KITAS sponsored by the Indonesian spouse

[cynthiag]

Just an update,

No problem with the letter stating my husband as karyawan.

All we need to submit:
- Original Passport & Kitas
- An original copy of PERDIM 24 & Surat Permohonan

Copy of:
- Kitas, SKTT, WNA Passport
- Stamp of the kitas validity on passport
- Surat PM1 / Domisili
- Spouse KTP & KK
[COLOR=#545454][FONT=arial]- Certificate of [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#6A6A6A][FONT=arial]no impediment to marriage
[/FONT][/COLOR]- Akta Perkawinan ( Civil & Religious )

We submit on Monday, the officer said it's 3 working days process. I was given a paper to come back for interview, photo & fingerprint scheduled on Thursday.
Paid 2.055.000 for total of 1 year kitas extension & MREP.
Scheduled to pick up the passport & kitas this following Tuesday. So in total we spent a week for renewing kitas processed in Kantor Imigrasi Kelapa Gading, Jakarta.
Awesome

[Lilia2512]

Everyone from any of my contacts at Immigration has been very helpful, polite, and friendly. I should be an agent it is so easy. No, I'll leave that to others to rip off those that are unable or unwilling to do this on their own.

[jstar]

Yeah, it's all their own fault.

[JavaSatu]

I have read the forum but the Indonesian Immigration laws changes rapidly.

I am an American citizen and married to an Indonesian with kids. I have been living in Indonesia over 15 years. Last month, I went back home to San Francisco for Thanksgivings. I also went to Indonesian Embassy to process my two months multiple entry visa at Indonesian Embassy San Francisco. Each time I go back home to San Francisco, I always apply for a multi-entry 2 months stay. Unfortunately, the front staff at the Indonesian Embassy said there are new immigration policies/rules. I must first apply with a sponsor letter at Immigration office Jakarta in order to have a multiple two months visa. The Immigration in Jakarta will then telex my wife’s sponsor letter to them. The cost was $50.00 for the visa for a single entry good for two months stay.

If knew I only was allowed 2 months single entry visa, I would of entered Indonesia via VOA.

At any rate, I will be going to Singapore or Malaysia Indonesian embassy next month to apply to a two months multiple entry visa. Could someone in this forum who have experienced with the above and give me some recommendations the process and how to apply for a two months multiple entry Indonesia visa with a sponsor letter in Singapore or Malaysia Embassy Indonesia.

Thank you in advance.

[bad_azz]

I have read the forum but the Indonesian Immigration laws changes rapidly.

I am an American citizen and married to an Indonesian with kids. I have been living in Indonesia over 15 years. Last month, I went back home to San Francisco for Thanksgivings. I also went to Indonesian Embassy to process my two months multiple entry visa at Indonesian Embassy San Francisco. Each time I go back home to San Francisco, I always apply for a multi-entry 2 months stay. Unfortunately, the front staff at the Indonesian Embassy said there are new immigration policies/rules. I must first apply with a sponsor letter at Immigration office Jakarta in order to have a multiple two months visa. The Immigration in Jakarta will then telex my wife’s sponsor letter to them. The cost was $50.00 for the visa for a single entry good for two months stay.

If knew I only was allowed 2 months single entry visa, I would of entered Indonesia via VOA.

At any rate, I will be going to Singapore or Malaysia Indonesian embassy next month to apply to a two months multiple entry visa. Could someone in this forum who have experienced with the above and give me some recommendations the process and how to apply for a two months multiple entry Indonesia visa with a sponsor letter in Singapore or Malaysia Embassy Indonesia.

Thank you in advance.

Why don't you just get an ITAS... surely it would be a whole lot less hassle and a lot cheaper.
As for the laws changing all the time... I think that is wrong. There may have been some regulations or guidelines or working practices changed- they are not laws though.

Is there any particular reason that you can not come into Indonesia on a wife sponsored social visa(sosbud) and make an application for an ITAS? It might seem daunting but it is actually pretty straightforward. Then you would be set up for the year with your multiple entries.
(I am not clear about multiple entry sosbuds- one of the other forum users would know more).
Seeing as you have been married for over 2 years you could pretty much go straight on to the ITAP from the ITAS - this would initially give you 5 years then the next extension is unlimited and the only requirement is to pop into immigration once every 5 years ... though it is likely you would have to go in every 1 or 2 years to get a new exit/entry permit.

Not quite answering your question- but it does seem that your way is the hard way.

