being away from your partner

[Margriet]

Hi,
My fiance just left a few hours ago to Indonesia, he will already search a house and a job....still 3 weeks till I go there. Wow, it really seems like a long time to me (normally we are always together....) And I'm already a little bit afraid we have to be separated longer in the future because we want to arrange a visum for him when we come back to Holland and then I already need to have a job with a certain salary....
Do you have problems with those things also? Do you even get separated for half a year or more because of the visum problems?

 

[Tracey]

Margriet, I was kept away from Gede due to visa & money issues. As I was in OZ with our daughter & working part time, etc, saving for visa's etc, but it's also hard to sponsor or invite someone to come to OZ for a few months on a visa when you work part time etc...
But after 3 years of travelling back & fourth, he is now living in OZ & we are expecting our second child in 12 wks!

We return to Bali in Nov & it will be his first time back in over 2 years & will be almost 3 years since I was last there!

But it's all worked out perfectly for us as 8 months after he arrived boin OZ we saved & bought our own home, both have cars & so have our own independence in OZ so he can get around & not have to rely on me...
It worked because we loved each other & made the commitment...

Best wishes!

 

[Margriet]

I guess that's the most important reason to make it a succes.......well, we will survive also! Nice that you will come to Bali again!

 

[73]

Me and my indonesian partner waited 14 mths for his fiance visa, i did manage to get back there twice for quick one week stays which of course used more of the savings but i couldnt handle not seeing him for longer than six months! It was sooooooo hard but as Tracey says... if you love each other and are commited, you make it through ...somehow.

He has been in OZ for 5yrs now and as hard as it was back then, it was well worth the wait.

 

[Iris]

Hello Margriet,

Well the Dutch immigration service can be quite horrible. Have you already discovered this website? http://www.buitenlandsepartner.nl
We have been a bit lucky twice. My partner came to Holland in 1999. He arrived on a tourist visa, we got married and started the MVV procedure while he was here on his tourist visa. We needed to ask for permission to get married at the police department. I just mumbled to the policeman that if he wouldn't give me the permission, I would fly back to Indonesia, get married there and end up asking for the MVV next week. He looked a bit surpised, but by that time I was getting fed up with all the visa arrangements. Besides that nobody needs to aks for thi spermission in Holland, so it feels really discriminating. He answered that he could not just give me the form (D27 form it was called), because he said he didn't know this 'man' from Indonesia. So, I replied that he wasn't the one intending to get married to him, was he? Luckely this policemen had a sense of humor and he also suddenly remembered he knew me from the village were we both came from. So after chatting about 'old friends, neighboors and pubs', everything was arranged very easy.
Two weeks after our wedding I phoned the immigration office to ask if our application had arrived. It didn't, I immidiatly phoned 'my' policeman, he said he made a small mistake..... he lost our wedding certificate!! :evil: After a few well known Dutch expressions, he excused over and over and he promised me he would make it up to us. That same evening he left a voicemail. Next day I found a letter from the immigration, that the MVV visum was granted !!! So, in only one afternoon, he could do what normally takes 6 months or more!
We had to renew the staying permit recently and I heard it would take up to nine months. I discovered a fax number from the department in charge. Send a fax with a big blabla story and the request to process it quickly. Three days later a phonecall..... no problem, new visa is on it's way.
So, we did worry lots and lots both times and have been luckly twice. If you can show enough income and you send in your paperwork with all the requested documents, they can work quick. So, I wouldn't worry to much now. The only thing is that your partner will probably have to do the civic training (inburgering) in Indonesia, that might be a bigger problem. If you don't pass the exam (350 euro), no chance to even get on the airplane.

Funny part is, now that we are finally ready with visa stuff in Holland, we will return to live in Indonesia end of August. So then the visa hassle starts again :wink:

Iris

 

[Margriet]

In holland it doesn't make any difference anymore if your married or not, it's really only about the income. Or do you think everyting goes more fast if you are married. A friend of mine arranged everyting in 2 months, but it took her a year to get the right job....
I don't worry so much about the inburgeringstest. I already heard he has to pass the exam already in Indonesia, but he already speaks Dutch quit good (He can talk a whole weekend with my parents in Dutch, although we almost always speak Bahasa Indonesia or English with each other...) and I heard he needs 500 words for that. So I guess he will pass.....
Well, first to Indonesia (only 2 weeks now and after that I will worry more

 

[Iris]

Hi Margriet,

You are right that you don't need to get married to get a MVV visa for your partner to come to Holland. But remember that 'living together' is for most Indonesians not done. In that respect their society is way more traditional and Indonesian relatives might not accept living together very easy. But your case can be different of course.
We really wanted to get married so for us it has never been an issue.
They predict that in 2006-2007 there will be a big demand for teachers in Holland again, so you might get a job easely. Or maybe you will decide to stay on Bali :wink:

Enjoy you stay in Bali!

 

[Margriet]

Hello Iris,

His family is quite easy. we will be living together in Indonesia also and his family thinks it's okay. But we think about some wedding ceremony for his family and friends, but to really legally get married later in holland.
About the jobs....I heard the government will take out more money from schools next year and that it will be difficult to get a job...Ach, I will see that later.
Groetjes Margriet

 

[niki23]

It seems we all have to go through the hard yards b4 we can be together. I was recently married in bali and have had to leave to come make some money back in oz. Its hard but if you look to the future it motivates you. I'll be going back in a month which seems so long but really isnt. We are planning to come out to oz just waiting for them visa. Tacey congrats about the new pregancy my husband actual knows gede so pass on our congrats from wahyu and nicole.

 

[Margriet]

Only 1 more week until I go to indonesia!!!!! time goes really fast niki/nicole! don't worry about that month. especially if your working time goes really fast!

 

[Tracey]

Thanks Nicole...

I will tell Gede, Congratulations on your wedding too, will we get to see any pic's? So have you lodged a visa for Wahyu's residency in OZ, or will you stay in Indo/Bali?

1 month will go quickly, although it's winter & the worst time of year to be home alone!!!!

Best Wishes......

 

[niki23]

I'm planning to stay over there for the next year until he is ready to give up singing in his band then we will come think i'll apply next march not too sure how long it will take. I'll put some photo's on if i can figure it out.

 

[Tracey]

Niki,

We lodged ours mid August & Dede arrived at end of November! But we had assistance from a friend, that is no longer there, I know of people that have waited in excess of 2 years! :shock:

When are you heading back to Bali? We will be there at the end of Nov til mid Dec... If your there we should catch up!!!

 

[niki23]

Yeah ive heard of people waiting so long. I thought maybe coz we would of been married already for a year it might go through faster. I have allowed the time frame tho. I go back to bali 31st july. I would love to catch up i'm sure wahyu would love to have a chat with gede about living in melbourne. I think gede might have wahyu mobile in bali if not let us no and i'll pm you mine.
cheers