KITAS sponsored by an Indonesian wife of a foreign husband.

[atlantis]

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED IN APRIL 2009 AND JUNE 2010

Since the publication of the new citizenship law a foreigner can be sponsored for residency by his indonesian wife. However the various regulations related to it seem not very well known by the Imigrasi around the country. It’s only in February 2007 that the ministerial decision no M.01-IZ.01.10 formally included foreign husbands joining their indonesian wives as being eligible for a KITAS.

Though one could pick up a VITAS (sponsor istri) from a KBRI abroad, having previously obtained the agreement of the DitJen Imigrasi in JKT, I believe that the procedure described below is somewhat easier. It allows you plenty of time (you first enter on a SosBud, which can be extended up to 6 months) to convert it to an ITAS. Having almost 6 months to do so, it leaves almost no chance to the Imigrasi to try to extort bribes from you... It also offers the advantage of not having to exit Indonesia to get it.

Here is the way to do it:

1. The foreign husband get a Visa Kunjungan SosBud abroad, and get an Izin Kunjungan delivered for a first leg of 60 days at the port of entrance.
2. The foreigner goes to his local KanIm (no mandatory waiting period of 4 months), along with his indonesian wife to apply for the conversion of his izin kunjungan in an ITAS. (Pasal 47 & Pasal 48* PP nomor 32 thn 1994)
3. The sponsor "buys" the needed forms (IDR 10K to IDR 25K) and fills a written demand. A "Riwayat Hidup" of the foreigner, a bank statement showing that the couple has enough funds to live 1 full year in Indonesia should be joined.
4. On top of the above, the sponsor should submit:
- Akte Perwakinan asli (kristen, Hindhu, Buddhist) or Buku Nikah asli (islam) or Surat Tanda Bukti Lapor Perkawinan asli (overseas wed)
- Wife's KTP.
- Husband's Passport.
5. Usually, 2 extra sets of photocopies are requested for each documents.
6. Imigrasi will then issue a document to be brought to the Kantor Wilayah. It is a letter which says that after reviewing all the documents, he has no opposition for the conversion of the immigration status. Allow a couple of days to get the letter signed by the KaKanIm.
7. After reviewing all your documents the Kepala Bidang Keimigrasian of the Kantor Wilayah will issue a letter stating his positive opinion about the change of status of the foreign husband. This letter, along with a set of all the documents, should be brought or sent to Bpk Direktur Izin Tinggal dan Status kemigrasian in the DitJen Imigrasi situated in Jln Rasuna Said Kav 8-9 in Jakarta. Allow 1 day for the KanWil to sort out the document. There is no fee for the letter, but anything like IDR 10K to IDR 50K should help the lady to type faster.
If you live far from Jakarta, you can send by any services such as Tiki the letter from the KanWil to the DitJen. It works well, and I never had any trouble doing so before.
8. Upon reception of the letter of the KanWil, after reviewing all the documents the Kasubdit Alih Status Keimigrasian (Bapak Soepriatna Anwar, SH, MH), on behalf of the Direktur Izin Tinggal dan Status kemigrasian (Bpk Agastya Hari Marsono, Bc.Im.) should issue a Keputusan Direktur jenderal Imigrasi nomor: (the number/reference of the Keputusan) tentang Alih status Izin Kunjungan menjadi Izin tinggal terbatas atas nama: (Name of the foreigner) stating that a new status can be granted to the foreigner.
Allow a week to 10 days for this keputusan to be ready from the time you delivered all the documents to the DitJen. Monitor it on the phone at (021) 5224658 ext 2521. Don't hesitate to phone 15 times a day, you need luck to have someone answering...