[JavaSatu]

Hi Bad_Azz,

Thanks for your reply. I heard that all the rules and regulations follows the husband citizenship. As a result, the ITAS to ITAP do not apply to me.

Actually, I am back in Jakarta last Wednesday. With all these immigration acronyms, it is very confusing.

At any rate, I will ask my wife to contact our agent and ask the SoBud policy, ITAP and ITAS regulations.

[JavaSatu]

Hi Bad_Azz,

Thanks for your reply. What I learned is that Indonesian immigration policies follows the husband. Unfortunately, I am American.

Actually, I am back in Jakarta last Wednesday. With all these immigration acronyms, it is very confusing.

At any rate, I will ask my wife to contact our agent and ask the SoBud policy, ITAP and ITAS regulations.

[bad_azz]

Hi Bad_Azz,

Thanks for your reply. I heard that all the rules and regulations follows the husband citizenship. As a result, the ITAS to ITAP do not apply to me.

Actually, I am back in Jakarta last Wednesday. With all these immigration acronyms, it is very confusing.

At any rate, I will ask my wife to contact our agent and ask the SoBud policy, ITAP and ITAS regulations.

What?
I think you are getting all your information from the wrong place.

A spouse of an Indonesian citizen is eligible to apply for the ITAS & convert to ITAP irrespective of gender.

ITAS=the temporary residence permit
ITAP= the permanent resident permit
If you are married to an Indonesian citizen you can apply for an ITAS- sponsored by your spouse*
Once you have been married for 2 years or more to an Indonesian citizen you are able to apply for the ITAP

* there are other sponsors for this too too- but in your case the spouse - your wife.

What you need to get from outside of Indonesia -
Singapore is perfect- is a 60 day sponsored social visa, enter the country on that & then go directly to the local immigration office & get the list of documents required to process your ITAS.
You'll need the usual stuff: originals & copies... Passport, wife's ID card , domisili , and other documents to show you are married and live where you state in the application.
There are a few forms to fill in and the process is not too complicated- if you get all the documents in advance of the application.
If you don't have all the documents expect to have some travelling about & waiting around to do - but don't be scared & don't pay the officials off.
Once you get sucked into making bribes and such it screws things up somewhat.
Don't hand out massive fees to agents.
Ask in here- people will help & they know what they are talking about 99% of the time 'cos they have gone through the processes.

[marcus]

(1) I have read the forum but the Indonesian Immigration laws changes rapidly ...

(2) Unfortunately, .. the Indonesian Embassy said there are new immigration policies/rules. I must first apply with a sponsor letter at Immigration office Jakarta in order to have a multiple two months visa.

(3) The Immigration in Jakarta will then telex my wife’s sponsor letter to them.

(4) If knew I only was allowed 2 months single entry visa, I would of entered Indonesia via VOA.

(5) I will be going to Singapore or Malaysia .. to apply to a two months multiple entry visa. Could someone in this forum who have experienced with the above and give me some recommendations the process and how to apply for a two months multiple entry Indonesia visa with a sponsor letter in Singapore or Malaysia Embassy Indonesia.

(1) The last change was in 2011 .

(2) In reality this "new" policy was , since long ago , the normal usual policy in most Embassies , except the ones in USA , as far I learned in this Forum .
The procedure starts with a request (online) for the Visa , which will end up by the issuance of a telex Visa , that is the "pre-approval" of the Visa . After that you need to go to the chosen Embassy to get the Visa . Although the online request can be done from anywhere , this procedure is a headache for people living far from Jakarta as before the telex Visa is issued , somebody will need to go to Jakarta to present some documents and pay the fee (it cost Rp100'000 , if I am not mistaken) . The documents to be presented online are probably : sponsor's request letter , sponsor's KTP/KK , marriage certificate , ..

(3) A copy of this telex Visa will be sent to the Embassy you chose , and you also need to bring a copy of it to the Embassy .

(4) Sometimes it may be easier to get a single entry 60 days Visit Visa than a 30 days VOA which requires at least 3 visits to Immigration to extend it to 60 days .

(5) See links below .

But if you want to live continuously and for a long time in Indonesia , as Bad_azz said above , your best option (by doing yourself) is to get now a single entry Social Cultural & Family Visit Visa (Sosbud Visa) , then convert it into an one year ITAS/KITAS and then in a 5 years ITAP/KITAP .

