Kevin

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Aug 21, 2017
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5
Hi,

I hope you can help me out here. I plan to marry my Indonesian girlfriend and arrange to live together either in Indonesia or London. However, I am under the impression aware that I will only be entitled to a spouse KITAS which seems to show that I will not be entitled to work in Indonesia for 2 years?

Thing for me is, I don't have the skills needed for a IMTA sponsorship, I work in IT as 2nd line support, not management position, and I can't find anything to help me get on a bandwagon with this skill. I am tearing myself up with this, as I know what I want, and so does she. UK visas are just as tricky and I don't want her to sacrifice what she has in Indonesia for me, she has a fairly well paid job considering the economy out there and her younger sister is dependant on her.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? I only see the options of either we both live in the UK together, in which she has to start from the ground up, or I save enough to support us as a married couple to live two years unemployed. I love her and I am scared to lose her all because of this situation.........
frown.png


Any advice from anyone who has been in a situation like this will be greatly appreciated!

I need to know what is true and what is false! I have seen some posts saying that you are allowed to work under this visa. I am terrified that this is all going to be for nothing with my girlfriend!
 
Welcome to the forum, Kevin.

You are allowed to work as part of your own business, but doesn't automatically give you a work permit to do any type of job in Indonesia. Others will have more details about this. I have a Kitap, but have a business in the US.

For a UK spouse visa, there are income requirements, and lots of hoops to jump through. I know it's not easy.
 
Under a spouse sponsored ITAS/ITAP you are allowed to work in order to provide for your spouse/family.

Generally working as a freelancer/consultant is fine or working for a spouse/family owned UD (sole proprietorship) or CV (partnership).

The exception is working for a local PT or PT PMA (limited liability company) which are formal structures and require an IMTA.

However in reality, many different scenarios occur. Have a look through the forum and you'll be able to get a better idea of other people's experiences.
 
Hi,

I hope you can help me out here. I plan to marry my Indonesian girlfriend and arrange to live together either in Indonesia or London. However, I am under the impression aware that I will only be entitled to a spouse KITAS which seems to show that I will not be entitled to work in Indonesia for 2 years?

Thing for me is, I don't have the skills needed for a IMTA sponsorship, I work in IT as 2nd line support, not management position, and I can't find anything to help me get on a bandwagon with this skill. I am tearing myself up with this, as I know what I want, and so does she. UK visas are just as tricky and I don't want her to sacrifice what she has in Indonesia for me, she has a fairly well paid job considering the economy out there and her younger sister is dependant on her.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? I only see the options of either we both live in the UK together, in which she has to start from the ground up, or I save enough to support us as a married couple to live two years unemployed. I love her and I am scared to lose her all because of this situation.........
frown.png


Any advice from anyone who has been in a situation like this will be greatly appreciated!

I need to know what is true and what is false! I have seen some posts saying that you are allowed to work under this visa. I am terrified that this is all going to be for nothing with my girlfriend!

If you decide to come to Indonesia my advice would be secure your job in Indonesia before you come here. As you may find yourself stuck sitting at home jobless on wife's support. If that doesn't bother you and you will find something to occupy your time with then go ahed and come here.

As for finding a job 2nd line IT support which is paid somewhere 3-6 jt/month and it is reserved mainly for local people that could be hard. I have never seen or heard of an expat having such a job. Have you consider self-employment, business in Indonesia?

My advice (from my experience) would be you both stay in UK, she has to start from the bottom and go up slowly in carrier it will be hard for her but well worth IMO. The other thing is can you support her in UK, pay bills, rent, visa cost? Can she work in UK now or you have to wait until you both get married so she can start to work?

Have you tried to live in Indonesia, ever visited this country? Maybe you will not like it as much and therefore your decision would be much easier and straight forward.
 
If you decide to come to Indonesia my advice would be secure your job in Indonesia before you come here. As you may find yourself stuck sitting at home jobless on wife's support. If that doesn't bother you and you will find something to occupy your time with then go ahed and come here.

As for finding a job 2nd line IT support which is paid somewhere 3-6 jt/month and it is reserved mainly for local people that could be hard. I have never seen or heard of an expat having such a job. Have you consider self-employment, business in Indonesia?