9. You, or any relative (holding a "Surat Kuasa Khusus" from you), should pick the Keputusan DitJen directly from the Sub-Direktorat Alih Status Keimigrasian. Chances are that you meet with Pak "R.S", a "friend of mine"... Last time we met, he was happy to kick me out of his office... But he is not a bad chap.
10. In fact, the DitJen will issue 3 copies, 1 for you, 1 for the KanIm, 1 for the KanWil). You need to bring it back victoriously to the KanWil which will give you a letter autorising the KanIm to start to process a KITAS.
11. At that point, the foreign husband will have to submit a few pics and get fingerprinted (fee: IDR 15K).
12. Then comes the time to pay the fee for the KITAS: IDR 700K for a 1 year KITAS if your passport has a minimum of 18 months remaining validity or IDR 350K for a 6 months KITAS if your passport has a 12 months remaining validity.
13. If your KanIm is "online" with the DitJen, a small problem may occur. After delivering the Keputusan DirJen, Jakarta often "forget" to finalise the procedure and to enter the "OK" in the system... which means that your KanIm can not process your payment!!! First time in your life that Imigrasi will refuse your money... enjoy the moment, it generally doesn't happen often! It happened to me recently. If it happens, no worries, just telephone to the number given at point 8 (or fax : 021- 52962095... this one is the fax of the SubDit Alih status)
14. The Kantor Imigrasi will then stamp an ITAS in the foreign passport and a KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal terbatas) will be issued.
15. 2/3 days after or so, a POA Book will be remitted (no fees for it).
16. At that point, it is advisable to ask for an "Izin Masuk Kembali" to be stamped in the husband passport. Without it, the KITAS holder "looses" his KITAS if he goes out of Indonesia. Better then to have it if you don't want to do it all over again.
See in the archives of this channel for the official fees attached to the Izin masuk Kembali.
17. You still need to process a SKLD (Surat Keterengan Lapor Diri) which is a trendy little plastic card with the husband's pic. There is now, as per June 2010, a legal fee for it: IDR 100.000. You have to go to your main Police Resort to get it sorted. You will also have to get a STM (Surat Tanda Melapor - no fee) stating your address. The person who gives shelter to the foreigner should be the one reporting and signing it.
18. The foreigner has to go to his Kantor Lurah to get a Surat keterengan domisili stating his formal address in Indonesia and he should bring this letter to his Catatan Sipil to get a SKTT (Surat Keterangan Tempat Tinggal), a SKPPS (surat keterengan pendaftaran penduduk sementara) and a SKDLN (Surat Keterengan Datang dari Luar Negeri). A foreigner staying on a KITAS MUST register at the Capil for the above documents. It will help smothen a KITAP procedure later. In fact, chances are that the CaPil compil the three documents and issue a nice greenish card attesting your residency and registration as a temporary resident for the length of the KITAS. Fees for it are defined by Peraturan Daerah and varies depending on each kota/kabupaten. It shouldn't cost more than IDR 150K.
Be careful you have 14 days to do so after the date of issuance of the KITAS (Pasal 20, undang undang 23 tahun 2006 tentang Administrasi Kependudukan) to register. Failure to do so in time would expose you to a fine of a maximum of IDR 2.000K (Pasal 89, undang undang 23 tahun 2006 tentang Administrasi Kependudukan).
19. Your next move will be to go to the Departemen Pajak to get a NPWP, the husband's personal tax number...