If you contact an agent , he/she will probably recommend getting a KITAS through a VITAS/Limited Stay Visa because it seems that many agents (maybe the majority of them) don't know how to convert Sosbud into KITAS) . A VITAS also requires a telex Visa .


------------------------------------------------


http://www.kemlu.go.id/Pages/Mission.aspx?l=en (Indonesian Embassies'/Consulates' websites/address)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...796#post256796 (visa's "pre-approval" request through the internet)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...nd-other-visas (recent online visa "pre-approval" process)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...s+Kuala+Lumpur (how to get a Sosbud in KL)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...husband./page1 (Sosbud to KITAS , how)

[Jaime C]

Living in Indonesia for 15 years, and not even a Kitas? That's a shame. Are you using a Sosbud visa, or what?

I'd guess you got bad advice at some point. With all the info here on the forum, it's fairly easy to do everything yourself. I've gotten 2 Kitas, and am close to done with my Kitap.

I dislike agents here, as I think most add to corruption. Why pay 6-10 jt for a Kitas, when you can do it yourself for less than 2jt?

[JavaSatu]

(1) The last change was in 2011 .

(2) In reality , this procedure was long ago the normal procedure in most Embassies . The only country where Indonesian Embassies issued multiple entries Visit Visas without a Jakarta's involvement is USA , as far I learned in this Forum .
The procedure is to request (online) a telex Visa , which is a "pre-approval" of the Visa . It cost Rp100'000 , if I am not mistaken .

(3) A copy of this telex Visa will be sent to the Embassy you chose , and you also need to bring a copy of it to the Embassy . The telex visa requires the sponsor's : request letter , KTP/KK , marriage certificate , ..

(4) Sometimes it may be easier to get a single entry 60 days Visit Visa than a 30 days VOA which requires at least 3 visits to Immigration to extend it to 60 days .

(5) See links below .

But if you want to live continuously and for a long time in Indonesia , as Bad_azz said above , your best option (by doing yourself) is to get now a single entry Social Cultural & Family Visit Visa (Sosbud Visa) , then convert it into an one year ITAS/KITAS and then in a 5 years ITAP/KITAP .

If you contact an agent , he/she will probably recommend getting a KITAS through a VITAS/Limited Stay Visa (it seems that the majority of agents don't know how to convert Sosbud into KITAS) . A VITAS also requires a telex Visa .


------------------------------------------------


http://www.kemlu.go.id/Pages/Mission.aspx?l=en (Indonesian Embassies'/Consulates' websites/address)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...796#post256796 (visa's "pre-approval" request through the internet)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...nd-other-visas (recent online visa "pre-approval" process)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...s+Kuala+Lumpur (how to get a Sosbud in KL)

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...husband./page1 (Sosbud to KITAS , how)

Many thanks Marcus for your detail reply and recommendations. I will ask my wife to look into it.

[JavaSatu]

Living in Indonesia for 15 years, and not even a Kitas? That's a shame. Are you using a Sosbud visa, or what?

I'd guess you got bad advice at some point. With all the info here on the forum, it's fairly easy to do everything yourself. I've gotten 2 Kitas, and am close to done with my Kitap.

I dislike agents here, as I think most add to corruption. Why pay 6-10 jt for a Kitas, when you can do it yourself for less than 2jt?

Hi Jamie,

I wrote to this forum for advice and not to be flamed or criticized. If you have any bad intentions, please simply ignore my forum post. Thank you and have a nice day.

[indobased]

Hi JavaSatu,

I don't think Jamie meant to flame you / had bad intentions.
I might be wrong but what I am reading is "you could be enjoying all those benefits of KITAP for 10 years by now, so why aren't you?"
And then he is just encouraging you to try and handle the necessary KITAP formalities yourself since things have gotten a lot more smoothly at immigration and even more so with the help of this forum.

Hi Jamie,

I wrote to this forum for advice and not to be flamed or criticized. If you have any bad intentions, please simply ignore my forum post. Thank you and have a nice day.

[marcus]

Hi JavaSatu,

I don't think Jamie meant to flame you / had bad intentions ...

I agree . Jaime C is an active contributor to this Forum and I am sure that his intention was to help JavaSatu .

If I was JavaSatu I would restrict my questions to the minimum information necessary for the questions , if I don't want others being curious about my situation . But in the other hand , JavaSatu benefited by telling more than necessary , otherwise nobody would have mentioned the KITAS/KITAP option .

[waarmstrong]

I don't find it unusual that relatively new members unfamiliar with Jamie's style could take offense at gratuitous opinions included along with advise.