visa agency recommendations?

JonnyQuango

Hi Everyone, Can anyone recommend a visa agency preferebly in Sanur? I have moved to Sanur with my wife & kids and currently have 60 day tourist visas. I need help as we have to fly in and out in the next year and unsure which is the most efficient visa to have. Thanks in advance. Rich

Markit

Bad news, you have to fly out within the next 60 days! What good will a visa agent do with that? Are you looking for a social visa? See folks this is what I mean...

matsaleh

A 60 day tourist visa can be converted to a social visa, as they both have the same visa code (211). Most agencies will provide sponsorship for the conversion and then apply for the extensions. I don't know an agent in the Sanur area, unfortunately.

davita

matsaleh wroteA 60 day tourist visa can be converted to a social visa, as they both have the same visa code (211). Most agencies will provide sponsorship for the conversion and then apply for the extensions. I don't know an agent in the Sanur area, unfortunately.

Mats...are you sure that a 60 day Tourist visa can be converted to a Sosbud [B]without[/B] leaving...that must be new. The Sosbud and Tourist visas have always had the same 211# and why, in Bali, they have been extended by some....worth a try! In other parts of Indonesia i.e. Jakarta.... the 60 day Tourist visa was not extendable when I was on Sosbuds/Tourist visas....but I may be out of date with that info.

DenpasarHouse

matsaleh wroteA 60 day tourist visa can be converted to a social visa, as they both have the same visa code (211). Most agencies will provide sponsorship for the conversion and then apply for the extensions. I don't know an agent in the Sanur area, unfortunately.

Yep, I used to do this but it was only ever a loophole. I'd go into the immigration office and ask if I could extend [I]this [/I]visa, I'd never actually ask if I could extend the 60 Day Tourist visa because technically you can't. An agent is probably a better bet if you're not sure about the process.

spicyayam

Bali IDE is in Sanur.

davita

DenpasarHouse wroteYep, I used to do this but it was only ever a loophole. I'd go into the immigration office and ask if I could extend [I]this [/I]visa, I'd never actually ask if I could extend the 60 Day Tourist visa because technically you can't.

Mats is talking about [B]converting [/B]from a Tourist to a Sosbud visa using an agent...that's new to me. In the past, particularly in Bali as you say...it was possible to [B]extend[/B] but I've never heard of [B]converting[/B] without leaving Indonesia.

davita

Hi Rich I don't know any agents in Sanur but I can say that the best visa for you and family would be the Sosbud. If you don't have family in Indonesia any Indonesian citizen or resident can be a sponsor...make a friend and ask for help. The duty of a sponsor is to ensure the Gov't can 'go after the sponsor' if the visa holder has committed a crime, etc. I've never heard of any problems associated with a sponsor. Alternately an agent can be the sponsor but they will expect a fee...it's negotiable. A Sosbud can be received in any RI Embassy/Consul of your choice i.e. your home town, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur...wherever there is an RI Embassy/Consul....and it can be done by mail. You then have 90 days to come to Indonesia. You stay initially for 60 days and it can be extended monthly for up to 6 months...then repeat over. Btw if you are currently on 60 day tourist visas I would attempt to extend that one...it has been done before in Bali.

DenpasarHouse

davita wroteMats is talking about [B]converting [/B]from a Tourist to a Sosbud visa using an agent...that's new to me. In the past, particularly in Bali as you say...it was possible to [B]extend[/B] but I've never heard of [B]converting[/B] without leaving Indonesia.

I know what you mean, but because it's not actually possible to extend a 60 Day Tourist visa it in affect becomes the Sosbud Visa. You're not specifically converting it, the Immigration office just accepted my word that it was a Sosbud Visa because the 60 Day Tourist visa number (211) is the same as the Sosbud Visa number. It's just a weird loophole, but I have no idea if it still works.

davita

Re: post # 9 We'll just have to wait and see if that's what matsaleh meant by converting. From her post I thought she was saying that the OP could convert the Tourist visa and get another '6 months' Sosbud without leaving Indonesia.....and thought that must be a new rule. What you did, and I recommended attempting, would only give the OP a further 4 months extension to the Tourist visa. I'm not sure why they allowed that in Bali...maybe they were confused about the code (211) or, more likely, they didn't care so long as the money flowed.

DenpasarHouse

davita wroteWhat you did, and I recommended attempting, would only give the OP a further 4 months extension to the Tourist visa.

Yes, that's correct.

davita

You are missing something Rich but i have to go somewhere right now.... but I'll get back within a couple of hours

JonnyQuango

davita wroteYou are missing something Rich but i have to go somewhere right now.... but I'll get back within a couple of hours

Ok, great look forward to hearing about it.. Cheers

ronb

I also use Bali IDE on th by-pass road. http://www.bali-expat-business.com/14/contact-bali-ide/

JonnyQuango

Markit wroteBad news, you have to fly out within the next 60 days! What good will a visa agent do with that? Are you looking for a social visa? See folks this is what I mean...

