KITAS sponsored by the Indonesian spouse

[marcus]

Interesting Marcus, I have just done a wifes sponsored Kitas, two points. Tangerang immigration would not accept our joint Uk bank statement, so a quick rush to transfer money to the wifes Indonesian bank account,I put 30 million rp in, not enough.we had to make it 100 million rp. Also had to get the original marriage book stamped by the British embassy.but they changed their mind on that and accepted the form we had received when we first registered the marriage. This was basically an approved translation of the marriage book stamped by the embassy...

Anglian , as far as I remember you are one of very few who had to present a bank account statement . This seems to be an old requirement that is becoming less and less usual .
The proof of marriage register at the foreigner Embassy/country has been requested lately and it seems it will become an usual request .

Anyway , I was a civil servant in my country and so I think that it is relatively normal that there is no good consistence on how government officers apply the laws/regulations .

[marcus]

..Errr.. I got married overseas, I "stamped" the certificate at Indonesian Embassy, when I went home last time, I legalized it at Ministry of foreign affairs and dephumkam in Jakarta. I think I will only need 1 more step to go, which is registering the marriage at Catatan Sipil. Gees... looks like I missed something again here? ...

I am not sure that it will be required , but if you have the opportunity , better have a proof of the register of your marriage certificate also at your husband's Embassy or your husband's country . Immigration didn't requested it when I extended my ITAS/KITAS in last March , but many posters in this Forum have been reporting this new requirement lately .

[peacefullia]

(I) & (IV) I continue suggesting you to get him a Sosbud Visa (single entry) first . You will have a lot of time to prepare all the required documents , and you can do it all by yourself , without any agent (who normally doesn't know all the information you can get in this Forum) .
By getting the KITAS rejected when with a Sosbud (single entry) , your husband still can continue in Indonesia by extending the Sosbud Visa , up to 180 days . KITAS may be "rejected" at the beginning due to the lack of some documents . With a Sosbud Visa , you have all the time to get this extra document , complain ,..

Lets suppose you husband get a VITAS , within 7 days you request the continuation of the ITAS/KITAS process in Bali , and the Bali's Immigration doesn't accept your temporary KTP . You will have only the 7 days to find a solution to that .
By the way , some immigration offices are requiring a document confirming the marriage certificate was registered at the foreigner's Embassy , or the foreigner's country . Did you get that already ?

And the Sosbud Visa (single entry) is a lot quicker to get than the VITAS (Visa ITAS) , and normally requires only your sponsor letter and a copy of your KTP (check at the Embassy's website) , in addition to his own documents .

Hmm... another problem.

• Husband most likely will have to go to singapore-thai while staying in Indonesia, seems like Sosbud visa wouldn't help?
• If until the Sosbud visa expired (up to 180 days you said), the Kitas cannot be done (I might be exaggerating, but let's make a scenario), can he do the visa run to neighboring countries and get back on another Sosbud Visa?
• What is your personal opinion about the staff at Bandung Immigration, are they easy type or strictly stick to the rule type, or dirty gamers type?

So sorry for these stupid questions, government stuff is really not my piece of cake

[marcus]

(a) Husband most likely will have to go to singapore-thai while staying in Indonesia, seems like Sosbud visa wouldn't help?

(b) If until the Sosbud visa expired (up to 180 days you said), the Kitas cannot be done (I might be exaggerating, but let's make a scenario), can he do the visa run to neighboring countries and get back on another Sosbud Visa?

(c) What is your personal opinion about the staff at Bandung Immigration, are they easy type or strictly stick to the rule type, or dirty gamers type?
[/IMG]

(a) If he need to go out of Indonesia before getting the ITAS/KITAS , he has other options too . For going out before :
- 30 days in Indonesia , Visa-on-arrival (cannot convert to ITAS/KITAS) ;
- more than 30 days but less than 60 days in Indonesia , a 60 days Visit Visa - Tourist (cannot convert to ITAS/KITAS) ;
- for more than 60 days in Indonesia and/or to convert to ITAS/KITAS , a 60 days Visit Visa - Social Cultural/Family - single entry (Sosbud Visa - single entry) , extendable up to 180 days .
Note : "Conversion" here means change from Sosbud Visa to ITAS/KITAS in the city's/province's/Jakarta's immigration office (without the need to go out of Indonesia)

(b) Yes .

(c) I believe we cannot think that each immigration office has its own characteristic , because the officers move frequently . It seems most of the officers move from one immigration office to another about every year , although there are some who stay longer .
But anyway , in more than 50 Sosbud Visa extensions and 2 ITAS/KITAS in Bandung , I was asked to pay bribe just once , and got the extension without paying it .

