“Laddi”)

4          Laddi, a 31-year-old Indian national, was charged for harbouring a 31-year-old Indian man, Gulshan (“Gulshan”), with reckless disregard as to whether Gulshan’s stay in Singapore was valid. Gulshan had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of his visit pass since 5 April 2023.

5          Investigations by ICA found that Laddi had allegedly allowed Gulshan to stay in a unit in Yishun Ring Road from December 2025 until May 2026. Gulshan was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 16 weeks’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane. Following the completion of his sentence, Gulshan was deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

Case of Chumber Dheeraj Kumar (“Chumber”)

6           Chumber, a 37-year-old Indian national, was charged for harbouring a 36-year-old Indian man, Sidhu Harpreet Singh (“Sidhu”), with reckless disregard as to whether Sidhu’s stay in Singapore was valid. Sidhu had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of his visit pass on 30 April 2026.

7          Investigations by ICA revealed that Chumber had allegedly allowed Sidhu to stay in a unit in Jalan Rumah Tinggi from May 2026 until August 2026. Sidhu was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a $4,000 fine.

Firm Action Against the Harbouring of Immigration Offenders

8          ICA takes a firm stance against any person who harbours immigration offenders. A person found guilty of recklessly or knowingly harbouring overstayers and/or illegal immigrants may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months and up to two years and a fine of up to S$6,000. A person found guilty of negligently harbouring overstayers and/or illegal immigrants may be sentenced to a fine of up to S$6,000 or to imprisonment for a term of up to 12 months, or to both.

9          Those who wish to rent out their premises must exercise due diligence in checking the immigration status of their prospective foreign tenants to ensure that their stay in Singapore is legal. They are required to:

• Check the tenant’s original immigration/work pass;
• Cross check the particulars on his/her pass against the particulars on his/her original passport; and
• Verify the validity of his/her pass by checking with the issuing authority (i.e. Ministry of Manpower for work passes and ICA for immigration passes – Student’s Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass).

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

27 AUGUST 2026