kiteman

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Sep 13, 2013
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I guess this may be common knowledge...... but it wasn't to me. Last year I had Oz friends with the 2 month Tourist Visa who had no problem extending for a 3rd month. I was at that time on a SosBud visa and met another Aussie at my hotel who was about to live permanently in Bali who also recommended using the 2 month Tourist Visa like he did and then extending monthly up to 4 times (like SosBud).

WRONG!!!!!!!!!

The rules (in Oz) have changed (if the above was all true).

The 2 month Tourist Visa is NOT extendable. (according to a phone call to me from the Embassy)

If you want to stay between 2 and 6 months you will need the Social Budaya Visa (same price A$60)

YOU NOW NEED TO SEND A COPY OF YOUR BANK STATEMENT (make sure your name appears somewhere on it or it will be knocked back) PLUS A COPY OF YOUR FLIGHT DETAILS!

I can only assume that these extra inconveniences are due to the Oz government's attitude to Jakarta or in response to the absurd difficulty in Indonesians getting a tourist visa to Australia.

I decided to allow 2 months to apply for my visa in case anything went wrong. It did! I was hanging out to the last minute to get my passport back so I could travel....... anywhere!!!

If you include absolutely everything required...... you will probably get your passport back in 7 days. If not...... allow about 4 weeks or more...

You need to include:
a return Stamped Addressed Postpak Registered (safer) don't lose the numbered receipt
a Postal Order for $60 ( you CAN'T pay by Visa or EFT, ONLY with a Postal Order!!!!)
all the other requested documents....

The Indonesian Embassy in Canberra is VERY difficult to contact by phone. The only way you will get through is to sit and hit redial every time the phone doesn't answer.

Good luck to all......... it's worth the effort........ :)
 

Normy

Member
Jul 22, 2012
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Perth, Sanur
Did the bank statement requirement occur with your initial application in Oz (Canberra) or for your extension(s) in Bali. The tourist 211 visa are not legally extendable. In the past have had them extended by someone with contact. Now using sosbud, and shortly will do 2nd extension. So when did you apply for the visa requiring bank statements?
 

DenpasarHouse

Active Member
Aug 13, 2013
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The 2 month Tourist Visa is NOT extendable.
The 2 month tourist visa has NEVER been extendible. What your talking about was the exploitation of a loophole, which still exists, as far as I know.

. . . recommended using the 2 month Tourist Visa like he did and then extending monthly up to 4 times (like SosBud).
It's not LIKE the Sosial Budaya visa IT IS the Sosial Budaya visa.

The visa number for the 2 month Tourist Visa and the Sosial Budaya Visa just so happen to be the same (211). So when you go to an agent, or go to the immigration office yourself, all your doing is pretending that you already have the Sosial Budaya visa. From the immigration office's point of view, they can't tell the difference.

It's a pretty handy loophole, I've used it a few times in the past. When you go to the immigration office, you just say "I'd like to extend this visa, please". They'll look at your passport and give you the forms for extending a Sosial Budaya visa. You DON'T say "I'd like to extend this 2 month Tourist visa". Because then the jig is up.
 
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kiteman

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Sep 13, 2013
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The requirement is on the Social Budaya Visa Application form. I applied by mail from Perth to Canberra about the end of February, 2015. Go to:

kbri-canberra.org.au

Visas-Social Budaya Visa

Click on "The Appropriate Forms" in the first paragraph and you will see "Evidence of Sufficient Funds" on the second page. I did include my recent bank statement on intitial application. My friend in Queensland also currently applying for a SosBud was phoned by the Embassy as his name did not appear on the statement. I was also contacted by the Embassy and told to change the address on the top of my sponsor application letter from "Indonesian Embassy Perth" to "Indonesian Embassy Canberra". This is quite odd considering all applications by hand at Perth Consulate are sent to Canberra!!!

