The Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights revealed that 3,912 Indonesian citizens changed their citizenship to become Singaporean citizens between 2019 and 2022.
According to an official statement, the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim, stated that the reason behind thousands of Indonesian citizens changing their citizenship to become Singaporean citizens was the potential for a more prosperous standard of living.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that he did not have an issue with the decision of Indonesian citizens as long as it was carried out legally and in accordance with the law.
“I believe it is legal for Indonesian citizens to change their citizenship for a better standard of living as long as it is done legally. Those who move are of productive age, with potential,” Karim said, quoted on Thursday, 13th July 2023.
According to data from the Director General of Immigration, approximately a thousand people change their citizenship each year to become Singaporean citizens. The average Indonesian citizen who changes their citizenship falls within the productive age group, specifically aged between 25 and 35 years.
Recognising this phenomenon, the Director General of Immigration introduced a Global Talent Visa, which is a derivative of the Golden Visa. Golden Visas are granted to foreign citizens who possess qualified expertise or skills in their respective fields.
Through the Golden Visa, Indonesia can benefit from contributions made by these foreigners in the economic and human resource development sectors. This visa policy is expected to enhance the country’s economy and technological advancements through high-quality human resources from abroad.
“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.