Thread: New immigration laws for foreigners married to Indonesian citizens

Singaraja/Pemaron, does not yet process applications for a KITAP if married for two years (or more).

Training of the regional offices outside of jakata , in implementing the new law has started

..., but at this time bali offices are still waiting . Untill the seminars are completed to imigrasi staff thoughout Bali - expect to be palmed away , or in otherword , the old rules will still apply.

In Java though , some offices are already processing under the new law.

Well, I think the article is comprehensive so should reduce confusion.

@ronb. Yes it should reduce confusion, but doesn't (at least not for me and many others).

The original news about this new immigration law was like a breath of fresh air. Many affected couples were prematurely ecstatic. The proof of the pudding was/is yet to come.
The original statements seemed to suggest that any expat already married to an Indonesian for at least two years could simply go to an Immigration office and "automatically" get a new ("improved") visa. For very little money, I might add.
And then only have to report themselves once every five years (and again, pay next to nothing).

Well - that's when the famous words of Tom Waits took on even more meaning for me:
The big print giveth
And the small print taketh away

Then there was the issue of when the President of Indonesia would actually sign the new bill. After that, we now have the issue of when the new law will actually be implemented. Some offices in Jakarta seem to have no problem with it - others still do.
Personally, I don't understand why Bali Imigrasi staff need to have "seminars" about this. Can't they read? My contacts there estimate it might take until May, 2012 before everybody knows what's going on here. But even that's just guessing on their part.

As far as I can tell, the "automatic" KITAP (or whatever it is), "after two years of marriage" only applies if the expat partner has used the Indonesian partner as a "sponsor". That implies some kind of KITAS in the first place, or does it also apply to people who've been here on four successive SOSBUD visas?

Quite frankly, it's still all as clear to me as mud.

Some other strange things I've noticed:

1) The retirement KITAS supposedly has a maximum of five years. My sixth one ends next month. How is this possible?
2) I have never had to employ local staff, rent a place for at least $X,000 per year, provide bank statements from my own country, prove I have Health Insurance, etc. How come?

Because of all the confusion and the fact that I have never used my wife as a "sponsor" on my KITASes in the past, I'm looking at my seventh retirement KITAS. Again, how is this possible? I deal directly with Immigration staff - no "agents" involved.
So I'm off to Singapore next Monday on a new visa run. Thought about Thailand, but don't know any agents there, plus I don't have a surfboard any more.

Currently sitting, chewing my nails down to the quick, drinking more than usual and waiting for my Exit Permit to arrive and some other bit of paper from Jakarta. I started the process well in advance of my visa expiring. Was told to book my ticket out of Indonesia and after that, report ten days before my flight. That was OK until I asked myself how long is "ten days" here? To be on the safe side, gave myself 14 days (to include weekends, etc).

Still waiting. Maybe tomorrow or the next day. Got lots of photos of myself in various sizes. Booked my flights and hotel in Singapore.

I welcome anybody here with more real, more up-to-date information to contact me as soon as possible via a PM.

One last thing. Expats married to Indonesians for at least two years might be able to work here "legally". I think it's the Indonesian "Man-Power Department" that hasn't been to a seminar, yet. Different section - maybe different laws - probably different interpretations of it, no matter what. (It's the one that requires employers' to pay US1200/year to compensate local workers whose jobs may be threatened by more competent foreigners. I wonder where all that money goes to?)

I posted a comment on The Jakarta Globe article mentioned above.
Fitri - you're not alone.