The visa saga

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