Some ethnic Chinese ponder migration<\/p>\n
By Sri Lestari<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The current economic crisis and the May riots
\nhas motivated many Chinese-Indonesians to migrate. One indication
\nof the growing interest in migration is reflected in the
\nincreasing number of ads offering immigration services appearing
\nalmost every day in local papers.<\/p>\n
The most aggressive advertisers offer immigration services for
\nmigration to the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In
\ngeneral, there are three common categories in applying for
\nresidency: skilled workers, entrepreneurs and investors. A points
\nsystem is used to assess a skilled worker. The points depend on a
\ncombination of factors, i.e. education background, working
\nexperience, age and language fluency. Qualifications for
\nentrepreneur and investor categories mostly depend on the
\nmanagement and money-generating capabilities of the applicant.
\nThe amount of investment required varies from US$70,000 to
\n$1,000,000 with various investment arrangements. The simplest and
\ncheapest method is to participate in the annual U.S. lottery to
\nobtain a U.S. green card. It is very easy but there is very
\nlittle possibility of winning the lottery.<\/p>\n
Most people who chose to migrate do so due to a feeling of
\ninsecurity in regards to both their personal safety and assets.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian government has guaranteed that there will be
\nno more riots, but who knows? Is it capable of protecting the
\npeople, including the ethnic Chinese?\" said Natalia, who is of
\nChinese descent. Her family's properties were destroyed during
\nthe May riots in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
She plans to file her application to migrate at the Canadian
\nEmbassy in Hong Kong and has hired a lawyer to assist her in the
\napplication.<\/p>\n
Buntoro, a Chinese-Indonesian businessman who lives in
\nSurakarta, also wants to leave the country.<\/p>\n
\"I want to secure my assets,\" said Buntoro, who hopes to
\nqualify as an investor. \"But I haven't hired any lawyer and
\nhaven't decided which country to migrate to because there are
\nvarious options. I need more time to review each arrangement to
\nminimize the risks.\"<\/p>\n
Desperate people often act quickly and sometimes make the
\nwrong decision. There are many immigration consultants who might
\ntake advantage of such people. Through the Internet, a U.S.
\nconsultant is encouraging Chinese-Indonesian ladies to apply for
\nasylum in the U.S., saying there is currently a window of
\nopportunity. He says that the U.S. government is aware of the
\nsituation faced by Chinese-Indonesians who feel insecure over the
\nclaims of mass rape and there is therefore every possibility of
\nobtaining asylum in the U.S. within six months. He charges
\nUS$3,000 to handle the application.<\/p>\n
The INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) office,
\nhowever, states that the consultant has provided false
\ninformation. In fact, the immigration office has blacklisted him.<\/p>\n
Therefore, those who have made up their minds to seek the
\nassistance of a lawyer should be prudent.<\/p>\n
\"Be careful in choosing the right lawyer. I contacted more
\nthan 10 lawyers and compared their fees, responsiveness and how
\ncomplete the information was that they provided so that I
\nwouldn't waste time by communicating back and forth,\" Natalia
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"After I had picked one of them, I contacted the Canadian Bar
\nAssociation in Canada to confirm whether the lawyer whom I
\nintended to hire was a member of the association. Also, I
\ncontacted a friend in Canada to check whether the office is
\nthere.\"<\/p>\n
She has to pay her lawyer $2,000, a low fee compared to what
\nis being offered by similar services in Jakarta. \"It's a full
\nmoney back guarantee,\" she said.<\/p>\n
But hiring a lawyer does not mean expediting the process. As
\nNatalia mentioned, \"I hired a lawyer just in case I have to
\nappeal and need a lawyer to represent me. In fact, it is faster
\nto file your own application if your documents are quite straight
\nforward.\"<\/p>\n
She added, \"Hiring one which has a representative office here
\nwill be more expensive as you have to pay the local commission, I
\nguess. I deal directly with lawyers in Canada through the
\nInternet.\"<\/p>\n
Sudibyo Wongso, who recently went to a seminar on immigration,
\nsaid his friend had to pay $6,000 in lawyer's fees. Wongso
\nrefused to hire the same lawyer as he suspected his
\nprofessionalism. He said his friend did not sign a contract.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that a contract is very important. You have to
\nreview and scrutinize and think about any loopholes in it. Also,
\nif the fee is not refundable, you should not accept it. This
\nshould be clearly stated in the contract,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Seminars on immigration are often held by consultants to lure
\nprospective clients. Ethnic Chinese are their main target.
\n` \"Since the May riots, the number of Chinese-Indonesians who
\nintend to migrate has increased significantly. We have been
\ncontacted by hundreds of prospective migrants. Most of them want
\nto invest their money in Australia,\" said an employee of an
\nimmigration agency specializing in providing immigration services
\nto Australia.<\/p>\n
It is difficult to estimated how many people have filed
\nimmigration applications, but the growing number of ads offering
\nsuch services gives some indication. It is obvious that there is
\na growing interest in migration and, unfortunately, those who are
\nqualified will take their skills as well as their assets out of
\nthe country. The only way to stop them is to restore their
\nconfidence in the security in the country -- something that may
\nprove hard to do in the near future.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/some-ethnic-chinese-ponder-migration-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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