New 3rd Revision of the Immigration Law

[marcus]

From https://www.imigrasi.go.id/siaran_p...guatan-pengawasan-wna-dan-perbaikan-pelayanan

Title : Revision of Immigration Law to Strengthen Supervision of Foreigners and Improve Services , Sept 2024 - free translation

The Draft Law on the 3rd Amendment to Law No. 6 of 2011 .. has been passed into law at the Meeting of the Indonesian House of Representatives on 19 Sept 2024 . In the latest Immigration Law, there are 9 amendments ..

".. several aspects of strengthening needed by Immigration are related to improving services, self-protection [for immigration officers], reasons for refusing people to leave Indonesian and the period of detention," said the Minister ..

"The deterrence period is needed to prevent the entry of problematic foreigners. For example, a foreigner who commits a crime in Indonesia can be deterred from entering for 10 years or even for life"...

"To be able to enter and leave Indonesia freely, foreigners holding ITAS/ITAP must also have a re-entry permit (IMK). Previously, the longest permit issued was only 2 years, if the foreigner had a 5 year ITAP, he/she had to .. extend it . Now it is no longer necessary," ...

In addition, the latest Immigration Law accommodates the need of Immigration officials, namely in the field of law enforcement, to be equipped with firearms ...

 

[Dave70]

In addition, the latest Immigration Law accommodates the need of Immigration officials, namely in the field of law enforcement, to be equipped with firearms ...

Indonesia is generally "gun free", foreigners cannot get license for firearms. Batons or stun guns should be sufficient for law enforcement. If situation is dangerous, they can ask for police escort, just my opinion.

Hope they get proper firearms training, and not become trigger-happy later.

 

[Samoerai]

"To be able to enter and leave Indonesia freely, foreigners holding ITAS/ITAP must also have a re-entry permit (IMK). Previously, the longest permit issued was only 2 years, if the foreigner had a 5 year ITAP, he/she had to .. extend it . Now it is no longer necessary," ...

So, it is not necessary to apply for MERP anymore, after it is expired? My MERP expires in March next year and my ITAP in 2028.

 

[Jaime C]

If no MERP is necessary, it would certainly be nice, especially for lifetime KITAP holders.

 

[marcus]

So, it is not necessary to apply for MERP anymore, after it is expired? ...

The Law revision was approved (last September) , lets see when it will be applied in practice (maybe Immigration needs to revise its Regulation before that) .

 

[marcus]

If no MERP is necessary, ...

Unfortunately it is still necessary .

MERP exists in other countries but with different functions (see below) .

----------------------------


From Google :

- In USA
The main reason to obtain a re-entry permit is to show that you intend to maintain your green card status when traveling abroad. If you're a green card holder, you should apply for a re-entry permit if you plan on traveling outside the United States for more than a year but less than 2 years.

- In South Korea
With the re-implementation of the nation's Re-Entry Permit Exemption, registered foreign residents departing after April 1, 2022 will be allowed re-entry into South Korea within 1 year (2 years for permanent residents) from the date of departure, without obtaining a Re-entry Permit in advance.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

If no MERP is necessary, it would certainly be nice, especially for lifetime KITAP holders.

In the future (maybe starting some time in 2025) when you do your 5 year KITAP report, you will also pay for a 5-year MERP (I guess the cost could be anywhere from the current 2-yr price (1.75jt) to 5jt), and then you won't need to go in every 2 years to renew it. So the advantage to KITAP holders is that you do not need to go to immigration at the end of year 2 and year 4.

 

[Brian86]

So, it is not necessary to apply for MERP anymore, after it is expired? My MERP expires in March next year and my ITAP in 2028.

Unfortunately the new law doesn't get rid of MERP, it just makes it so going forward the validity period will be the same as the visa validity. So you will still need to process a new MERP in March, but they should give you a 3 year MERP up to your ITAP expiration in 2028, then when you extend in 2028 you will get a 5 year MERP to go with your 5 year ITAP.

 

[Vick]

From https://www.imigrasi.go.id/siaran_p...guatan-pengawasan-wna-dan-perbaikan-pelayanan

Title : Revision of Immigration Law to Strengthen Supervision of Foreigners and Improve Services , Sept 2024 - free translation

The Draft Law on the 3rd Amendment to Law No. 6 of 2011 .. has been passed into law at the Meeting of the Indonesian House of Representatives on 19 Sept 2024 . In the latest Immigration Law, there are 9 amendments ..

".. several aspects of strengthening needed by Immigration are related to improving services, self-protection [for immigration officers], reasons for refusing people to leave Indonesian and the period of detention," said the Minister ..

"The deterrence period is needed to prevent the entry of problematic foreigners. For example, a foreigner who commits a crime in Indonesia can be deterred from entering for 10 years or even for life"...

"To be able to enter and leave Indonesia freely, foreigners holding ITAS/ITAP must also have a re-entry permit (IMK). Previously, the longest permit issued was only 2 years, if the foreigner had a 5 year ITAP, he/she had to .. extend it . Now it is no longer necessary," ...