I can only assume that my friends last year extended their 211 Visa by a month the same way I extended my VOA twice in the previous year. It all seems to be unnecessarily complicated but it's nothing compared to an Indonesian trying to visit Australia. Have a look at:
http://www.immi.gov.au/forms/Documents/1419.pdf
If they have to answer 49 questions for a Tourist Visa imagine how hard it must be to get Permanent Residence!! No wonder there are "boat people".
 
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kiteman

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Sep 13, 2013
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When you go to the immigration office, you just say "I like to extend this visa, please". They'll look at your passport and give you the forms for extending a Sosial Budaya visa. You DON'T say "I like to extend this 2 month Tourist visa". Because then the jig is up.

Is there not a box asking for the sponsor details on the SB renewal form?
 

DenpasarHouse

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Aug 13, 2013
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Is there not a box asking for the sponsor details on the SB renewal form?

Not really. From memory, while technically you're renewing, every time you do so the forms are similar, if not the same, as if you were applying for the first time. There's no tick box, or system, where they just use the sponsor details of your previous application/renewal.

So, to be clear:
- You start by getting your 2 month Tourist Visa in Australia from the Indonesian embassy (or consulate, I can't remember).
- You enter Indonesian on the 2 month Tourist Visa.
- 2 weeks before that expires, you go to the immigration office and ask for the forms to renew your Sosial Budaya visa, using the loophole discussed above.
- Get your newly acquired sponsor to fill out the relevant forms (if you use an agent, they'll become your sponsor).
- Submit your forms and get the extension.

I hope that helps.
 

kiteman

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Sep 13, 2013
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The Embassy will NOT give you a 2 month visa if your Flight Itinerary (which you NOW have to provide) shows you are away for 5 or 6 months. So, presumably you would have to book a flight within 2 months and then change it. Given that you need a sponsor to extend the Tourist Visa you may as well just get a sponsor and a SosBud visa in the first place as the visas are the same price.
To be honest, I can live with $60 for an agent supplied sponsor (done by email), $60 for a 2 month SosBud plus $70 for each of 4 (agent) extensions. At under $3 a day it is much cheaper than my beer bill!!!
 
G

Gurkha

Guest
The reason the Ozzies make it difficult for Indonesians to get a visa is that the biggest national group in Oz that break the visa rules is Indonesians
 

davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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If a sponsor is available for extensions, or use an agent as a sponsor, why not apply for a Sosbud in the first place. Why apply for a 60 day Tourist visa then go around the back door and apply for extensions, and hope they will comply. Also, why the need to apply in Canberra if one lives in Perth.... Tourist Visa

The Tangerang and Jakarta Immigration Dept. know the difference between a 211 issued as a tourist visa and a 211 issued as a Sosbud...it seems only in Bali where they either ignore the difference, or the computer doesn't show the difference, when extended.

I have had many Sosbuds issued from the RI Embassy in KL and they annotated my sponsor's name on the visa. It may be that other Embassies/Consuls do the same. This is not the case with a 60 day Tourist visa as a sponsor is not required.

It should be remembered that a Sosbud renewal can only be done in the Immigration Dept. associated with the KTP address of the sponsor i.e. Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya etc. I had to have extensions done in Tangerang, when I lived in Jakarta, as my sponsor lived in BSD (Tangerang).
So...if anyone contemplates using an agent make sure they have an office in the area where the extensions are applied.
 

kiteman

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The reason the Ozzies make it difficult for Indonesians to get a visa is that the biggest national group in Oz that break the visa rules is Indonesians

This is a commonly quoted piece of absolute cobblers! Indonesians are FAR from serious offenders at overstaying visas in Oz. Last year, the Oz Embassy had a link to data showing numbers of nationals from all countries and their rates of offending on a "per capita" basis. Indonesia was about 117th on a list of 210 countries. I may still have the list on my pc somewhere.

The same complex application form 1419 is demanded for most "developing" countries including all the SE Asian countries except Singapore. However, if you are from an accepted "western" country like France or Germany I believe you can get your visa organised online. This may explain why there are so many Korean hookers in Australia! (according to a friend of mine!)