* amended article in 2005. It reduces to nil the "waiting period" of 4 months previously mandatory before initiating the procedure.

To be continued at post #3

[Al.Gray]

As always Atlantis, thanks from us for your continued help for all of us with the same or similar problem regarding Visas an imigrasi. I trust you were in receipt of the email we sent you last week?
It's a funny old game living here. We just wish our dear friends in imigrasi were as easy to deal with as, say, the police.
Take yesterday,for instance. We'd forgotten to register my residency here with the police, so we went along to the same Poltabes as last time when we were renting another house, saw the same nice Police lady we saw then, told her we'd been staying in Jakarta for a couple of months, paid the Rp50k, and it was cut n shut, in the bag. NO problem!
From there, we drove over to kantor imigrasi, purchased all the formula we needed for extensions 1&2, along with those for my conversion to KITAS, beginning that process in just under two months time.
All that paperwork for Rp21k, but not including the materai. So far, so good.

However,today was another day,and in contrast to yesterday, was not so smooth.

But on a sidenote, a couple of questions related to the forms, if I may?
Firstly, the 'Surat Permohonan Dan Jaminan' asks, 'Penghasilan setahun'? How much is a housewife expected to earn? Afterall, it's me here as head of the family, providing care and food for her.As she's my sponsor, but I'm the provider, in theory that makes me her employer? - you see where I'm going? What kind of answer would imigrasi be happy with? I just told her to answer 'Cukup', but maybe imigrasi might try to make a song and dance out of that.

Secondly, and athough I'm crystal clear as to why I'm here, as head of the family, etc., she is confused as to what exactly to fill in (using bahasa), whether she needs to quote the articles from Marriage Law, or apa? Bless her, however good she might be terrific at cultivating a puring bush from a twig or growing a nice salad crop of radish, translation from or to English isn't really her forté. If you have a copy of the Marriage Law handy, and have time, would you please email me that? You never know, Imigrasi might choose (conveniently) to scoff at the reason she states, and laugh us out of the kantor - better have something to show them, eh?

Normally, and up until now, for the past 18months, we haven't actually had the need to fill out any extension forms, as our pejabat 'friend' has 'helped' us every month (with a tip, of course). But since all that polava with his bullsh*t, stealing our Rp6Jt and all the rest of it, not to mention what we've learned from your invaluable help (thanks), it's well past time we disposed of his 'service' - I'm sure you'd agree.

To conclude, when we visited kantor imigrasi again today, at 1pm, all the service windows of the section had the 'tutup' sign up on them. When we inquired to a young pejawai if we could extend my sosbud, he looked blank, and said they don't do that (since WHEN???). Maybe stupidity is a requisit for working there or is that a skill that has to be learned through work experience there? Other more experienced corruptors there didn't half give us some dirty looks. Maybe our 'friend' has made us famous there?
If you remember from one of my previous posts, we thought our 'friend' wasn't working there anymore. We were right, as he's now working in the Kantor KanwIl!
I see more fun n games (and headaches) on a rocky road ahead of us. What do you think?

When it rains........it fahkin pours!
*sigh*

Thanks before.
AEG

[atlantis]

Note the following:

- A KITAS as described above, sponsored by an Indonesian wife, doesn't allow any kind of work.
- You will have to renew the KITAS (without the SosBud Part) at least 1 month before its terminaison. Annual renewal also apply for SKLD, SKTT, STM and SKPPS.
- Any change in your residency or civil status must be reported to the Kantor Imigrasi, the Police and the Catatan Sipil during the validity of your KITAS.
- Only legally married (ie. recognised by Indonesian law) wife/husband are authorised to follow the above described procedure.
- If one day the KITAS holder decides to terminate voluntarily his KITAS and to exit Indonesia (eg. relocation in a foreign country), he needs to first apply for an Exit Permit Only at the Kantor Imigrasi of his residence and report to the Catatan Sipil. He also needs to give back his SKLD to the relevant section of the POLDA/MABES POLRI. Failure to do so would put him in trouble if one day he decides to come back to Indonesia.
- Providing that all the requested documents are submitted by the sponsor in the correct timing, providing that you don't use the "services" of a friend/calo and that you submit yourself all the documents in the relevant administration (KanIm, KanWil, DitJen) you should not have troubles.
- Please, don't let corrupted Pejabat abuse you. Don't pay anything more than the legal fees. You will regret it bitterly and enter in a spirale that you can in no way control. If you start to pay bribes, you void your right to complain if the things turn wrong. Don't forget that.
- If you need a copy of any of the laws mentionned in this post, feel free to ask me. For any questions, I way prefer answering to posts rather than PM. Posts provide infos to the whole community, PMs don't.
- The total procedure should last around 1 to 2 months roughly. Note that you have 30 days "only" to get the KITAS issued after the issuance of the Keputusan DirJen.
- Don't forget to extend your izin kunjungan, if needed, during the procedure!
- Last but not least, if you decide to reproduce part of or totally the above post in another forum/website, thanks to add a link to this forum.

[atlantis]

Hi Al.Gray,
I will answer to your post by splitting my answer in two or more posts. Today is my son's birthday (5 y.o) and I am gonna be busy for the next two days or so.

I trust you were in receipt of the email we sent you last week?
It's a funny old game living here. We just wish our dear friends in imigrasi were as easy to deal with as, say, the police.

