We have some exciting news: Matthew, Laurel, and Eleanor have received their E-Kitas! This is the visa which lasts for one year and grants multiple entries. Kali and Caroline are still waiting on receiving theirs. This is because Kali was under travel restrictions when we needed to go to Singapore as part of the application process. So her application expired and we had to start again from the beginning.
One of the many new things I have learned here in Indonesia is the complexity of the visa application process. (I would guess that the process is just as hard in America.) Our family has been buried deep in Indonesian Bureaucracy since we moved, but even more so since Caroline was born. Now that we see the light at the end of the tunnel I started reflecting on the work that brought us here. As I think back on the process I realize how many people God has provided to help us! We certainly could not have gotten this done on our own.
Here is our road to getting Work Visas in Indonesia:
Language And Cultural Visa: We entered the country on a Cultural Visa, which allowed us to begins studying Bahasa Indonesia. To obtain this we needed our sponsor to apply for the visa. We then took the approval letters to the Indonesian Embassy in Jakarta, filled out another application, had pictures taken, and paid. The next day we had visas in our passports and we could enter Indonesia. Upon arrival we had to go to an immigration office in Medan to have our pictures and fingerprints taken. This visa was good for 60 days and could be extended up to 30 days four times (180 days total). Each time we extended our passports had to be brought to Immigration. Thankfully a staff member at our language school took care of this for us.
E-Kitas: Once we were in the country we started the process of getting our E-Kitas. We needed a sponsor to apply in Jakarta, thankfully the GKLI was able to work with some contacts in Jakarta for this. Once we had the approval letters we needed to go to Singapore to turn in another application. Unfortunately by the time we received these letters Kali was under travel restrictions due to being pregnant with Caroline. So she could not continue the application process.
Caroline Birth & Passport: Once Caroline was born we had 60 days to apply for her Indonesian Birth Certificate at the Population Control Office in Medan, acquire Consular Report of Birth Abroad and passport, register her birth, and obtain her stay visa.
Caroline Birth & Passport: We started by applying for the Indonesian Birth Certificate, but due to the fact that we did not have our E-Kitas yet the process became complicated and took Matthew about 8 hours through 5 trips over three weeks to get the birth certificate.
E-Kitas: Matthew, Laurel, and Eleanor still needed to get to Singapore to continue the E-Kitas application process. (Kali and Caroline could not leave at this time because Caroline did not have her passport yet.) Matthew, Laurel, and Eleanor received a visa in their Passports which allowed us to return to Indonesia and continue the E-Kitas application process.
Caroline Birth & Passport: We also needed to get Caroline’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad (This is a document proving that she is a US Citizen even though she was born outside of the US) and Passport. For this the whole family had to fly to the United States Embassy in Jakarta. We were so nervous about having everything we needed! Thankfully everything worked out.
E-Kitas: To continue the E-Kitas application our passports had to be taken to an immigration office in Siantar and another application needed to be filled out with further documentation from the GKLI. Thankfully a pastor from the GKLI did this step for us.
Caroline Birth & Passport: Caroline’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport were approved and sent to the US Consulate in Medan. Matthew Picked them up and staff from our language school helped us report Caroline’s Birth to Immigration just before the 60 day deadline.
E-Kitas: Matthew, Laurel, and Eleanor had to travel to an immigration office in Siantar (about two hours away) and have pictures and fingerprints taken there. A few days latter a pastor from the GKLI dropped by our house and delivered the completed E-Kitas to us.
E-Kitas: We have restarted the process for Kali and Caroline. We are waiting to receive letters to bring to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, then Kali and Caroline will go to Siantar, and shortly after that hopefully receive their E-Kitas.