I can't help feeling that the Indons make it complex for us because we make it complex for them. Not to mention the Oz government trying to tell the Indon government how to run their drug enforcement policy etc.

Davita: The Perth office is a Consulate rather than an Embassy and all visa applications are sent by them to Canberra. It is easier to post the application yourself to Canberra........but make sure you have the correct documents in the first place which I didn't!!
 

DenpasarHouse

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Aug 13, 2013
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The Embassy will NOT give you a 2 month visa if your Flight Itinerary (which you NOW have to provide) shows you are away for 5 or 6 months. So, presumably you would have to book a flight within 2 months and then change it.

Ah yeah, I forgot about this. I would never do this, but you could Photoshop your exit itinerary, that's pretty dodgy though. Also, a flight isn't the only way out of Indonesia. I used to provide a self-written itinerary that got around the need to buy a plane ticket out of Indonesia. Here's an old example:

1. Depart Melbourne, Australia on Pacific Blue Flight DJ4153 on 26th April 2010. Arrive Denpasar, Bali on 26th April 2010.
2. Depart Medan, Sumatra by bus and ferry on 23th June 2010. Arrive Penang, Malaysia on 23th June 2010.

If you just so happen to change your travel plans, well, there's no law against that.

If a sponsor is available for extensions, or use an agent as a sponsor, why not apply for a Sosbud in the first place. Why apply for a 60 day Tourist visa then go around the back door and apply for extensions, and hope they will comply.

I feel like this should be self evident to any expat in Indonesia. If you're reading this and thinking, "What's the big deal, what could wrong?", you probably haven't lived here long enough. The reason you would go for the 2 month Tourist Visa is that you can control the process yourself, and you're not dependent on anyone else whose reliability in getting thing done is suspect. Also, you simply might not know anyone who can be your sponsor.

kiteman said:
I can't help feeling that the Indons make it complex for us because we make it complex for them. Not to mention the Oz government trying to tell the Indon government how to run their drug enforcement policy etc.

Really? The process for the Sosial Budaya visa is the same for all nationalities, isn't it? Just recently they've let a number of countries get a 30 day Tourist visa for free, but that doesn't really help you if you want to stay for a few months more.
 

davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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Davita: The Perth office is a Consulate rather than an Embassy and all visa applications are sent by them to Canberra. It is easier to post the application yourself to Canberra........but make sure you have the correct documents in the first place which I didn't!!

Well that must be an odd Australian policy because my understanding is that RI Consuls are authorised to issue Tourist and Sosbud visas. As I'm writing I'm looking at an old passport with one Tourist Visa and numerous Sosbuds signed by either the RI Vancouver Consul or Vice-Consul and they were done in a couple of days. My passport never left the Vancouver Consulate.

It is true that Embassies and Consuls are not permitted to issue visas of a higher order than a visitor visa without an authorising telex from Jakarta....as was the case for my Retirement Itas issued at the Singapore Embassy. Also, for a couple of years I had a B212 visa (Multiple-entry Sosbud) and it had to have a telex authority to be issued by the KL Embassy.

I really don't see that the Indonesians make it any more difficult for Australians than other foreigners...I'm Canadian and it seems the same for me. My friend is British and his application issues are identical to mine. I'm sure it could be made easier but Indonesia is not well known for efficiency in anything but graft.
 
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kiteman

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Fair comments.......of course the SosBud application is the same for all nationalities.
 

davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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I feel like this should be self evident to any expat in Indonesia. If you're reading this and thinking, "What's the big deal, what could wrong?", you probably haven't lived here long enough. The reason you would go for the 2 month Tourist Visa is that you can control the process yourself, and you're not dependent on anyone else whose reliability in getting thing done is suspect. Also, you simply might not know anyone who can be your sponsor.