[peacefullia]

Thank you for the explanations, marcus. You're so helpful and very patient

A little update on my marriage certificate... unlike the KUA (which I went to -last homecoming before this one-, assuming that I had to register at KUA), the Catpil knew what I was talking about. Using "sok kenal sok dekat" (as if I've known them for years) method, I talked and watched them work on my documents. Here are some points I noticed:

• There is no default standard for documents required, I was told to bring:
  • Original marriage certificate, attested (only to show them) and original marriage certificate translation (from sworn translator)
  • Husband's passport copy
  • my KTP copy
  • my Akta Kelahiran
  • Family Card (KK)
  • This is the odd one: 3x pictures with both of us in it. I told him... why can't you just stick mine and stick his side by side, what's the difference? The staff said... No, it has to be both of you in the same picture. WTH. So, I went home and spent half an hour on Photoshop. Voila, the next day they accepted it.
  • They asked me to bring a document which they themselves didn't understand what it was. They opened somebody else' archive and told me to bring the documents above, there was a document completely in German. I told them convincingly, "This one only in Germany, no other country has this document, so it is not applicable to me," it worked. Lesson: Be firm on whatever you say, put yourself "above" them a little bit. But be polite. Play with this.
  
  
• I don't know whether it is similar to other regions' Catpil, but my Catpil's Overseas Marriage Registration Book is literally a book, a big book with handwritten reports inside!! They wrote my report on it too, err.. yes of course, using a pen. Then stick my odd-two-of-us picture at the end of the page.
• They finally used computer to type the Tanda Laporan Perkawinan and printed it. Guess what, nobody can sign it but the Dinas Head. So, your life here depends on him. The Dinas Head was not available that day, the last day before Christmas holiday. Result: my surat tanda laporan perkawinan has to wait till they're back in office. Will I get the surat immediately after Christmas holiday? Well, it depends on the Dinas Head's mood, I guess. Lesson: be ready for this kind of scenario, you might need longer time than you thought.

[Greg Richo]

Hi,

Its now 2012 and this Thread is 51+ pages long.

I will look at some past threads, however the last thread is about 8 months old, so my questions , I hope are relatively basic.

My circumstances are :

- 51 years of age and relatively self sufficient, especially if living in Indo.
- Aussie male married to Indonesian woman - we have married 3 months ago in Australia
- my wife has been granted temporary spouse visa in Australia : This visa is for 2 years , then she gets permanent residency for Australia = Jan 2014


I want to know :

- can I get an Indonesian spouse visa for living in Indo (effective, say NOW for example), before we have been married 2 years ?
- if not a spouse visa , what are other options removing the indo work visa, setting up a company visa as alternative visa options.

I am sure this process is a learning process & I'm happy for that, so time is not an issue here.

Is it worthwhile setting up a new Thread Topic ?

I welcome any comments,

Thanks Greg

[atlantis]

My circumstances are :

- 51 years of age and relatively self sufficient, especially if living in Indo.
- Aussie male married to Indonesian woman - we have married 3 months ago in Australia
- my wife has been granted temporary spouse visa in Australia : This visa is for 2 years , then she gets permanent residency for Australia = Jan 2014


I want to know :

- can I get an Indonesian spouse visa for living in Indo (effective, say NOW for example), before we have been married 2 years ?

Yes, you can.
The exact same procedure than highlighted in post #1 an #3.

You will be granted a 1 year temporary stay permit. When you will be married for 2 years you will be able to convert it to a 5 years permanent stay permit.

[Aris@Batam]

Hi Atlantis,

I married an Indonesian wife since 1993. When that time I already had KITAS from employer which is renew every year by the company.
Till 2008, I no longer work with that employer. So, I and my wife went to the immigration in Jakarta asking, then apply the KITAS sponsored by wife.
Currently my KITAS (IV) sponsored by wife going to end some time in Apr. I plan to renew it next week.


I would like to know, If we apply the 5 years KITAS. the procedure is it like extension for 1 year KITAS can be done in local immigration or have to go back Jakarta to apply?

Thanks
Aris@Batam

[atlantis]

Hi Atlantis,

I married an Indonesian wife since 1993. When that time I already had KITAS from employer which is renew every year by the company.
Till 2008, I no longer work with that employer. So, I and my wife went to the immigration in Jakarta asking, then apply the KITAS sponsored by wife.
Currently my KITAS (IV) sponsored by wife going to end some time in Apr. I plan to renew it next week.


I would like to know, If we apply the 5 years KITAS. the procedure is it like extension for 1 year KITAS can be done in local immigration or have to go back Jakarta to apply?

Thanks
Aris@Batam

Every thing is explained step by step and in detail here: http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...TAP.-UU-6-2011

[Aris@Batam]

Thanks atlantis,

I missed your sticky thread for conversion to ITAP and timing for process
They said 4-5 weeks time is not enough for process 5 years ITAP. I had to extend the KITAS first then request the ITAP.
I already got my surat rekomendasi and tomorrow shall go to Kanwil @ Tj. Pinang as usual.

