Sosbud to Kitas

[harryopal1]

This is a bit like " follow the yellow brick road".

No matter how many times I read all the references to the Indonesian visa system I still end up a bit muddled. That said, the advice obtained from Expat Indo has been extremely helpful. Following advice from this site we successfully obtained a Sosbud visa by mail from the Indonesian Consul in Sydney. (We were then living up the road a bit.... as in 2,069.1 km ..in Townsville.) I should add that the processing by the consul was efficient and without problems.

Today we went to the Jimbaran Immigration offices armed with all the documents recommended by Expat Indo and after a few minutes were able to establish that all the documents are in order and we are to return on Monday and then a few days later for a photograph. (Notwithstanding that we had photographs with us.) We are then to leave our passport to be picked up later. The advice given my wife is that after one month we apply again for a Kitas we do this four times and then must leave the country for Malaysia and apply for another visa although some confusion about what kind of visa we return with.

I seem to recall from advice here that we can apply for a Kitap immediately we have a Kitas. Or have I got this wrong? Or do we just keep following the yellow brick road and hope that eventually we find the Wizard of Oz?

 

[harryopal1]

Oops. And I forgot to mention that we must also go to Jakarta to finalize Kitas.

 

[harryopal1]

Just checked and found that earlier this month Davita recommended that we should apply for a Kitap immediately we get a Kitas. But from the advice given today my wife has the impression that we just get a visa extension and Kitas does not become available until we go to Jakarta?

 

[dafluff]

The advice given my wife is that after one month we apply again for a Kitas we do this four times and then must leave the country for Malaysia and apply for another visa although some confusion about what kind of visa we return with. ?

This is not a KITAS. What they are recommending is a SosBud extension.

Instead when you get your passport back, ask them for a SosBud to KITAS Conversion. No need to travel anywhere else in the country or abroad. Ask for the forms and requirements for a "Konversi Ijin Kunjungan ke KITAS Ikut Istri".


You can follow the instructions here: https://www.expatindo.org/how-to-apply-for-a-spouse-sponsored-kitas/

Starting from Step 2: Collect the necessary forms at your local Indonesian Immigration Office (Kantor Imigrasi or KanIm) to start the conversion process.

 

[El_Goretto]

The advice given my wife is that after one month we apply again for a Kitas we do this four times and then must leave the country for Malaysia and apply for another visa although some confusion about what kind of visa we return with.

This is confusing. You went to Jimbaran for a KITAS, right? Then it should be valid for 1 year.

Usually, the process is: Sosbud > (K)ITAS (valid for 1 year) > (K)ITAP (valid for 5 years)

You can extend your KITAS several times before you get a KITAP but each KITAS is valid for a year, not a month.

You can apply for a KITAP immediately after your get your KITAS only if you have been married for at least 2 years with your Indonesian spouse.

But from the advice given today my wife has the impression that we just get a visa extension and Kitas does not become available until we go to Jakarta?

Where do you intend to live and where is your wife's KTP registered in?

 

[harryopal1]

El Goretto, thanks for the response.

My wife's KTP is for west Java however, yesterday she received a new KIPAM for Kuta. My wife is keen to live in Bali. She likes the Balinese culture and generally feels safer here. We have had our fourth wedding anniversary.

We will try and get a clearer picture on Monday.

 

[harryopal1]

And could you refer us to a post that sets out the steps for converting to Kitap once we do get a Kitas? Thanks.

 

[Daniel50]

And could you refer us to a post that sets out the steps for converting to Kitap once we do get a Kitas? Thanks.

Harry at the bottom of the very first pg., in the visa section, dafluff did a great job writing about the process. He also did it in Bali.

 

[El_Goretto]

This is what Daniel is talking about: https://forum.expatindo.org/showthr...(also-applicable-for-Spousal-SosBud-to-KITAS)

I fail to see how being in Jakarta is a condition for you to be eligible for a kitap. Just get your kitas and convert to a kitap at your own convenience as long as it is 2 or 3 month before the end of your first kitas. I believe all the information you need is here on this forum. Do not hesitate to ask.

 

[jstar]

His wife's KTP still in JKT?

 

[harryopal1]

Dafluff,
Thank you so much for your information and it clears up a lot of the uncertainties we were left with after the visit to the Immigration office. I have copied off the step by step process from the link you provided. Still quite a bit of paperwork to do before our next visit.

 

[harryopal1]

On Friday we will extend the Sosbud to ensure that our visa does not expire while seeking the Kitas.

 

[harryopal1]

Oops. Friday is a holiday. I mean on Monday we will....