My advice (from my experience) would be you both stay in UK, she has to start from the bottom and go up slowly in carrier it will be hard for her but well worth IMO. The other thing is can you support her in UK, pay bills, rent, visa cost? Can she work in UK now or you have to wait until you both get married so she can start to work?

Have you tried to live in Indonesia, ever visited this country? Maybe you will not like it as much and therefore your decision would be much easier and straight forward.

I can afford to support her in the UK, the thing is, she has her younger sister in Indonesia who is dependant on her right now as she is not working, so I can't expect her to uproot and leave her sister in a situation, I have asked the option to her but no definitive answer, as I would expect really...

I have visited Indonesia twice and I love the country and people, this is how I met her. As I mentioned though, in the OP, I don't have 5 years experience in a field that is accepted Indonesia for sponsorship to secure a job before (if) I move out there.
 
Under a spouse sponsored ITAS/ITAP you are allowed to work in order to provide for your spouse/family.

Generally working as a freelancer/consultant is fine or working for a spouse/family owned UD (sole proprietorship) or CV (partnership).

The exception is working for a local PT or PT PMA (limited liability company) which are formal structures and require an IMTA.

However in reality, many different scenarios occur. Have a look through the forum and you'll be able to get a better idea of other people's experiences.

So when you say UD or CV do you mean I have to either own a business or work for her family? I am not allowed to work for hotels/restaurants/chemists/shops or any other kinds of businesses legally?
 
I would go slow and steady, whatever path you decide to take. Save up money, and build your relationship.

It's not an easy path.
 
A foreigner cannot own a UD, CV or a local PT company. The only business structure a foreigner can legally own is a PT PMA (foreign investment limited liability company). However those have high barriers to entry capital wise.

If you're future wife started a UD or CV, you could work for that structure with no issues.

You can legally be employed in a local PT company but you will need the relevant educational background (degree wise) and generally 5 years of relevant work experience to get an IMTA.

A few people have registered a local PT company owned by their Indonesian spouse and acted as the director and not bothered with the IMTA.

I've not been here as long as the others but I can point out finding employment in Indonesia is not easy. Unless you have a skillset that is not available locally or have entrepreneurial ambitions, it will be a challenge.

So when you say UD or CV do you mean I have to either own a business or work for her family? I am not allowed to work for hotels/restaurants/chemists/shops or any other kinds of businesses legally?
 
More or less correct.

Why is her sister not able to work? No other family? Incapacitated?

No she is not, I just think she hasn't had the luck of getting a job yet, she is 18 years old, not sure what age you can start working in Indonesia, plus they moved from Java away from the family home only a year ago....
 
I would go slow and steady, whatever path you decide to take. Save up money, and build your relationship.

It's not an easy path.
Slow and steady would be ok, if we wasn't 18 hours flight away from eachother, I'm from London....so the idea of a long distance relationship for too long is crippling and expensive to see her, so the money saving is hit hard....politics and bullshit, why couldn't I fall for someone closer to home....
 
I can afford to support her in the UK, the thing is, she has her younger sister in Indonesia who is dependant on her right now as she is not working, so I can't expect her to uproot and leave her sister in a situation, I have asked the option to her but no definitive answer, as I would expect really...

I have visited Indonesia twice and I love the country and people, this is how I met her. As I mentioned though, in the OP, I don't have 5 years experience in a field that is accepted Indonesia for sponsorship to secure a job before (if) I move out there.

I am sorry but I don't quite understand why she cannot leave her younger sister. She could come to UK and work there and financially support her sister in Indonesia. From what you said her sister is unemployed only and not studying so she doesn't need that much support. Besides there is also a family who will help, right?
 
Its a tough situation , I think your working possibilities here are next to impossible , as long as you meet the new financial requirements for a spouse visa in uk , thats your best solution , in my veiw.
 
I met my wife 14 years ago and we are married nearly 12 years. She is Indonesian and I am Irish. We live here in Indonesia...it was very difficult to be together at the start but worth the effort. Tread carefully here with the sister issue...family is very important in Indonesia.

Check out Singapore for work - at least its closer than the UK
https://sg.jobsdb.com/sg is somewhere to start.
 
