The visa saga

I read complaints about the Australian Embassy's visa section in the readers' letters and can feel the frustration of the writers. I had such an experience with the American Embassy and was outraged. It seems to be the attitude of embassy officers these days to suspect every Indonesian as a "risk", who wants to enter their country and cheat on immigration rules. What irks me most is that the information we are asked on the telephone is misleading and gives the wrong facts, thus luring you into the trap where you lose your money.

I called the American Embassy three times to get confirmation about the requirements for my son's maid to go to the States. My son has two small children and works in the States. His wife just had a miscarriage because of a heart condition and too much stress without a helper in the family. On the third call, I was told by the embassy personnel to bring my bank statement and that I would be the sponsor of the maid, not my son, who had sent all the previously requested documents -- his American immigration papers, a personal guarantee letter that the maid would return to Indonesia, salary confirmation of his work place, passport copies. There also would be an interview for the maid. All good and well; I was sure to get the visa for the maid, because I had all the required documents and guarantees.

On Feb. 11, 1999, the maid and I went to the embassy. I had to pay Rp 450,000 (which is no small amount in Indonesia), got the visa forms and filled them in. We had to wait several hours. When called finally, the officer told us, point-blank, that there was no way a visa could be given to the maid. Nothing I said made a difference! All the requested documents are good for nothing. So, in my opinion, this is a deliberate action to get the applicants' money and dump the applicants on principle. I feel this is outright deceit. One pays for merchandise -- a visa. But if there is no merchandise, then one should not pay. So the embassy should return that money when they do not want to give a visa. When I made this point in front of the counter, I was shooed away: "You cannot bother everyone with your problem! the money is non-refundable, as you know! Your son should get a maid in the States." Everybody knows that no American or Latino or Chinese or any other nationality can fit into an Indonesian household with small children. It is impossible because of the different mentalities.

When I left the embassy, a woman, who I had seen in the embassy, was waiting under some trees. She asked me about my "success". She told me that this was the fourth time she had applied for a visa and been refused! The reasons were unclear to her. She said that her husband works in the States and she has guarantee letters, but she can not get a visa. This woman had applied for a visa when the price was Rp 650,000, Rp 350,000 and on that day Rp 450,000, and she will apply again, she said, to join her husband. I feel pity for her. The millions she paid for nothing! She will surely be applying for a visa only to be refused again.

MRS. SUHARTO

Jakarta