Visa virus plagues city amid election fever

Visa virus plagues city amid election fever

By Mehru Jaffer

JAKARTA (JP): As if election fever and backbreaking economic
ills were not enough, people here are having to face yet another
plague gaining notoriety: the visa virus.

No matter how many people one meets, most have tearful tales
to tell about their latest visit to the consular section of one
or the other embassies here. As more and more people are able to
afford to travel around the world, embassy staff, too, have
become extra vigilant about deciding who can be allowed to travel
abroad and who cannot.

At the end of the school year especially, the stress level of
both the long line of people applying for visas and those
stamping them out is at its peak. Tempers are frayed as people
look forward to a restful break after being busy the entire year,
sometimes chasing trivial pursuits. And the disappointment
experienced at being told that they cannot be trusted to travel
by an embassy official, just when the applicants feel that they
have enough money and all the right papers to visit the
destination of their dreams, often plays havoc with their
dignity.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport sees off on an average 84,000 travelers
per month. Fears of violence at election time, and the genuine
need to vacation abroad, is expected to increase traffic during
the months of May and June up to at least 100,000 per day. And
the least one can do when forced to join this throng is to keep
one's cool.

After having waded through Jakarta's legendary traffic jams,
accompanied these days by a colorful cavalcade of election
campaigners, a housewife found herself besides herself with
irritation; she had not been allowed to sign on behalf of her
children, still minors, on the visa form at the Indian Embassy.

Just the thought of making more trips to the embassy, with
thousands of other little chores still left undone on the eve of
the school holidays, was enough to fray her temper even higher.

A teacher from the Jakarta International School took a day off
from her year-end busy schedule to go in person to the Italian
Embassy. But the trip turned out to be futile, since the armload
of papers and visa fee were not enough. "The embassy wanted to
see my round trip ticket, which, unfortunately is waiting for me
in my home country." She sighed at the thought of cutting her
holiday short by at least one more day for another suspense-
filled visit to the Italian Embassy.

An expatriate advertising executive with a better sense of
humor said she and her family had the time, money and all the
papers. "But we have no visas, so we will spend the summer
holidays in Jakarta itself," she said, as she enjoyed yet another
puff on her cigarette.

It was difficult to choose between feeling envious for her or
for those who are determined to go globe trotting anyway. An
Indonesian employed with a Jakarta-based foreign bank recalled
loosing her cool completely as she screamed and shouted at the
top of her voice at embassy staff. Her second application to
visit Australia for two weeks to see her sister after 20 long
years had been rejected once again.

"I kept explaining to the embassy that I do not keep money in
a current bank account, as I transfer it all into time deposits
that get me better interest, sometimes, up to 31 percent,"
explained the young lady. Her voice had reached a dangerous pitch
once again at the mere thought of the nerve-wracking experience.
She showed up to Rp 50 million in her time deposit scheme, but it
was not enough for the embassy.

And just in case readers begin to get the impression that it
is only female visa applicants who are prone to hysterics, the
above banker said the gentleman behind her in the queue at the
Australian Embassy was also expressing disappointment with the
service.

What makes a lot of people very upset is the hefty non-
refundable application fee which some embassies earn even if they
refuse to give visas at a later interview. If the visa is luckily
granted, then another amount is demanded, depending on the kind
of visa asked for.

John Milne of the Australian Embassy agreed to entertain The
Jakarta Post's queries by electronic mail.

However, in reply to the many complaints about the embassy,
John suggested that the Australian Immigration website ought to
explain it all.

According to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald, 50,950
people were found to be living illegally in Australia at the end
of last year. The largest number of this group came from Britain
with 11.5 percent. Those from Indonesia totaled up to 7 percent.
Officials at the Royal Netherlands Embassy here say that illegal
immigration of Indonesians to their country poses no problem.

"Due to our historic relationship with each other, and strong
family connections, we do not see Indonesians as problem
visitors," said J.Th.A. Bloemen of Consular Affairs who adds that
seldom is a visa request turned down to Indonesians wanting to
visit Holland.

He acknowledged that the visa section was a little overworked
these days, as the number of applicants between January this year
and May 18 increased to 7,571, as compared to the highest number
in 1997 when it was 6,787 between the same time.

However Craig J. Stromme from the U.S. Embassy has not noticed
any significant rise in the number of visa applications, even in
this election year. The visa section is abuzz with activity,
which is usual at this holiday time.

"Visa applicants must prove that they intend to return to
their country of origin. Failure to provide sufficient proof of
intent to return is the leading cause of visa denials," he
explained.

More than 60 percent of applicants receive visas to the U.S.,
however applicants sometimes complicate matters by believing, on
the basis of rumors, that it is necessary to misrepresent
themselves in order to obtain a visa. Craig's advice to all
applicants is to fill out the application form honestly and
completely and to tell the truth to the interviewing officer.

The U.S. Embassy does not recommend the use of agents, and
each person who is denied a visa is given an explanation for the
refusal, both orally and in writing. Applicants are also told
that the US$45 required is a nonrefundable, application fee only.
The visa fee is yet another amount.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of people who have regular jobs
and who swear that they only wanted to travel for a holiday, but
were refused entry to one country or the other on suspicion that
they might have stayed on. Who knows? And watching many
embassies in town wrap themselves in sheets of barbed wire, their
gates flanked by grim-looking armed guards, even as long lines of
people stand outside in rain or sunshine, it is difficult not to
wonder whether this is the picture of the much touted global
village?