HELP! Urgent! 5 Billion Rupiah Charged by Immigration office to a University student.

[Alexandra]

My friend H is from China and she is currently studying Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesia as an exchange student with a university program. She happened to have a friend working in a Chinese language school so she stopped by and visited her friends last night. When H was still there chatting with friends in the Chinese language school, some officers from immigration came into the school and took her and her friends away back to the immigration office. The officers asked H all kinds of questions and recorded the conversation. One of the questions is: "does the college that you study in knew that you are visiting that Chinese school?" She put everything honestly and she answered "tidak" which means no.

After the recording was over and after she signed, she was told that she was against the law by not telling the school that she was engaging activities outside of the university. According to the officers in immigration, in any case, if she wants to leave the university campus, she has to notify the office of the university the activities that she is about to engage in. However, until yesterday, she didn't know about this law at all.

Now the officers from the Immigration office charging her for 5 Billion rupiah and max 5 years of prison. H's friend from the Chinese Language School found his connection, FH, his name, bailed her out last night after talking to the officers for 4 hours. Then FH, the connection, lower the penalty to 150 million. If she pays that money, the record would be erased and she will be safe and back to the university as usual. But it's still too much money for an exchange student like H.

Guys, she is desperate and she really wants some comments and opinions towards the situations. Her family is all in China and couldn't really pay that much at this moment. She called the Chinese Embassy, the embassy replied that they can only find a lawyer for her. She doesn't really want to contact the university she studies in because she's afraid that she will be deported right away. She now is trying to lower the penalty as much as possible until she is able to pay for the amount.

Thank you so much for all the input and comments! Thanks for your time and patience!

 

[snpark]

Obviously it's a setup

 

[Happy]

I would recommend to talk to PNB Law firm, I also have an immigration issue right now and find them quite helpful. http://www.pnblawfirm.com/

 

[Alexandra]

I would recommend to talk to PNB Law firm, I also have an immigration issue right now and find them quite helpful. http://www.pnblawfirm.com/

thanks a lot!
If it really becomes a "money issue" in the end, I guess shes willing to try everything possible to have the leverage to bargain the penalty amount.

 

[R Cameron]

That is absurd. She needs to ask what law she has violated. I know people who have been on university visa and they have done anything they like in their free time, even traveling to other provinces.

But unfortunately it is unlikely they will say, "ah, you are right, there's no law about this, you caught us trying to extort money, sorry about that, have a nice day."

 

[R Cameron]

After the recording was over and after she signed, she was told that she was against the law by not telling the school that she was engaging activities outside of the university. According to the officers in immigration, in any case, if she wants to leave the university campus, she has to notify the office of the university the activities that she is about to engage in. However, until yesterday, she didn't know about this law at all.

Upon further consideration, there is the possibility there was a genuine miscommunication in this interview. "Engaging activities outside of the university" is likely referring to seeking employment. Of course she can go visit the market, coffee shop, restaurant, and mall, right? Right??

Perhaps her friends at this Chinese language school were working there illegally. If so, and she is a Chinese national caught up in the sting, it may be difficult to convince them she was not working at the school as well. Seek clarification if that is the true issue, and seek evidence that can clarify that she is simply a friend and has not worked at the school (though it's hard to prove a negative).

 

[Dave70]

After the recording was over and after she signed, she was told that she was against the law by not telling the school that she was engaging activities outside of the university.

She called the Chinese Embassy, the embassy replied that they can only find a lawyer for her. She doesn't really want to contact the university she studies in because she's afraid that she will be deported right away. She now is trying to lower the penalty as much as possible until she is able to pay for the amount.

1. I think the problem is H signing something which admit her "wrongdoings". And now it is being used against her.

2. I would contact the lawyer recommended by the embassy.

3. If H did not engage in anything illegal, she should also contact the university for help.

4. I don't think she can be deported for visiting friends outside the university without approval. But I would rather be deported than paying for blackmail.

 

[jstar]

Yes, there must be some kind of study guidance councilor for the foreign students at that Uni, right? Let that person do the dirty work first.

A KanWil visit doesn't seem very likely to generate success since H and the OP already have been intimidated and seem to agree to some kind of 'fine negotiation'. Which in my eyes would be ridiculous.

 

[Sarah]

That doesn’t make sense. Can you message me specifically what happened? I don’t get how it’s illegal for her to visit her friend i. That school?
While she was visiting her friend, does she “teach” in that school? And how weird is it that suddenly the worker from immigration just showed up out of nowhere? Does someone from her university know that she’ll visit and report about her at firsthand?

She isn’t allowed to work while studying. It’s similar to US or Europe. You can only work on-campus, I think.