TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Diaspora, mixed children laud govt’s permanent visa plan
The government's plan to give permanent visas to members of the diaspora and children of mixed-nationality marriages should ensure their rights to have economic opportunities including education and the ability to invest in the country without significant barriers, Indonesian former citizens and diaspora members have suggested.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Stock illustration of an Indonesian visa. (Shutterstock/Paolo Gallo)
F
ormer citizens and members of the Indonesian diaspora responded with enthusiasm to the government’s plan to issue a special permit allowing them the right to reside and work indefinitely in Indonesia and hope that the authorities will publish the plan’s details as soon as possible, as current laws make returning to the country difficult.
A clearer outline of how the plan will affect their economic rights is especially important to guarantee their livelihoods when they return to Indonesia.
The special permit plan was first raised by Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan during a technology conference in early May.
The senior minister said that the government was considering offering dual citizenship to former Indonesian citizens living overseas, in a bid to attract more skilled workers to the country.
While Luhut did not offer any details at that time, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly later mentioned that the government would reference India’s Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme, which grants a lifelong, multiple-entry visa for its holders and their spouses holding foreign passports.
“The lifetime visa holders will be able to build businesses here, and of course pay Indonesian taxes,” Yasonna said last week. “ However, they not allowed to hold public positions or participate in elections.”
Indonesia currently does not allow dual citizenship. Parents of mixed nationality marriages must register their children for limited-time dual nationality before the child turns 18, and they are required to pick between the two countries when they turn 21.
