Get To Know Overstay Visa As Experienced By Foreigners Kristen Gray

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Recently, netizens on Twitter social media were shocked by the tweet account @kristentootie alias Kristen Gray about tips on avoiding penalties for health protocol rules and how to circumvent visa overstay in Indonesia. So, what is an overstay visa?

Simply put, an overstay is a violation of a residence permit because it exceeds the visa deadline in a country.

In Gray's case, he left for Bali in 2019 with his girlfriend who is also a girl after losing his job.

At first, he only tried to stay for six months to work as a graphic designer. However, the COVID-19 outbreak has kept them stuck on the Island of the Gods.

Now, the problem is Gray, who is actually a foreigner from the United States, invites other foreigners to come and settle in Bali by breaking the law.

Not only that, in his thread, Gray also claimed to have a special visa agent and had a way to enter Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is known that Indonesia is currently closing its doors to foreign citizens.

Reported by VOI from The Independent, because of the tweet, many Twitter users were angry with Gray.

Not a few have questioned whether Gray paid the visa or taxes to the Indonesian government. In addition, some netizens linked @ Kriten.Gray's tweet to the @ditjenimigration and the police.

"Reports to @ Directorate General of Immigration will go through the admin dirspond. So if it is necessary to control it, it will be dealt with accordingly. Not discrimination, but law enforcement, ”wrote the @BitterXXXX account.

If Gray is prosecuted by the related authorities for overstaying his visa in Bali, what kind of punishment will he get?

Based on the regulations of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkum HAM), every foreigner who resides in Indonesian territory beyond the time of not more than 60 days from the given immigration permit, is subject to a fine of IDR 1 million per day.

This regulation is stated in Government Regulation Number 28 of 2019 concerning Types and Rates of Non-Tax State Revenues Applicable to the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

The amount of fines given is expected to provide a deterrent effect for overstaying foreigners throughout Indonesia.