Moving to a foreign country

When my wife and I moved to Indonesia to live as residents we first entered through the immigration desk at the airport in Jakarta.

After entering Indonesia we were required to visit the offices of the State Police of Indonesia. We had to fill out many forms involving personal questions concerning our background, questions about our parents (dates and places of birth) and our siblings (dates and places of birth).

We were fingerprinted.

We had to be approved by the Indonesia Department of Religion, Department of Immigration, Department of Labor and the State Police in order to live and work legally in Indonesia. We were required to present letters of endorsement and support from the USA to prove that we could support ourselves or receive support from the U.S. while living in Indonesia.

We are required to carry with us our State approved credentials and must present them upon demand. We had to renew our visas and other documents each year.

In order to work and be able to carry on daily activities we had to learn to speak the Indonesian language, Bahasa Indonesia. We never expected the Indonesians to learn English just to accommodate us.

We recognized that we were, and are, guests in a foreign land. We realize that at any time we may be asked by the authorities to leave their nation. If that should happen then we will leave as requested. We will not try to slip back in undetected.

We have never assumed that we had any rights, and we have always known that the government of Indonesia will not be lenient to us nor provide benefits to us simply because we are foreigners in their land. In fact, we have had to prove to the government of Indonesia that our presence there brings some very positive social and moral benefits to the citizens of that nation in order to be able to remain there.

There are rules to follow when entering a foreign nation. Those who try to circumvent or avoid obeying the law of the land which they wish to enter are considered criminals, and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. One would not wish to serve time in an Indonesian prison!

The rules for entering and living LEGALLY in Indonesia are not very different from the rules in any other nation on earth. Enforcing those rules (laws) helps to preserve order and avoid all kinds of internal chaos. Why would an honest person, who only wishes to do good, NOT wish to follow proper legal procedures to enter and live in another country?

Perhaps Americans need to think more seriously and logically about such matters as they may relate to the problems we are now facing in the USA!