The Nelson Family Indonesia

I returned from Singapore last Saturday evening. It had been a long day and I was tired. But the day wasn’t over yet.

After paying for a Visa on Arrival I waited in the foreign passport line to process through immigration. However the agent who I handed my passport to was concerned about all my comings and goings over the past year. He called over his supervisor and eventually I was asked to leave and follow the supervisor back to his office.

There, for the next 45-minutes or so, I was questioned about what I was doing in Indonesia, why I was traveling around so much, and why I was using a 30-day visitor visa instead of some other type of visa. To the best of my and collective knowledge it’s not illegal to be using the 30-day visa like I am, but it’s less than common particularly in a post-Covid world.

I explained I was awaiting my work permit but the process has stretched on much longer than anticipated. Eventually, I was allowed to process through into the country but it was clear he wasn’t happy about it, and I’m not sure if that unhappiness translated into any sort of flag on my passport for the next time I come in or out.

So, after getting advice and direction I’m temporarily grounded. Leaving the country probably wouldn’t be difficult but coming back in might be, so I won’t risk it. It means canceling out of a planned trip to the Philippines the last week of this month which has been bitterly disappointing to me. And it means no other travel until my work visa arrives. As of Monday it wasn’t sure when that would happen. But now we have an estimated date (by paying for some express handling) of June 20 which is hugely exciting!

I’ll still need to leave the country as my 30-day visa expires before then. But I’ll remain out of the country until the work permit visa is ready and then reenter on that visa which will make life much simpler for me and much less a source of curiosity for immigration. Now for myself, Gena and Caedmon we don’t have to worry about visas until renewing next spring. Alec and Mika will continue to find alternate visa solutions and so far that doesn’t seem to be a challenge.

Prayers of thanksgiving that my work visa should be ready in a month are definitely in order!