Read this thread and tell me if you still think the same...

we went along to the same Poltabes as last time when we were renting another house, paid the Rp50k, and it was cut n shut, in the bag. NO problem!

Apart from the fact that a STM (which is what you needed, isn't it) has no fee normally.

From there, we drove over to kantor imigrasi, purchased all the formula we needed for extensions 1&2, along with those for my conversion to KITAS, beginning that process in just under two months time. All that paperwork for Rp21k, but not including the materai. So far, so good.

This is indeed real good. KanIm Manado "officially" charge rp 25.000 per form... meaning that you would have spend already rp 75.000 if you would have been living in Manado.

Firstly, the 'Surat Permohonan Dan Jaminan' asks, 'Penghasilan setahun'? How much is a housewife expected to earn? After all, it's me here as head of the family, providing care and food for her.

If you want to fill it, just fill here what she really has as a declared income, from her work and not the money you may provide as the head of thefamily. She is sponsoring you and the question concern her only. However take a look at this link:
http://www.imigrasi.go.id/popUp.inc....detail&faqId=3

I love this link because it comes from the Ditjen Imigrasi website and if you look under "Syarat Syarat VKSB", Point 5, you will find the following quite interesing:

SYARAT-SYARAT VKSB

• 5. Foto Copy Rekening Bank Sponsor minimal Rp 2,5 Juta

My advice is then to leave in blank the "penghasilan setahun" and to provide a copy, along with the original, of a recent bank statement showing a balance:
- above 2,5 jt for a Permohonan perpanjangan VKSB (extension of a SosBud). It is what they estimate a sponsor should have on her rekning and they acknowledge it in their own website.
- above 30 jt (ie. 2,5 jtx12 months) for a Permohonan KITAS

Note that there is no law autorising them to evalute to this amount the amount of money needed to live in Indonesia... but if they provide us with the material we need, then we should use it, shouldn't we?
Just leave it in blank, attache a copy of a bank statement to the form and make a print copy of the link I provided above and keep it handy in case of a pegawai try to argue anything. It is where your wife wave the print copy and wonder why a pegawai is assuming that she does not have enough money to sponsor you. Is the pegawai above the Direktur² of the DitJen Imigrasi? I won't need to quote you the Pasal of the law which says that he has no authority to assume something different than his bosses already acknowledged so publicly.
You don't want to fill any fictionnal amount in this form, sign it on top of a meterai, and then after have a visit of some guy of the Kantor Pajak asking you why your wife claim to have "millions of income" that she does not report to their office, do you ?

I'll continue later for the rest of your post...

[atlantis]

Afterall, it's me here as head of the family, providing care and food for her.As she's my sponsor, but I'm the provider, in theory that makes me her employer? - you see where I'm going?

As I told you, leave in blank and just provide a bank statement of any amount equal or superior to the figures I quoted.

Secondly, and athough I'm crystal clear as to why I'm here, as head of the family, etc., she is confused as to what exactly to fill in (using bahasa), whether she needs to quote the articles from Marriage Law, or apa?

I see what you mean. Here just write "Alasan Keluarga". Point. This is your reason to be in Indonesia.
As I said in some threads, I have been staying quite long on sosbud visa. I never filled the "Penghasilan setahun" and always filled wth these two simple words "alasan keluarga" the Surat Jaminan.

You never know, Imigrasi might choose (conveniently) to scoff at the reason she states, and laugh us out of the kantor

They would never do that since you are legally married. Would be a very big risk if you complain officially to the KanWil or the DitJen.

But since all that polava with his bullsh*t, stealing our Rp6Jt and all the rest of it, not to mention what we've learned from your invaluable help (thanks), it's well past time we disposed of his 'service' - I'm sure you'd agree.

I could not agree more

If you remember from one of my previous posts, we thought our 'friend' wasn't working there anymore. We were right, as he's now working in the Kantor KanwIl! I see more fun n games (and headaches) on a rocky road ahead of us. What do you think?