I'm looking to stay here as long, cheapest and with as little stress as possible. I don't want to be fucking about in immigration or flying out of the country unnecessarily. I knew I had to come back to uk after 6 weeks so i had no other choice as to get a 60 day visa. Im looking for a complete package where I pay someone to do all the donkey work at immigration. Im unsure what is best for my situation. My understanding is tourist visa is my best option. 60 days + 4 monthly extends then leave to repeat the process again. I looked at social visa but my understanding is you have to leave the country every two months which would be a logistical nightmare as I have two young boys. Am I missing something? cheers Rich

matsaleh

What I meant by "converting" the visa is as Denpasar House says. Most agents in Bali will provide sponsorship to get 4 more extensions for the 60 day visa. The original visa is then "technically" converted to a social visa, although the sponsor's name is not shown on the original visa. This seems to be only possible in Bali. [USER=19915]@JonnyQuango[/USER], you do not have to leave the country every 2 months with a social visa. It is the same as a 60 day visa except that a sponsor provides a sponsorship letter, guarantee letter and copy of their KTP (Indonesian ID card) and you apply for an initial 60 day social budaya visa. About 1 week before the 60 days expires, you can apply for your first extension at immigration. Your sponsor must attend with you on the first visit and it takes 3 visits to immigration for each extension. If you use an agent, the agent will do all this for you. You WILL have to attend immigration one time during the first extension only, for fingerprints and photos. You can then stay in Bali for 180 days in total before leaving and starting the process again.

davita

I'm back from my haircut and cream-bath massage and feeling goooood! Matsaleh, DPH and myself are on the same page. If you are currently on a tourist visa and can get someone to sponsor (agent or otherwise) you [I]might[/I] get extensions...but only available in Bali. I tried in Jakarta and it was rejected as a Tourist visa is not supposed to be extendable. There are two types of Sosbud.... 1. Single-entry Sosbud. (a)This is issued from an RI Embassy/Consul. (b)It requires a sponsor. (c)You must enter Indonesia within 90 days of its issue. After entry it lasts for 60 days. It is extendable near the end of that 60 days for another 30 days and thereafter extendable monthly to a max of 180 days. If exiting at any time it becomes invalid and a new visa will be needed to return. 2. Multi-entry Sosbud. same as #1a,b,c, but it lasts a year. You can exit and re-enter at will but does require to exit every maximum of 60 days and re-enter. I had one for a while and would fly to KL in the morning, pick-up a bottle of duty-free hooch, and fly back in the afternoon....but that became a pain. If I were you and wish to extend what you currently have I'd suggest biting the bullet and getting the agent to do as Mats has suggested. Another time you might find a local sponsor and DIY when familiar...as agents can charge like wounded bulls. You didn't mention but, if over 55, you can get a retirement Kitas, which is another story. If applicable we can advise on achieving that.

JonnyQuango

I also use Bali IDE on th by-pass road. http://www.bali-expat-business.com/14/contact-bali-ide/

Thanks I've sent them an email

DenpasarHouse

spicyayam wroteExtending the tourist visa like a social visa can only be done through an agent..

I was able to do it myself, but only because my almost irrational hatred of agents and middlemen wins out over the wasted time and inconvenience.

JonnyQuango

matsaleh wroteWhat I meant by "converting" the visa is as Denpasar House says. Most agents in Bali will provide sponsorship to get 4 more extensions for the 60 day visa. The original visa is then "technically" converted to a social visa, although the sponsor's name is not shown on the original visa. This seems to be only possible in Bali. [USER=19915]@JonnyQuango[/USER], you do not have to leave the country every 2 months with a social visa. It is the same as a 60 day visa except that a sponsor provides a sponsorship letter, guarantee letter and copy of their KTP (Indonesian ID card) and you apply for an initial 60 day social budaya visa. About 1 week before the 60 days expires, you can apply for your first extension at immigration. Your sponsor must attend with you on the first visit and it takes 3 visits to immigration for each extension. If you use an agent, the agent will do all this for you. You WILL have to attend immigration one time during the first extension only, for fingerprints and photos. You can then stay in Bali for 180 days in total before leaving and starting the process again.

Thanks for the info guys I'm starting to get my head slowly round this. I do have friends in Bali & I'm sure they will act as a sponsor to obtain social visa but I'm still struggling to see the difference and benefit of going for a social visa over tourist visa as to me it looks like they're much the same thing. 60 day tourist - 60 days + 4 monthly extensions at immigration - Total 6 months. Fly out & repeat process again. Social visa - 60 days + 4 monthly extensions at immigration - total 6 months. fy out & repeat process again. Am I missing something?