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Jakarta Post

Comment: Mixed marriage couples face red tape

Jan

The Jakarta Post
Mon, January 17, 2011

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Comment: Mixed marriage couples face red tape

J

strong>Jan. 12, p. 1

Nothing was on his mind except for love when Edgar Martinez, a Philippine national, met Mercy Nababan 14 years ago. Inseparable, they decided to marry and live in Indonesia.

It took a while for them to realize that a mixed marriage was not easy, especially for those choosing to live in Indonesia. They have stumbled upon not only cultural differences, but also many issues given Edgar’s nationality.

Your comments
:

Thanks for publishing another article about this situation, although regrettably no updates are given on what the government is currently doing with the “draft immigration law”. Here are some questions/comments on what was written in the above article:

“...with documented cases of foreign nationals paying Rp 7 million for a KITAS and much more for a KITAP.” — This sentence is deceiving as more details should have been given about why individuals may have paid Rp 7 million. If an applicant takes care of the process by themselves, without the help of an “agent”, the total “official” costs should be no more than Rp 800,000.

“Any foreign spouse who fails to obtain a work permit must pay US$1,200 per year to the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry’s skill improvement fund.” — “Fails” should not be included in this sentence.

Any one who was born in a foreign country who works in Indonesia is required to obtain a work permit, the annual cost of $1,200 is paid by the business/employer that sponsors the worker.

Please continue to regularly publish articles about this issue.

Ally W.H.
Jakarta

 

I fully agree that a mix-marriage entails real red tape. Each country differs though.

I had a problem as well — best way was to give up my citizenship from my country of birth ..... not an easy decision, this was in 1969. Yet the tape is still red.

Its high time the government issued permanent residents stay permits where necessary.

A. Monica Supryanto
Pretoria, South Africa

 

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