According to the Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, between 2019 and 2022, 3,912 Indonesian residents converted to Singaporean citizenship.
According to an official statement, the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim, indicated that a more prosperous living level drove thousands of Indonesian citizens to change their citizenship to become Singaporeans.
Karim did admit, however, that as long as it was done legitimately and in line with the law, he had no problem with the choice made by those Indonesian nationals whose change their nationality into a Singaporeans.
“I believe it is legal for Indonesian citizens to change their citizenship into a Singaporeans for a better standard of living as long as it is done legally. Those who move are of productive age, with potential,” Karim said on Thursday, 13th July 2023.
The Director General of Immigration reports that about a thousand people change their citizenship each year to become Singaporeans. The typical Indonesian who switches citizenship is in the working age range, namely between 25 and 35 years old.
A Global Talent Visa, a variation of the Golden Visa, was developed by the Director General of Immigration in response to this situation. Golden Visas are given to foreign nationals with specialised knowledge or abilities in particular industries.
These foreigners’ contributions to the growth of Indonesia’s economy and human resources can be benefited for Indonesia through the Golden Visa programme. Through the influx of top-notch foreign labour, this visa programme is anticipated to boost the nation’s economic and technical developments.
“We hope that the Global Talent Visa policy will attract the world’s best talents to come and contribute to Indonesia,” said Karim.
“Indonesia requires productive and potential human resources not only from within the country but also from outside. This is one of the reasons why we initiated the Global Talent Visa,” concluded Karim.
According to Karim, foreigners who meet the criteria set by Immigration will be granted a Global Talent Visa based on recommendations from the Government of Indonesia.
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