davita
RE: Post #20December is still a long way so hopefully someone who has recently experienced the new scrutiny, using multiple Sosbuds, will post.If not Steve...bon voyage...nice knowing you....keep in touch and we'll update all info so you'll know when it's safe to return. Oh! please send your address in Geylang (affordable Singapore) so we know where to send the rest of your clothes, you might be needing some clean underwear...:icon_lol::icon_twisted:
spicyayam
[COLOR=#333333]December is still a long way so hopefully someone who has recently experienced the new scrutiny, using multiple Sosbuds, will post.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I have a friend who will be going through next week. If he makes it back I will let you know
Steve Rossell
Thanx Davita! That gave me a great belly laugh :icon_lol:p.s.Still chuckling. :)
davita
I have a friend who will be going through next week. If he makes it back I will let you know[/QUOTE]More important spicy...can you please, please....let us know if he doesn't...:cupcake:
davita
If these points in the memo to Immigrasi are rigorously applied I wonder what will happen to all those Fly In-Fly Out (FIFO) guys. I know many whose families are established here but if hubby, working in Aussie, cannot return after the second visit on a VOA, there will be a mass exodus.Does anyone have any idea how many FIFO are living in Bali?I can imagine vacant villas, grocery stores empty, schools looking for students, motor bikes with 'for rent' signs lining the street...the list goes on.
SHoggard
Davita... Good point. I was thinking along those lines also, you beat me to it>[I]I can imagine vacant villas, grocery stores empty, schools looking for students, motor bikes with 'for rent' signs lining the street...the list goes on[/I].>You forgot the bars... lots of them
davita
Davita... Good point. I was thinking along those lines also, you beat me to it>[I]I can imagine vacant villas, grocery stores empty, schools looking for students, motor bikes with 'for rent' signs lining the street...the list goes on[/I].>You forgot the bars... lots of them[/QUOTE]hahaha...I was thinking of adding the bars but surmised there's enough of us more permanent stragglers to support at least the ones with decent beer and prices...frankly, Potato head and Rock Bar can close for all I care.
Fred2
Meeting was held at Surabaya Immigration, slide show, plenty of speeches and light refreshment. Outcome was ALL immigration officers to check for illegal workers.Seem to be working, there again today & they had 15 illegal workers lined up for interview, some were really pissed off ,they were telling immigration that there agents & employers said it is ok to work on VOA. Agents were telling them to sit down & say nothing.
davita
@ post 28Seems like Surabaya is dealing with the issue of foreign workers without permits better than Bali. This idea of harassing people entering Bali by investigating the potential for work, by checking the visa for repetition, will be counter-productive. I know many, myself previously included, who used sosbud just to stay longer without any intent to work...indeed....provided much to the general economy.I hope Bali Immigration change their attention to finding those workers, already here, and deporting them.
Fred2
I will admit that some Chinese teachers were somewhat pissed, I have never seen someone yell so load, I don't think it will have a happy ending, but the boys were having a bit of a laugh.
Gago
Hopefully we will have a definitive answer to whether this recommendation is being enforced or not.I am gonna visit my agent today and will ask her if she got some info about this and let you know if anything helpful.Anyway there are so many people doing visa runs everyday we will know pretty soon if some are stuck in the imigrasi, I got some friends as well going out soon.But it sounds like they this measure wouldn't be automatic, they would need to assess the possibility that you would be working illegally. But how are they gonna check this ! Otherwise they may turn it around and assume anyone with 2 VOA and 1 SOSB in the previous 12months is working illegally and we should actually show them by any mean that we are not working here ! Which doesn't make any sense but there is not much making sense in here !Moreover to bypass this measure, if enforced we would simply need to go through another airport and spend some more money to come to Bali by domestic flight, just annoying everyone and making us spend always more money for these issues.Many of us are not miss-using their visa but suffer from these abusive measures unfortunately. Hopefully, as very often nothing will be implemented, only nonsense talks.Finger crossed
Gago
Hi all,I jut visited my visa agent and he confirmed he got many clients that have done their Visa Run from oct 20 to oct 26 without any problem. So far seems like the recommendation is not enforced.He said this is not a law, just a trial, but may not be enforced at all.He said however we should be ready to answer further investigation from the immigration : sources of revenue, plans in Indonesia during our stay, relationship with the sponsor ...He is in touch with the immigration at Ngurah Rai Airport and I will stop by to get further update soon and see if anything has changed in the enforcement of this measures.Cheers
davita
Re: post 32Good post gago...please do update as rumors abound and you have it from the 'horses mouth'.I was hoping it would work like that...to limit entry due to amount and repitition of visas is overkill. There are many other ways to control those abusing the system.When we first started coming to Indonesia it was on many Sosbuds as my wife's mother, aged 96, was in critical health and my wife (her youngest child) needed to be beside her.Cheers to you
dinodino
Well, as I'm in California (working here, not in Indo!) and I'm flying back to Bali tonight, I'm quite curious to see what the situation will be upon arrival. My family and I have been simply doing visa runs for the past three months, and are going to do another on September 2. I don't work in Indonesia at all, and if the whole family flies to Singapore on the 2nd and can't return, it's going to cause major grief...This new visa policy seems ill-advised to me. I'll certainly post my experience once I return...Re: post 32Good post gago...please do update as rumors abound and you have it from the 'horses mouth'.[/QUOTE]
Markit
Well, as I'm in California (working here, not in Indo!) and I'm flying back to Bali tonight, I'm quite curious to see what the situation will be upon arrival. [COLOR=#ff0000]Visa On Arrival -why should that be an issue?[/COLOR] My family and I have been simply doing visa runs for the past three months, and are going to do another on September 2. [COLOR=#ff0000]What? Did you mean December?[/COLOR] I don't work in Indonesia at all, and if the whole family flies to Singapore on the 2nd and can't return, it's going to cause major grief... [COLOR=#ff0000]Don't worry this has been blown way, way out of proportion by the FarceBook horde of undead. There has been no change to the visa regs and if anything they will get easier as time goes on IMHO[/COLOR]This new visa policy seems ill-advised to me. I'll certainly post my experience once I return...[/QUOTE]Do your family visa runs with no worries. This is Indonesia "soup is cooked lots hotter than it is eaten" to quote a German saying.
davita
My wife went to our agent today (we have both applied for retirement Kitap). She knows the staff well and broached the subject of the new memo. They all said that new restrictions WERE in the process and they had a big job informing clients that may be affected.She wasn't interested in detail, as she was engrossed in getting as much discount as her smile/chat could achieve, but it appears things ARE about to change..... so I suggest 'be aware'!edit...I just talked to my wife again and she overheard that a Sosbud in future will only be for 4 months max and only 1 per year, as the memo said.I predict this edict will hurt many, many people.....:grumpy:
dinodino
Thanks, Markit. I meant, "November 2," not, "September 2." I hope you are correct about the soup!
dinodino
Well, I reentered Bali on a VOA without so much as a raised eyebrow from the immigration officer. Now, let's see how the visa run on Monday with the family goes...
meerkat
well when you consider the recent changes granting 45 more countries "free visa" on arrival,I guess it's safe to assume that income from VOA will drop,and so enforcing visa laws for visa's that generate income makes sense from a National point of view...[url]http://www.balistoreluggage.com/blog/indonesia-free-visa-for-5-countries-in-2015/[/url]
spicyayam
Apparently the rule has now been cancelled. [ATTACH]2560.vB[/ATTACH]