I don't understand...the 60 Tourist Visa application and Sosbud application are the same identical form, and are submitted by the applicant. The only difference is that a sponsor letter has to be included for a Sosbud. If a sponsor is not readily available an agent can issue a proper sponsor letter, it justs costs more as they don't do anything free, whereas an Indonesian friend or relative may.
The sponsor letter can be emailed to the applicant and printed for inclusion or (I heard) sent directly to the RI Embassy/Consul of applicant's choice.

That's the logic of why the Tourist Visa is not 'legally' extendable.....there is no-one that Immigration can go after if the visa holder is nefarious.:icon_e_biggrin:
 

DenpasarHouse

Active Member
Aug 13, 2013
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If a sponsor is not readily available an agent can issue a proper sponsor letter, it justs costs more as they don't do anything free, whereas an Indonesian friend or relative may.
The sponsor letter can be emailed to the applicant and printed for inclusion or (I heard) sent directly to the RI Embassy/Consul of applicant's choice.

I know this sounds pessimistic, and of course this depends on the individual, but whenever I've relied on Indonesians to do anything like this for me, most of the time it descends into farce. Here's a few things I can think of that might go wrong:

-"Sorry Boss, I went to the Immigration office but they close at 3:30pm. I'll go again on Friday." Friday comes. "Whoops, sorry again Boss, I didn't know that they close at 1:30pm on a Friday." Monday arrives. "No, sorry Boss, I can't pick up the forms today as I've got to go to my cousin's (in reality, not a blood relative) tooth filing ceremony." 3 days later. "Aduh! Sorry Boss! The immigration office is closed all week because of Ramadan and Galungan". 1 week later. "Hi Boss, I went to the immigration office today but a calo (middle man) stopped me at the door and told me that you have to use an agent for the Sosial Budaya visa. Is this true? Can you send me the 5 juta fee? I also bought some magic beans from him."

-"Sayang! I promise that I've already sent that email!" 2 Days later. "Sayang, I'm sorry I haven't sent it, but I was too ashamed to admit that I don't know how to email."

-"Hello Mister Bule, thank you for emailing us. As a Visa agent, I'd be happy to help you with acquiring your Sosial Budaya Visa." This one is 100% fictional, because I've never known an Indonesian business to reply to their emails.

You've probably noticed that I'm venting a little bit.
 

kiteman

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Sep 13, 2013
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Much truth in your comments DH!!! My visa agent took a whole week to email my sponsor's details to me and included a sponsor letter which showed that I lived in Denmark! It took 2 days to correct this error and re-email the letter which then had an extra number "1" added to my Passport number! How the... ???????!!!! I simply Photoshopped it and removed the 1 and re-emailed it to the Embassy.
 

davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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hahaha......cannot argue with DPH and kiteman as similar has happened to me....I just put my hands together as if in prayer and recall 'Namaste'....:cupcake:

My posts only reflect on how it should work....but I wrote our own sponsor letters and my brother-in-law simply signed a bunch....I dated later. The applications were downloaded and always presented at the Embassies/Consuls by myself...excluding the agent in Singapore, who cando in one day, whereas I couldn't.
 

Normy

Member
Jul 22, 2012
234
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Perth, Sanur
#4. You say Perth. If you are in metro area why not lodge application in person at Indonesian Consul in Adelaide Terrace? I always lodge Monday pickup passport on Friday of same week. If they send to Canberra that is a very quick turnaround.
 

Normy

Member
Jul 22, 2012
234
2
18
Perth, Sanur
#7. Sorry but this is not true for Perth. In mid January 2015 I applied as usual and supplied my itinerary which clearly shows return 30 June 2015 (i.e 5 months, actually 147 days). Last year 2 trips 3 and 4 months.
In the past 2 years I have never been asked 1 question. Never had any info on my applications queried. Just take a ticket, wait turn, hand everything over, pay with visa credit card. $120 for 2 people. As said before return in 4 days pick up our passports.
It is so easy!