In addition, the latest Immigration Law accommodates the need of Immigration officials, namely in the field of law enforcement, to be

 

[Vick]

Hope they will speed up the process of ITAS to ITAP convention and stop holding applicants passports

 

[Nicho]

So, it is not necessary to apply for MERP anymore, after it is expired? My MERP expires in March next year and my ITAP in 2028.

I was told by the officer at Immigration Jember when I did the Alhi Staus/ Conversion to Kitap in 2021 that when the 2 year Merp expires which mine did at the end of 2023 , that I only needed to renew it if I intended to travel overseas .

 

[Nicho]

O

Unfortunately the new law doesn't get rid of MERP, it just makes it so going forward the validity period will be the same as the visa validity. So you will still need to process a new MERP in March, but they should give you a 3 year MERP up to your ITAP expiration in 2028, then when you extend in 2028 you will get a 5 year MERP to go with your 5 year ITAP.

Only if he intends to travel overseas after the expiry date . Otherwise there is no need to re-apply/extend the Merp again in March . My merp expired in late 2023 and I have no intention of applying/extending it until I apply for the unlimited Kitap in 2026 .

 

[Nicho]

The Law revision was approved (last September) , lets see when it will be applied in practice (maybe Immigration needs to revise its Regulation before that) .

Applied on 24/12/2024 . Merps are still required for overseas travel but the expiry dates are now the same as the Kitas/Kitap periods with several other options . The new fees and available Merps are on the Director Generals site .

 

[Shadrach]

Applied on 24/12/2024 . Merps are still required for overseas travel but the expiry dates are now the same as the Kitas/Kitap periods with several other options . The new fees and available Merps are on the Director Generals site .

It would be nice if a foreigner that has been here so long as to need a unlimited Kitap visa, that they automatically be allowed to come and go freely, without having to pay for the MERP. Obviously it's just another form of squeezing money out of people.

 

[pantaiema]

Hope they will speed up the process of ITAS to ITAP convention and stop holding applicants passports

Keeping someone's passport is another proof that they haven't moved away from an outdated, restrictive system while simultaneously bragging about using the latest technology.

Is this just another example that they don’t trust each other.

And what happens if they lose it. Keep in mind your passport will keep moving form one desk to another? Will they start blaming one another and expect you to fix the mess yourself?

Does anyone see the needs/urgency to hold people passport. Unless there is a need for it, keeping someone passport is actually a liability. But the main issue here do they take responsibility if they lose it ??. Why don’t they simply check the original on the first day and make a copy or scan of it? If they have approved it and want to see the original one last time, it should be done on the day the document is issued/collected.

 

[harryopal1]

Keeping someone's passport as proof that they haven't moved away from an outdated, restrictive system while simultaneously bragging about using the latest technology is just another example that they don’t truly trust each other.

And what happens if they lose it? Will they start blaming one another and expect you to fix the mess yourself?

Why do not they just see the original and take copy/scan of it. When they already approve and want to see the original again it could be done on the day the document s granted,

I now have the "permanent" Kitap and need to report I am still here at the end of the 5 year period. Apparently the reporting process requires pretty much all the documentation as when I first applied for Kitas and then Kitap. Given that all that stuff must be accessible by the Immigration department computers it would seem that simply providing proof of who you are would be adequate. But then immigration departments everywhere seem determined to cling to piles of paper work and redundant processes. Oh well!

 

[pantaiema]

I now have the "permanent" Kitap and need to report I am still here at the end of the 5 year period. Apparently the reporting process requires pretty much all the documentation as when I first applied for Kitas and then Kitap. Given that all that stuff must be accessible by the Immigration department computers it would seem that simply providing proof of who you are would be adequate. But then immigration departments everywhere seem determined to cling to piles of paper work and redundant processes. Oh well!
View attachment 4613

The main problem isn’t just about accumulating paperwork, maintaining a pile up of paper. The main concern is that they hold onto your original passport instead of simply taking a copy or scan after they have seen the original one. This isn’t related to immigration detention or deportation; if it were, keeping the original passport along with notifying immigration offices would make sense.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes it is ridiculous that the same process has to be repeated over and over again. It's the computer age, if they are afraid of their computers crashing then store the information on the cloud! So much old world thinking in the new world era, is ignorant! It must take huge warehouses to store all this paperwork. And here in the tropics, it has to be kept cool and dry to prevent mold.
Is all this hassle designed, just to give people jobs?

 

[pantaiema]

Yes it is ridiculous that the same process has to be repeated over and over again. It's the computer age, if they are afraid of their computers crashing then store the information on the cloud! So much old world thinking in the new world era, is ignorant! It must take huge warehouses to store all this paperwork. And here in the tropics, it has to be kept cool and dry to prevent mold.
Is all this hassle designed, just to give people jobs?

That mindset has become part of their culture. I don’t believe they act that way out of fear of a computer crash. What they do is they do not want to search it. No one wants to take responsibility if the data or document is lost. Typically, the outcome is a cycle of blaming others.

 

[Shadrach]

That mindset has become part of their culture. I don’t believe they act that way out of fear of a computer crash. What they do is they do not want to search it. No one wants to take responsibility if the data or document is lost. Typically, the outcome is a cycle of blaming others.

Sounds like the problem is not wanting to (lose face)!
Thinking for yourself is not encouraged here. It leads to Anarchy!