Announcement

**Al.Gray** · 22-10-08, 01:54

KITAS sponsored by an Indonesian wife of a foreign husband.

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** · 22-10-08, 07:21

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Note the following[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]:[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- A KITAS as described above, sponsored by an Indonesian wife, [FONT=Verdana]doesn't allow any kind of work[/FONT].[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- 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.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- 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.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- Only legally married (ie. recognised by Indonesian law) wife/husband are authorised to follow the above described procedure.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- 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. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- 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. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- 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. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- If you need a copy of any of the laws mentionned in this post, feel free to ask me. For any questions, [FONT=Verdana]I way prefer answering to posts rather than PM[/FONT]. Posts provide infos to the whole community, PMs don't.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- 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.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- Don't forget to extend your izin kunjungan, if needed, during the procedure![/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]- 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.[/FONT][/COLOR]

**atlantis** · 22-10-08, 09:31

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.

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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...

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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.

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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.

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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.php?go=faq&subgo=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** · 22-10-08, 14:42

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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.

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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.

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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.

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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** · 23-10-08, 09:45

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** · 23-10-08, 10:16

Originally posted by Al.Gray View Post

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** · 30-10-08, 16:50

little more help

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** · 31-10-08, 12:55

Originally posted by vinrif View Post

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** · 31-10-08, 13:22

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!

**ashayu** · 17-11-08, 23:09

Hi All,

I want to share my experience.

I have applied VITAS (visa tingga terbatas) for my husband. This vitas allows him to stay in Indonesia for 365 days after the arrival date, and can be renewed yearly.

I was told by some immigration officers that this is a new Undang-Undang (Law) and not yet has a peraturan pemerintah (I don't know what is the english translation for this).

If any of you want to apply for this, please go directly to Kanim or Immigration office. In my case, I went to Dirjen Imigrasi at Kuningan, Jakarta. Please.. please.. ignore any officers or agents that offered to help you. An officer offered to help me to get the approval letter for 6millions rupiah (around usd600)! I just ignored him and went straight to the counter. These are the requirements (some of them are not written on the big board of visa application requirements):

1. Application letter by sponsor (wife)
2. Form VISQ (you can purchase this at the immigration office) costs Rp.13,000,- plus "meterai" Rp. 6,000,- (if you buy it there,they sell it for Rp.7,000,-)
3. Fotocopy of husband's passport
4. Husband's CV
5. Fotocopy of wife's KTP
6. Fotocopy of wife's bank balance statement
7. Fotocopy of marriage certivicate (Please bring along the original just in case they ask to see it).
8. Fotocopy of wife's Kartu Keluarga (Family Card). It can be her father's, as long as her name is in the card.
9. Sponsorship statement from the wife signed with "meterai".

In 7 working days the approval letter will be sent to the embassy/consulate where the husband resides / is going to apply for the visa. The wife has to collect this letter and pay for telex Rp.25,000,- (may vary between countries).

One more thing that is required for this, if you choose to do it without any help from agents or "others"... patience.... patience.. patience... It took me 3 hours, from the first time I got my waiting number until I was called to the counter. So bring some magazines, ipod, and maybe a mask? (since the waiting room is full of smoking agents)..

Good luck!

**bingo** · 18-11-08, 11:13

Thanks very much for the info. I wonder why they need the husband CV as he is not allowed to work on the VITAS anyway right?

