ITK to Spouse Kitas Conversion

[AhhSamboi]

First off, I'm happy I finally found a forum for this.

I wanted to see if anyone else was having the same problem or has had the same problem as me.

Originally I had come to Indonesia on a 211b as that was the only visa available at the time so I could be with my wife. After that we collected all of the documents needed to apply for Kitas.

Everything has been submitted and paid since the beginning of April and I did my biometrics back in April as well.

The status has been Pemeriksaan Kasubdit Izin Tinggal since then with no updates. I check back with the ditjen number twice per week each time I'm told to contact again in 3 days, each time I'm told

"we apologize for the delay, but our system is in trouble for a while. we will do our best to process your application sir. thanks"

Its now June, they have had my passport over 2 months now. Is this normal? Just about everyone I spoke to recently got their passport back within a week.

I don't want to lose my business/income because of this. Especially since having an income from outside of Indonesia is required for the KITAS if you're the husband.

 

[centurion]

It is usual that this procedure lasts a couple of months, especially if there are no supporting documents, if you know what I mean.

Your application goes from the Immigration office, Regional Immigration Office, and Directorate General of Immigration. A physical check is usually involved.

Be more persistent and boring and call the PIC more often, it will speed up the process.

 

[AhhSamboi]

It is usual that this procedure lasts a couple of months, especially if there are no supporting documents, if you know what I mean.

Your application goes from the Immigration office, Regional Immigration Office, and Directorate General of Immigration. A physical check is usually involved.

Be more persistent and boring and call the PIC more often, it will speed up the process.

The home visit and everything happened at the beginning of April as well. Since then it's just been waiting on the Director General's office. The Bandung office told me to keep harassing the Jakarta office as after the biometrics the rest is up to them.

When I asked if the Bandung office could help at all they told me it was out of their power/control to do anything and they just gave me the instagram page and the whatsapp number that I'd already be trying to contact.

Its a big difference compared to my Malaysian visa which was approved and given within the same week with an exact date and time to come collect and pay. I'm still a bit in shock at the price of the long term visa here as well.

My yearly visa fee in Malaysia was roughly $20 per year and here it's roughly $170 because you need the MERP and Kitas.

I just hope the processing is finished soon as I need to get to Malaysia before July or redo the whole visa process there as well.

 

[Hawk256]

My first two KITAS applications were done pre-covid and completed in less than a week. My KITAP application took over 2 months during covid. I don't know how much longer everyone will be using the covid excuse. It's time to get back to work. Best of luck to you. BTW My NIK number has been messed up for 2 years and it's always a system problem. Don't know what the final solution will be but I assume it will be fixed eventually.

 

[AhhSamboi]

My first two KITAS applications were done pre-covid and completed in less than a week. My KITAP application took over 2 months during covid. I don't know how much longer everyone will be using the covid excuse. It's time to get back to work. Best of luck to you. BTW My NIK number has been messed up for 2 years and it's always a system problem. Don't know what the final solution will be but I assume it will be fixed eventually.

I know that there was some new rules as of March/April that made me get extra forms filled out for Bandung prior to being able to submit. Ended up costing an extra 2 million rupiah to the travel agency who arranged my original visa

Sometimes it feels so ridiculous the stuff that needs to be paid for. Like why did a letter relinquishing responsibility cost money? Makes no sense. Like even though my wife was my sponsor after the initial visa they required a letter from the previous sponsor saying that they were no longer the sponsor even though she was already listed as the new sponsor. Such a headache.

 

[AhhSamboi]

Does anyone know if I can send someone to ditjen or go there in person to check on it? I'm getting nowhere with their whatsapp, email, livechat or IG.

I hate to say I'm getting impatient but them working this slowly to sign the approval is crazy.

 

[AhhSamboi]

So I found downloaded my application from the Izintinggal-online.imigrasi.go.id website when I checked the progress. The immigration office here didn't submit it until 25th of April even though everything had been submitted paid and completed earlier in the month.

Anyway Ditjen has had their phone off for since Friday. Well that or they blocked my number. The person that was supposed to help me check never went even though he lives next to the office. And apparently the only friend of a friend in that office is the guy who makes the passports.

I know I should be more patient but it's hard. This whole visa process has been ongoing since February where they told me I needed to renew my ITK twice first before applying for Kitas where as most married couples were just allowed to apply and a week later have kitas.

 

[Jaime C]

When my wife did my KITAS/KITAP paperwork in Bandung, she went to check at Immigrassi headquarters in Jakarta more than once. I know she’d often take the papers herself from Bandung to Jakarta to speed things up.

I got my Lifetime Kitap in late 2020.

 

[AhhSamboi]

When my wife did my KITAS/KITAP paperwork in Bandung, she went to check at Immigrassi headquarters in Jakarta more than once. I know she’d often take the papers herself from Bandung to Jakarta to speed things up.

I got my Lifetime Kitap in late 2020.