 

[harryopal1]

We went to the Jimbaran Immigration early this morning to extend the Sosbud visa and are to return in 3 days for a photograph. And then another three days later to get the visa extension.
One officer told my wife that we will need to go to Jakarta.
Another suggested that after our Sosbud extension is completed we should then immediately apply for a further extension if we are intending to apply immediately for a Kitas so that our Sosbud does not expire before the Kitas processing is completed.
He also suggested we could apply for Kitas on line. Scanning all the necessary documents and having them ready for on line processing leaves me somewhat apprehensive given the vagaries of computers. What happens if we start the process and things shut down before completed? Has anyone recently used the on line application process for Kitas and found it reliable?
My own inclination is that it might be better to do this through the Jimbaran Immigration office where we have been going. But then what if we finish up with the same immigration officer who is insisting we would need to go to Jakarta. My wife's new KIPAM does now have her registered as living in Bali.

 

[dafluff]

We went to the Jimbaran Immigration early this morning to extend the Sosbud visa and are to return in 3 days for a photograph. And then another three days later to get the visa extension.
One officer told my wife that we will need to go to Jakarta.
Another suggested that after our Sosbud extension is completed we should then immediately apply for a further extension if we are intending to apply immediately for a Kitas so that our Sosbud does not expire before the Kitas processing is completed.
He also suggested we could apply for Kitas on line. Scanning all the necessary documents and having them ready for on line processing leaves me somewhat apprehensive given the vagaries of computers. What happens if we start the process and things shut down before completed? Has anyone recently used the on line application process for Kitas and found it reliable?
My own inclination is that it might be better to do this through the Jimbaran Immigration office where we have been going. But then what if we finish up with the same immigration officer who is insisting we would need to go to Jakarta. My wife's new KIPAM does now have her registered as living in Bali.

Online step-by-step: https://www.expatindo.org/online-kitas-application-procedure/

The latest news is that there is no need for anyone to go to Jakarta for the online process.

For the offline process, there was never a need to go to Jakarta. I don't know what those guys are on about.

If the Jimbaran office is being ridiculous, go try the Renon office. They are more competent there.

 

[jstar]

.
Many people with a spouse on KIPEM/KIPS (and the KTP obviously somewhere else) have encountered issues on Bali, with both SosBud extensions and KITAS applications.

There have been succesful cases which have been procssed after escalation to (and intervention from) a higher level person in KanIm, but also the "Jakarta will not approve this" remark and refusal have popped up regularly.

As far as I know, also on Bali you can not just 'shop' between Immigration Offices; it depends where you reside.

 

[harryopal1]

Thanks for the responses. We will copy all the necessary documents onto a USB and once the Sosbuds are completed we will try the online approach for Kitas.

 

[Ali khan]

This is not a KITAS. What they are recommending is a SosBud extension.

Instead when you get your passport back, ask them for a SosBud to KITAS Conversion. No need to travel anywhere else in the country or abroad. Ask for the forms and requirements for a "Konversi Ijin Kunjungan ke KITAS Ikut Istri".


You can follow the instructions here: https://www.expatindo.org/how-to-apply-for-a-spouse-sponsored-kitas/

Starting from Step 2: Collect the necessary forms at your local Indonesian Immigration Office (Kantor Imigrasi or KanIm) to start the conversion process.

Hello , I'm new to the forum , I need some advice on conversion from sosbud to kitas, I have already married to an Indonesia legally in indoesia with all the documents ready and have the buku nikah and everything and I have my sosbud visa sponsered by my wife , I want to know is it possible to enter Indonesia on a sosbud visa and covert from sosbud to Kites within 30 days , let's say I enter Indonesia on 30 June so is it possible to get my vitas and kitas ready by July 30th ? I need to go back for an important meeting that's why ,,,,, thanks

 

[dafluff]

Hello , I'm new to the forum , I need some advice on conversion from sosbud to kitas, I have already married to an Indonesia legally in indoesia with all the documents ready and have the buku nikah and everything and I have my sosbud visa sponsered by my wife , I want to know is it possible to enter Indonesia on a sosbud visa and covert from sosbud to Kites within 30 days , let's say I enter Indonesia on 30 June so is it possible to get my vitas and kitas ready by July 30th ? I need to go back for an important meeting that's why ,,,,, thanks

From experience, 1 month is very close to impossible. Especially for first time KITAS. Remember, there is possibly an interview process, this alone usually is 2 weeks.

Of course some people have done this in that amount of time, but I wouldn't plan important events around it.

 

[Ali khan]

Thanks ,