**Al.Gray** · 25-11-08, 08:18

Hi Atlantis. Here we are now, at the second extension of my Sosbud, 4 months into it, and as much as I wanted to do it all by the book and follow your advice to the letter, my lovely wife wasn't so keen to. Unlike me, she doesn't like complaining and upsetting the powers that be (something about karma and mystical voodoo hoodoos, or whatever she was prattling on about, bless her, she just doesn't want to make any kind of problem for us staying here in kampungland). So, she wanted me to seek our 'friend', the pejabat's help once more, to make the proses easier and smoother.
If you remember last time, he's the same guy who tried to rip us off for 6 million rupiah, and who was originally looking for the same again to help make the KITAS this time. That was before I'd had a few stiff words with him about the law and KanwIl etc.
Now he's agreed to help to sort out everything in Jogja for us, get our application past the KanIm at Kantor Imigrasi, as well as sorting everything out for us at Kantor Kanwil (kantor KanwIl is actually where our 'friend' is working, so maybe you'll understand how making complaints and a big fuss might delay everything and make it more difficult for us, yes?
So, he's agreed to do it here for the bargain price of Rp500,000, which, although isn't great, is a lot less than he was originally asking, and it saves us going everywhere here, dealing with more corrupt officials who we don't know.
For my next point, you mentioned in a previous post, to start the proses to convert the Sosbud to KITAS 'after' receiving back the second extension? Anybody we've spoken to in the Kantor Imigrasi here, including our 'friend', have insisted both the formula (the 2nd extension and the conversion) should be submitted now, together. Our 'friend' says, it might be late and cannot convert if we don't do it this way?
When I told him we wanted to send all the documents to Ditjen Imigrasi Jakarta by Tiki, he said that could take much longer than us going there in person. Judging from the amount of unopened Tiki post I saw in Kantor Ditjen Imigrasi Jakarta, I'm convinced to believe this.
Olivier, is there a certain trustable person you yourself deal with in Kantor Ditjen Imigrasi Jakarta whom you can recommend or the correct department and phone number of who we exactly need to deal with about this, please?
Based on our last visit to Kantor DitJen Imigrasi Jakarta, I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, there's a whole system of corruption going on there too.
My wife says, "In a corrupt country, even though the government make the rule, all the employee play their own game at their own price!" It so happens, our 'friend' from Kantor KanwIl here, has a friend in Jakarta too, and I've now heard mention maybe needing to pay 3 Juta to get everything done in Jakarta when we go there - Aduh! THEN who to complain to if someone tries to pull some corruption stunt there? The plot thickens!!
My wife wants to go to Kantor DitJen Imigrasi Jakarta alone, but I really don't know if she can handle everything by herself, and people might try to walk all over her. Afterall, you know already she isn't one to complain or make a fuss (unless she's nagging her husband hard under foot!)
Gwa? Pusing sekali...,Kasihan deh!

To end on a happier note.....when our pejabat friend helped us a month ago for the 1st extension, I insisted he did it all and paid the fee himself from the Rp500k he still owed me at that time, otherwise I'd be making a report to his boss, the KanwIl.. Don't think he was too happy about it, but obliged nevertheless. There's some justice, at least.

All and any advice you can give will be welcome, appreciated.

Thanks before,

AEG

**edtjes** · 30-11-08, 10:07

Dear Atlantis,

If I follow your way of getting a kitas so with the sosbud and then applying for the kitas while I'm in Indonesia. Do I still need to get the vitas at an embassy outside Indonesia like going go to singapore. To be honest me and my wife are dasseld by the diffrence in price to get a kitas from jakarta and tangerang jakarta it's 2.5 mil. rupiah but tangerang it's 6.5 mil rupiah to get the kitas until the process is finnish so we can enjoy our time.

thnx

**Delon** · 01-12-08, 18:33

Passport

Hello everyone...I'm a new member of this Forum, but have been visiting this useful Website for a year! I'm Indonesian and married to an English man and we have now lived in the UK for 22 years.
- Married in Jakarta both KUA and Register Office
- All papers have been legalised/stampped by British Council Jakarta
(this is to save time for translations, etc in the UK)
After 19 years living in the UK, I decided to get a British Passport. For these last two months, my husband has been contemplating to live in Indonesia for our retirement. To be honest; it's a headache for me, as I'm not an Indonesian passport holder anymore which means I can not sponsor him. I'm aware that there are companies who does this kind of service, but it seems quite expensive! - Does anyone know that if I can actually regain my citicenship??? Thanks for your help!

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KITAS sponsored by the Indonesian spouse

KITAS sponsored by the Indonesian spouse

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