Hi need help regardin wives imigration status

[Leepeter1975]

My wife is Indonesian but living in Scotland, im English serving in the Navy on subs about 5 years ago we went to London to renew her passport. The embassy officer said there was a mistake made on her passport that was about to run out. Is responce was that he could not or would not renew her passport and that she would after travel to Indonesia to sort it out. Being in the Navy this was not possible, so she has no passport and she would like return to Indonesia. The embassy being usual beurocrats wont help, other than her getting a british passport, any ideas. We would like to go and live in Indonesia if possible in a few years and having a british passport wont help that. Cheers hope somebody can help, been out of the loop for so many years, is it still difficult with visas or is it easierow

 

[Bad_azz]

If her passport expired 5 years ago, then she will have to go to an external Indonesian embassy I would assume. Cos if she comes to Indonesia with no valid passport they most likely won't let her in to make a new one.
So I would suggest you talk to the Indonesian embassy in London & ask them EXACTLY what she needs to do.

I am also assuming that if her PP has already expired then she cannot be legitimately in the UK, unless she has become a UK citizen?
Quite the conundrum.

 

[Davita]

Hi Leepeter and welcome to the forum.

I hate to pour on coal but B_A is correct. This is something you should have dealt with 5 years ago. Your wife is an Indonesian and her beef is with her Embassy in London...they are responsible for her passport issuance and, as she effectively doesn't have one, they need to advise the remedy. i.e. How can they advise to go back to Indonesia when an airline will not permit travel without a passport.

This is one reason for an Indonesian to lose Indonesian citizenship....
"Staying outside Indonesian territory for 5 consecutive years, not stating the will to stay as Indonesian citizen before the 5-year period is over, and not reporting every 5 years to a representative of the Indonesian government."

By not dealing with her problem for such a long time she may have jeopardized her citizenship...but that may not be permanent as she, according to your post, hasn't attained another citizenship. She cannot be left stateless, according to RI law.

I'd suggest you attend to this situation before the UK Gov't, as B_A also observes, finds this out. Your problems will then loom large.

 

[fastpitch17]

The embassy can issue her a travel document. It is good for one year but can only be used once. It is in lew of a passport just like if she lost hers right before leaving. It was the Embassy's responsibility to fix any mistakes they found in her passport 5 years ago. That is part of their responsibilities to their citizens. Go to the embassy, take everything you can find to show she is Indonesian. Swear she has never gotten a citizenship from anywhere else and insist, nicely, that they should inform you of the meathod needed for her return to Indonesia. Ramadan is coming up. The embassies and consulates seem to approve more things in front of them at it's beginning. There should be no problem in getting the travel document for her.

 

[Leepeter1975]

Cheers for your replies, she has the right of abode in this country, being a spouse . She has lived here for 18 years and can apply for citizen ship and gain her british passport. Her embassy are not helpfull and dealing with them was fustrating, we travelled from Scotland to London to renew the passport and they basically just said our problem. It was a name problem it was done different from a previous one in an older passport. I cant just go to London on a whim to be told they wont help.

 

[fastpitch17]

Cheers for your replies, she has the right of abode in this country, being a spouse . She has lived here for 18 years and can apply for citizen ship and gain her british passport. Her embassy are not helpfull and dealing with them was fustrating, we travelled from Scotland to London to renew the passport and they basically just said our problem. It was a name problem it was done different from a previous one in an older passport. I cant just go to London on a whim to be told they wont help.

I'm sure they in all likelihood have an email address and phone number where you could start and make your case.

 

[Bad_azz]

Cheers for your replies, she has the right of abode in this country, being a spouse . She has lived here for 18 years and can apply for citizen ship and gain her british passport. Her embassy are not helpfull and dealing with them was fustrating, we travelled from Scotland to London to renew the passport and they basically just said our problem. It was a name problem it was done different from a previous one in an older passport. I cant just go to London on a whim to be told they wont help.

I'm pretty sure popping up & down to london, or calling them or emailing, or writing would be a damn sight easier than nipping over to Indonesia on a whim with no passport.
We can only advise you Leepeter.. if you want us to just tell you what you want to hear then we can do that too- but would make us a lot less credible for helping people out.

 

[Anglian]

Before your wife returns to Indonesia,read the the post about taking Indonesian wives to the U.K. To her the best bet is to become a U.K. Citizen, I would hate to think you had to meet all the financial requirements just to get her back to the UK even though she has lived in the U.K. For many years

 

[William King]

Yep. Just get UK citizenship if she can.