[ReveurGAM]

I'm betting no one knows, but I thought I'd ask.

I'm aware that there may be interviews by Immigration regarding being sponsored by your spouse, and they may even come to your home to verify things (for example: that it's really where you live, you really are married, etc.).

What I'm not aware of is (and this may also apply to getting sponsored the regular way by your spouse, but I am doing an alih sponsor from a company to my wife) does KanWil Hukum & HAM tend to want to do interviews, too?

My paperwork for the alih sponsor was sent to KanWil (Semarang) and we were told we must go there to meet the lady handling our case. I know I have no choice in the matter, but I'm wondering if having to go for an interview at KanWil is a common thing or not...? Given my situation (no work for 7 months now), it's a big pain in the butt, and a drain on precious financial resources.

Thanks,
Glenn

[marcus]

In my case , the province's immigration office (KanWil) asked me to bring my wife and questioned/checked deeply our marriage documents , including the "Izin kawin" (permission to marry) issued by my Embassy , which I didn't have . I had only an equivalent document that I brought from my country . But they didn't come to our home .

[atlantis]

What I'm not aware of is (and this may also apply to getting sponsored the regular way by your spouse, but I am doing an alih sponsor from a company to my wife) does KanWil Hukum & HAM tend to want to do interviews, too?

My paperwork for the alih sponsor was sent to KanWil (Semarang) and we were told we must go there to meet the lady handling our case. I know I have no choice in the matter, but I'm wondering if having to go for an interview at KanWil is a common thing or not...? Given my situation (no work for 7 months now), it's a big pain in the butt, and a drain on precious financial resources.

It's not uncommon and it is what they SHOULD do anyway. Divisi Keimigrasian in KanWil is the representative of Depkumham (Minister of justice and human rights) and one of its duty in matter of immigration is to control that the law is respected by KanIm and DitJenIm and to formulate recommendation to both KanIm and DitJenIm. They have to control the work of the kantor Imigrasi an to make sure it is in accordance with the relevant regulations. Then they have to send their recommendation to the DitJenIm which will take the appropriate decision. Once the decision is taken, the DitJenIm has to inform the KanWil of its decision (positive or negative) and KanWil will once again verify if the decision is in accordance with the law and will give the OK to the KanIm.

Therefore, if you consider the above, it ain't surprising that KanWil wants to interview you. This is what they should have done anytime they are involved, but they have rarely done so untill now. Things are changing in Indonesia and more administrations are starting to understand that they have a job to perform which goes a bit beyond just signing letters.

[Aris@Batam]

Just to share what I had go through for this time KITAS V extension in Batam Island:

14 March, Wednesday Morning
Submit documents to immigration: (2 copy each of KTP/KK/MC/Passport w/existing Kitas & Re-entry Permit pages/immigration blue book for all page with data & stamps) and fill up a form (fee for form w/folder is IDR25.000) no photo needed since last year. They return me the Surat Permohonan & Surat Jaminan for immigration & kantor wilayah which I prepared. This year they provide a very simple pre-copy form for Surat Permohonan & Surat Jaminan. Just need to fill in both Bio-data and KTP/Passport numbers. Put a Meterai on Jaminan form then my wife signed on both pages. After the lady checked all documents and form. As usual, told us pick up the letter for kantor wilayah late afternoon on next day.

15 March, Thursday Afternoon
Pick up the letter for KanWil

16 March, Friday Morning
Take a trip to kantor wilayah in another Island. ETA 10am at KanWil. As usual, the friendly lady prepare the letter wait for her boss come back to sign. Around 11am Kepala KanWil back and interview my wife had some chat... both are javanese. Before 11:30am we got the letter signed. Back to sea port take 12pm ferry back to Batam. Because it's Friday, so we decided not send the letter to immigration on the same afternoon.

19 March, Monday Morning
Submit the letter from KanWil, Passport, immigration blue book, returns existing KITAS. Pay IDR.1.755.000 for the fee of KITAS & 1 year Re-entry Permit & digital photo. Bring the whole folder to next door have another lady to "Click" the system. Then bring back wait for take the digital photo, scan the fingerprint & sign on the digital pad & new KITAS card. After that, back to check with the lady and her advice to collect on late afternoon next day (20 March).

Applying for this year SKLD and SKTT are not submitting yet.
For last year SKLD is IDR.250.000. I asked why so much? It's free when I done it for the 1st and 2nd times, 3rd times is IDR50.000.... He said, because his new kepala short of $$... ==".
My wife saw other pax and agent for company also paid. So she just paid what he asked. SKTT is IDR.500.000
Few month ago, I heard the Kepala Polisi already changed. Will see any change on the fee for SKLD tomorrow.

[atlantis]

Just to share what I had go through for this time KITAS V extension in Batam Island:

If I may ask, why did you bother to extend a KITAS IV rather than converting for a KITAP?