I plan on going to Ditjen this week if I don't hear back by Wednesday.

I've checked with several different imigrasi officer(friend of friend) so far and they informed that ditjen is being more strict now due to too many abusing Kitas or something.

Still not sure what they meant.

All my paperwork has been finished and in Jakarta since April. It's just been waiting on Ditjen approval since then.

 

[SamR]

I plan on going to Ditjen this week if I don't hear back by Wednesday.

I've checked with several different imigrasi officer(friend of friend) so far and they informed that ditjen is being more strict now due to too many abusing Kitas or something.

Still not sure what they meant.

All my paperwork has been finished and in Jakarta since April. It's just been waiting on Ditjen approval since then.

I hope your visit will turn out well. @Jaime C is correct, a visit (or multiple visits if things aren't solved in one go) to the immigration is your best move now. In dealing with Indonesian bureaucracy, they (meaning bureaucrats in the agencies I've dealt with) somehow prefer it if the person they're dealing with comes in person. The Immigration Office I'm registered at is responsive when answering enquiries over the phone, WA, and social media but their response to any follow-up question is inevitably "Please come into our immigration office so you can chat in more detail with an immigration officer there".

I don't buy the whole "being more strict" as an explanation for your delay. All they have to do now is give back your passport and give you the E-Kitas. If they're being more strict, one would think the increased strictness would have been reflected earlier in the process when they're trying to verify things rather than now.

 

[Jaime C]

As long as your paperwork was complete you should be fine. I know things were dragging during October/November 2020 with Covid. We got the “everyone” is doing WFH, etc. And finally it was ready.

 

[shandy cathy]

I wanted to see if anyone else was having the same problem or has had the same problem as me.

Originally I had come to Indonesia on a 211b as that was the only visa available at the time so I could be with my wife. After that we collected all of the documents needed to apply for Kitas.

Everything has been submitted and paid since the beginning of April and I did my biometrics back in April as well.

The status has been Pemeriksaan Kasubdit Izin Tinggal since then with no updates. I check back with the ditjen number twice per week each time I'm told to contact again in 3 days, each time I'm told

"we apologize for the delay, but our system is in trouble for a while. we will do our best to process your application sir. thanks"

Its now June, they have had my passport over 2 months now. Is this normal? Just about everyone I spoke to recently got their passport back within a week.

I don't want to lose my business/income because of this. Especially since having an income from outside of Indonesia is required for the KITAS if you're the husband.

Hi sir, normally for kitas process after get biometic fingerprint process takes only 3 to 7 working days then kitas will be send to you by softcopy file sent to email when you first registered

 

[Nicho]

Just over 3 months for my last KITAS renewal in 2020 ,usually 3-7 working days , due to Covid and all paperwork having to go through The Dept of Human Relations as well as Kanwil , Director General etc etc . Put my Alhi Status/Conversion of Status KITAS to KITAP application in in early October 2021 , home interview late October 2021 , biometrics early November 2021 and received notification in early January 2022 that it was approved then notification to collect end of January 2022 . Nearly 4 months total . When I picked up my Kitap card /passport the card and MERP were dated November 2021 !! So it sat in an office tray somewhere for nearly 2 months ! I'm sure they concentrate on applications through agents ahead of applications by individuals . Might still be a few brown paper bags changing hands after the Fee scam a few years ago . Used to pay at the imigration office then they changed to bank deposit . The fee dropped a few hundred Rupiah !!

 

[mas_dam]

When I picked up my Kitap card /passport the card and MERP were dated November 2021

It is very likely that your documents are backdated and the dates are not the actual issuance dates, even if reads "issued...".
i.e. KITAS (if not on-shore but originating from abroad application, entering Indonesia on VITAS) will show your arrival date/airport immigration entry date as "KITAS issuance date", although the actual KITAS is issued 1-2 weeks after your arrival, visit to immigration/biometrics etc.

If you want to see how the actual process and timeline was, including report of immigration home visit and similar, you might have occasion to peek into your personal immigration file when you personally carry it to the tukang fotokopi inside the immigration kompleks for copies as part of (Jakarta) permit pick-up procedure.

 

[Nicho]

It is very likely that your documents are backdated and the dates are not the actual issuance dates, even if reads "issued...".
i.e. KITAS (if not on-shore but originating from abroad application, entering Indonesia on VITAS) will show your arrival date/airport immigration entry date as "KITAS issuance date", although the actual KITAS is issued 1-2 weeks after your arrival, visit to immigration/biometrics etc.

If you want to see how the actual process and timeline was, including report of immigration home visit and similar, you might have occasion to peek into your personal immigration file when you personally carry it to the tukang fotokopi inside the immigration kompleks for copies as part of (Jakarta) permit pick-up procedure.

