Thread: sosbud: what do I need besides the sponsor letter?

Hi,
I'm about to apply for a sosial budaya visa to study music in Bali this summer. I have a Balinese friend (my teacher) to sponsor me, but I'm not sure what all I need from him. I know I need a letter of invitation, and I know I need a copy of his KTP card, is that all?
I've seen some mentions on this forum of some sort of forms that he needs to fill out, is this true? And if so, where can he (or I) get the forms? (I can find no mention of such forms on San Francisco's consulate website). Some other sites have also mentioned needing a bank statement. I'm not sure he even has a bank account because he lives pretty much hand-to-mouth. Is this really necessary? If so, do you know a way around it?

As a secondary question, I could also use some advice on what he should include in his letter.
Does he need to say he's paying all my expenses? Does he need to include my passport number and expiration, date of birth, etc. Does he need to mention the visa in his letter?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
thank you,
Nicci

Best is to check with a visa company like PT Bali Ide. They can inform you exactly.

You will find a lot of info also checking previous posts.

As far as I know, because I'm in the same process right now:

Family card
Bank statements
(return) ticket
Passport that is at least more than 6 months valid
Sponsorship letter

I don't know of any other forms that must be filled in. Perhaps the letter needs some kind of stamp, couldn't really tell you.
On here you can also find example letters when you use the search function.

Hope it helps,

Theo

Hi, Nicci

The "Sponsorship"/Invitation letter required for a SosBud visa application is simply a statement from your Indonesian sponsor that he/she knows you and is inviting you to spend time with him/her. In case you turn out to be a person of poor character, the sponsor agrees to vouch for your character/behaviour whilst you're in Indonesia. I believe that there are sample letters in this site's Archives.

...I've seen some mentions on this forum of some sort of forms that he needs to fill out, is this true?...

Not true. If you're applying for this visa overseas, all you need to supply is the sponsorship letter, and a copy of the sponsor's identity card (KTP). That's it. The sponsor does not need to provide income statements, etc.

Your passport will need to have at least 6 months validity still on it. You might need to show that you have a ticket out of Indonesia, or the funds to buy one, to expedite matters.

...Does he need to say he's paying all my expenses? Does he need to include my passport number and expiration, date of birth, etc. Does he need to mention the visa in his letter?...

No, not at all.
Like I said, find a sample sponsor letter either in this site's archives or other sites like http://www.expat.or.id/

Oh, and one last thing. A "normal" SB Visa does not entitle you to study in Indonesia unless your sponsor is an accredited learning provider. I would not mention anywhere in your paperwork that you intend to "study". You love Indonesia, have some friends here and want to stay here longer than a normal Tourist Visa allows to broaden your appreciation of Indonesia's culture. That's about it.

:D

Are you serious, tintin?
What's your point, exactly? You say that:

...AFTER the end of your six-month SB, i.e. it should be valid at least for ONE year...

You base your comment upon what?
I mean, do you know anything about this country or are you suffering from chemo-therapy after-effects? (Sorry - maybe I'm thinking of a different poster.)
As an aside. have you ever set foot in Indonesia?
Just wondering.
8)