It's also difficult for many Indonesians to leave the country. Getting used to a totally different culture, foods and country can put immense strain on a new marriage.

If you could keep your UK job and work remotely in Indonesia, that'd be ideal. I get the feeling that you're young, and it's quite easy to get caught up in love without thinking everything through.

You also have to consider the ramifications if you have a mixed marriage (different religions) on everything. If she is Muslim, and you're not, someone is converting, usually the guy, unless you go outside the country to marry.

18 hours isn't that bad for flights. From the US, I usually spend 24-34 hours depending on route and stopovers.
 
As per the law , if you are on a spouse sponsored ITAS/ ITAP then you have a right to work to support yourself or your family.
This right to work does not mean you can set up & become a doctor or a lawyer or such regulated work- but a freelancer as an IT consultant or such should not be seen as a problem. You couyld probably trade in selling crypto currencies or some such thing - lots of opportunities to earn cash if you know where to look.

I unlike some of the others who have responded, I am on a spouse sponsored visa working here without an IMTA (work permit) & see nothing illegal about what I am doing.
 
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I am worried that you use the words :scared & terrified. If you have a good relationship that is equal & loving these words should not enter into it.

As for supporting the younger sister- yeah, I can totally understand that & I am sure she would not wish to travel to the UK & leave her li'l sis behind.
Supporting financially will get old quickly IF the younger sister doesn't make any effort to empower herself and gain some independence though- so discuss these matters before you get married- think about the cut off points you want in place as parameters.
Discuss kids, discuss how you wish them to be raised, discuss religion and how you want it to impact on your relationship- all these things are vital to sort out so that you get the best from your relationship without having massive conflicts over important matters.
Example - if you are not Muslim & she is & she wants your boy (if you end up having one ) to be circumcised- how will that sit with you?? A shrug of the shoulders won't be a good enough response when you potentially have to stand by and watch/take part in the proceedings :D
Other than that, & I didn't mean to sound like a harbinger of doom, I wish you the best of luck and a long and happy marriage.
 
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So when you say UD or CV do you mean I have to either own a business or work for her family? I am not allowed to work for hotels/restaurants/chemists/shops or any other kinds of businesses legally?
It would be frowned on if you were to take work that could be done by an Indonesian citizen, so going & working at the local hotel wouldn't be the way to go.
Also remember - once you have been here for (I think ) 90 days , you have to register for an NPWP number- tax number. I do believe that you (potential) wife could register you on hers & declare taxes as a spousal thing rather than individual- however you are not at that point yet.
 
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Firstly the thing I am noticing is that she is your girlfriend - you are not married.

You need to be married for living in Indonesia on a spouse sponsored KITAS/KITAP which would give you the right to work to support your family. And even if you did get married and get the KITAS then it is not that easy to find work.

You also need to be married to be able to get the spouse visa for the UK, unless you have been living together for 2 years.

How long have you been with your girlfriend?

What I suggest is you carry on working in the UK, you communicate via Skype and you visit Indonesia as often as you can, building up the relationship until you are both ready to get married -don't rush it. It will be very hard but if your love is strong enough you will get through it. Then get married, and start planning on getting your wife to live in the UK with you - it will be better and easier in the long run.

I am speaking from experience as I met my wife 6 years ago when I visited Indonesia - I am from the UK too. We fell in love straight away and found the distance very difficult. We spoke on the phone several times a day and skyped daily, and I managed to find a job that would allow me to visit Indonesia for 2 weeks every 3 months. I saved as much money as I could, we got married 2 years later and a year after that I moved to I Indonesia and built a house to live, and also we had our first child.

However we got ripped off on the house and ended up spending over 3 times as much as we thought we would, and I struggled to find employment - we had also lost the money we had planned to use to set up a business. I had no choice but to return to UK, and find a job.

It has taken me nearly 2 years since then to find a good job that paid above the minimum threshold to get my wife the visa. Now early next year we will be getting her visa and she will be coming to stay in the UK and we will live together as a family.

Sorry for the long story, but I hope it will help you understand that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's going to be very tough but if you both are strong and your feelings for eachother are real you can get through anything.
 

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