All done on shore , been living here nearly 7 years . My last Kitas and Merp "2020 "were dated nearly 2 months before I was notified of approval and nearly 3 months before I was notified to collect them . And I only got the notifications after I sent an email to the Director Generals Dept enquiring about delays/rule changes etc , I could be still waiting if it was left up to the regional office . My KITAP was dated almost a month before I was notified , photo on card looks like a school kid drew it and my signature looks like a line of ant droppings . I was never shown or given copies of home visits or any other paper work to copy at Imigration for any of my Kitas renewals or Kitap conversion . From what I've experienced and read on here every office /region has ther own interpretation of the rules/laws and every officer in the office has there interpretation . You can be told 3 different sets of rules by different officers at the same office ! I'm just glad I've finally got my KITAP and don't have to deal with them for another 5 years .

 

[Vick]

When my wife did my KITAS/KITAP paperwork in Bandung, she went to check at Immigrassi headquarters in Jakarta more than once. I know she’d often take the papers herself from Bandung to Jakarta to speed things up.

I got my Lifetime Kitap in late 2020.

How long did it took for you to get the ITAP. Seriously Bandung office is way behind. MOST officers upstairs are very rude and lack of customer service skills. They act like they are doing a great favor to us. Phew.
It took me 7 weeks to get my ITAS.
Are we allow to submit our application directly with Jakarta office?

 

[mas_dam]

Are we allow to submit our application directly with Jakarta office?

Your local immigration office as per domicile is in charge. For the rare cases where your domicile is different from your sponsor's domicile, I imagine there might be a grey area but I am not sure about that. As virtually all paperwork is in the name of the sponsor (application, statements etc.), sponsor's address is probably the number one factor.

 

[Vick]

Your local immigration office as per domicile is irge. For the rare cases where your domicile is different from your sponsor's domicile, I imagine there might be a grey area but I am not sure about that. As virtually all paperwork is in the name of the sponsor (application, statements etc.), sponsor's address is probably the number one factor.

Oh ok. Do you know how long does it normakly takes to get the ITAP? Can I leave the country during the process?

 

[mas_dam]

Can I leave the country during the process?

Your passport is with immigration during the process, so you cannot leave.

Do you know how long does it normakly takes to get the ITAP?

It will be very difficult for anyone to give you a realistic estimate other than what is already circulating here as different individual experiences. As you already mentioned, your local immigration office seems to be not the fastest, but the real delay/waiting time usually comes from Kanwil and Ditjenim/Directorate General of Immigration where the file is sent to.

Here is my experience Spouse KITAS to KITAP, South Jakarta, 2021/22:

H0 Application submitted
H1 Billing Code + Payment
Later this date became the backdated KITAP "issuance date" on the passport sticker. The actual KITAP does not display any issuance date, only expire date.
This date also became the issuance date of MERP/re-entry permit and base of 2 years validity of MERP.
H10 Immigration Interview Visit
H11 Kanim application letter (surat permohonan) to Kanwil with full file attached
H25
Later this date became the base for the calculation of the KITAP expiry date (+5 years).
I don't know what happened on this day, maybe some kind of pre-approval at Kanwil/Ditjenim.
(The MERP/re-entry expiry date still followed the issuance date (H1 +2 years) though, see above).
H71 Information that the Ditjenim process is completed and passport can be picked up on
H73 Pick-up of KITAP

The WA/contact numbers of Ditjenim that were provided by local immigration office (they even had a print-out) were completely useless. The number is simply not managed/there are either no replies or only copy&paste. It's even worse, you send the question (following procedure, incl. data like passport copy to identify yourself) at 9:00am, and they reply at 17:00pm that you contacted them out of office hours and should try again during office hours...

Starting H52 I started to follow-up to local immigration by sending screenshots of the attempts to contact Ditjenim on the provided WA number and asking them for updates. I don't know whether it triggered anything, but at least the local immigration did interact via WA.

Again, this is one individual experience, it can be totally different in other cases. I did not use any agent, all documents were 100% in order and bullet-proof, so no reasons to trigger any delays or questions

 

[AhhSamboi]

Didn't end up going this week as we couldn't arrange a flight ticket back for my wife.

Okay currently into day 85 applying to convert my ITK to family Kitas.

People who have applied a week and a few days before me got theirs two weeks ago. Someone who applied a month and a half after me got his in two weeks.

Today I got a few different answers from immigration as to the status of my application.

1. Live Chat- finished since Monday
2. Bandung- still nothing from Jakarta
3. Ditjen Imigrasi contacted from Malaysian number-still waiting for approval from Ditjen.
4. wife's Indo phone- the system is broken try again tomorrow
5. Facebook-asked for application number then ghosted
6. My Indo number- ghosted since June 9

Giving it until Tuesday before taking the trip to Jakarta as need to arrange a flight for my wife to come back to Indo and get the bus schedule to meet her at the airport(we both work in Malaysia, but I doubt my job is still gonna be there when I get back)

So hopefully others are right that the conversion takes 3 months even though imigrasi originally said 11-20 days.

I need to get back to Malaysia before mid July or I can't reapply for my visa there until next year