VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian representatives and Permias respond the US policy toward foreign students

All representatives of Indonesia in the United States of America moved quickly to coordinate with the Indonesian Students Association in America (Permias) to respond to local government policies for foreign students who are taking online classes for the Fall semester in 2020. Six Indonesian representatives in America are the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC, Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. They have also coordinated with related parties, including directly contacting the campus / schools, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (US ICE) and the education association in the United States. Attaché of Education and Culture of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC, Popy Rufaidah in a written statement on Monday (13/7) stated that to obtain further information as well as find out solutions to the implementation impact of the new policy, the Indonesian Embassy and all the Consulates General in the United States communicate and carry out sustainable coordination with the campus / schools where Indonesian students study.

The quick coordination and response are done as anticipatory and proactive steps, including compiling data and directly monitoring the condition development of Indonesian students and the policies adopted by each campus in all the states of America in a bid to ensure that the study process of Indonesian students in America is not hampered due to the policy. The new regulation stated that foreign students in America who study in the Fall semester 2020 will only take online classes (full online class) and they are not allowed to stay in America.

University students are excepted from the rules when taking regular classes (face-to-face / in-person) or hybrid classes (a combination of online learning and direct methods in class). From the aspect of Indonesian citizen protection, Indonesian representatives in America will continuously facilitate and help find out the best solution for students and Indonesian university students in the country. Coordinator of Function Protocol and Consular of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC, Theodorus Satrio Nugroho stated that his side also appealed to the students to keep calm, always follow this development from official sources. If they need help, they can contact the hotlines of Indonesian Embassy and Indonesian Consulate General, which are open for 24 hours.