No risk for you because the relations in between foreigners and kanwil are not as direct than in between foreigners and kantor imigrasi. You will just have to go pick up a letter there, signed by the KaBIm geerally, and to bring it to the DitJen or to the KanIm.
If he causes trouble, just report to theKaBIm as I told you. A written report, not an oral one. A written report will allow you to remenber it in any other further occasion and a written report can not stay without answer.

And remenber, anyone has a boss in an administration. Locate the boss or the boss of the boss and lodge a complaint if someone mess wth your rights. They will soon stop the game.

[Al.Gray]

1000 thanks for that, Atlantis.
Since our pejabat 'friend' still owes me Rp500K (dan dia masih harus minta maaf), I'm going to let him see our, already completed, formulae are processed smoothly, at his expense, using the money he owes us. If he doesn't want to, then up to him, isn't it? But I wouldn't like to be in his shoes
Besides, it'll save us having to deal with any of the other bodoh idiots in the office itself.
We'll let you know how it all goes.

All the best for now and thanks once more.
Sampai Jumpa!

AEG

[atlantis]

1000 thanks for that, Atlantis.
Since our pejabat 'friend' still owes me Rp500K (dan dia masih harus minta maaf), I'm going to let him see our, already completed, formulae are processed smoothly, at his expense, using the money he owes us. If he doesn't want to, then up to him, isn't it? But I wouldn't like to be in his shoes
Besides, it'll save us having to deal with any of the other bodoh idiots in the office itself.
We'll let you know how it all goes.

All the best for now and thanks once more.
Sampai Jumpa!

AEG

You are welcome.
I understand that it can be stressfull or hair raising, but you will see in a few months (or maybe you won't see if you get your KITAS) how easy it is to extend by yourself a SosBud, without having to pay bribes. The first time, as many things, is the "impressive" one. After we always wonder why we where confused!?

I will for sure keep you posted if I sort out this "4 months rule waiting period" thing. My bet is that the law that I quoted you in my last PM, which amended the article 48 of the Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 32 tahun 1994 IS valid... but that it did not reach (yet) the various Kantor Imigrasi in the country, since all Kantor Imigrasi I dealt with are requiring to follow the Article 48 in its old version. The law modifying it has been passed in... 2005, but is still considered apparently "too new" to be known or implemented!!!

Erm... for the "minta maaf" from the pejabat who tried to rip you off... don't expect too much

[vinrif]

Dear Atlantis,

First of all i thank you very much for your interest in helping all of us (confused expats!!). You are doing such a noble job for us.

I was reading all ur articles including last one on procedure for converting social budaya visa to vitas.

I went to kantor immigrasi and someone working on front desk offered me his services for the same for 5 jt. stating that he need to do some extra work since my age is not above 55.

I would like to ask you is it necessary to be over 55 in order to be sponsered by indonesian wife?

one more lady sitting besides us in kantin she offered same service for 2.5 juta.

but after reading ur article.. i think we should do it by ourselves and stay away from all calo.

just help me for this age matter and i will be very greatful to you.

[Bule_Licious]

I would like to ask you is it necessary to be over 55 in order to be sponsered by indonesian wife?

You do not need to be 55+. Age is irrelevant.

I'm under 55 and my wife sponsors me.

Luckily, we have used the same "agent" helper for years for various different types of visas, and he has a long list of other expat customers and thus experience with just about every situation you can imagine. It *is* possible to find a reliable agent, but probably only through word-of-mouth recommendations from your friends.

[atlantis]

The condition of age (ie over 55 y.o) is valid for any person willing to apply for a KITAS Lansia (retirement visa). There is no conditions of age for a KITAS sponsored by an indonesian spouse. For this KITAS, the main condition is that you are legally married to your wife/husband.
You may want to use an agent, but this KITAS is the easiest to get in terms of procedure, and you could definitively manage it by yourself if it is your will.
You may even be able to circumvert the 4 months waiting period for transforming your sosbud in a KITAS since the Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 38 tahun 2005 amended the article 48 of the Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 32 tahun 1994 which required the 4 months waiting period. the problem is that most of the KanIm seem to be unaware of its existence... and that you will hae to convince them that it exists if you don't want to wait the 4 months!