E21A chaos

[kripik-pisang]

I recently changed my sponsor from a visa agent to my wife as my kitas renewal date was coming up. It all seemed pretty simple. I was going back to the UK for a month, which imigrasi said was good and would make it easier. I left and my wife submitted an application for E31A, received an invoice with "explanatory notes" in English (my wife doesn't speak much English). She paid the amount in rupiah (thinking that the US$ amount was probably for people paying from overseas). When no link to download the visa arrived she went back and they said you haven't paid the dollar amount. Apparently she has to change rupiah into dollars!!! and then take the dollars to Bank Mandiri. When she originally inquired as to the cost of E31A they told her it was 2.7jt, no mention of an additional $150 so I fully understand why she thought it wasn't relevant as she paid 2.7jt.
Because of this she's been told that the 2.7jt is forfeit and she must apply again. If everything goes smoothly she will have to send me the visa via WhatsApp after I have left the UK. If it doesn't go smoothly, then what do I need to do. Apply online for C317? On the evia.imigrasi.go.id/web/visa-selection the page sticks one I get onto the third drop-down box and stays stuck so it appears that the website is designed to make sure no one can do anything.

 

[harryopal1]

It seems to be the role of immigration departments everywhere to make live for applicants as difficult as possible. For the last 60 years or so my impression is that Australia's immigration department has been deliberately understaffed so as to create bottlenecks, delays and cause people to just give up. Of course there are some people on bridging visas (waiting for processing of a residential visa) who just go mad. If you do apply unsuccessfully for a visa ( increasingly expensive) there are no refunds.

 

[kripik-pisang]

It seems to be the role of immigration departments everywhere to make live for applicants as difficult as possible. For the last 60 years or so my impression is that Australia's immigration department has been deliberately understaffed so as to create bottlenecks, delays and cause people to just give up. Of course there are some people on bridging visas (waiting for processing of a residential visa) who just go mad. If you do apply unsuccessfully for a visa ( increasingly expensive) there are no refunds.
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As my wife found out. At least doing it twice is still considerably cheaper than the visa agents fees

 

[Helpful Herbert]

E31A is a single entry visa purpose for those who married to Indonesian wife/husband. It is valid for 90 days.
Why wouldn't you get a KITAS instead? It seems pretty expensive for just a one-off visa.

 

[centurion]

As my wife found out. At least doing it twice is still considerably cheaper than the visa agents fees

Actually it is not.

 

[kripik-pisang]

According to https://fabiovisatravel.com/spouse-kitas-indonesia-e31a-and-e31b/ is a spouse visa also known as KITAS, is specifically designed for foreigners who are married to Indonesian citizens (E31A) or those married to a KITAS or KITAP holder (E31B), allowing them to live in Indonesia for 1 or 2 years depending on the visa type, with the option to extend.. So hopefully she wasn't applying for the wrong via.

Actually it is not.

The visa agent fee was 12 million whereas with my wife as sponsor it was 2.7jt + $150. I don't see how that is not cheaper.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

OK that is a spouse KITAS then, I hadn't heard it referred to as E31A before. I wasn't aware you could apply for it while out of the country.

 

[kripik-pisang]

OK that is a spouse KITAS then, I hadn't heard it referred to as E31A before. I wasn't aware you could apply for it while out of the country.

I have no idea if you can apply for it while out of the country. My wife is in Indonesia and has made the application from there. Both imigrasi and my previous visa agent said that it was easier to change sponsor from visa agent to my wife while I was out of the country. Don't understand why.

 

[pantaiema]

According to https://fabiovisatravel.com/spouse-kitas-indonesia-e31a-and-e31b/ is a spouse visa also known as KITAS, is specifically designed for foreigners who are married to Indonesian citizens (E31A) or those married to a KITAS or KITAP holder (E31B), allowing them to live in Indonesia for 1 or 2 years depending on the visa type, with the option to extend.. So hopefully she wasn't applying for the wrong via.

The visa agent fee was 12 million whereas with my wife as sponsor it was 2.7jt + $150. I don't see how that is not cheaper.

I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal.

E31A is for a WNI (Indonesian citizen) spouse sponsoring a foreigner. It's referred to as (V)ITAS, which eventually becomes ITAS.

E31B is a dependent VITAS, where a foreigner holding an ITAS/ITAP sponsors another foreigner to stay in Indonesia. From what I understand, your wife is an Indonesian citizen (WNI), so she has already applied for the correct visa.

In the meantime, with your British passport, you can always apply for a Visa on Arrival (VoA) when you arrive, or if it's still possible, get an eVOA online. This visa costs IDR 500k and allows you to stay in Indonesia for up to 30 days, with the option to extend for another 30 days.

Once you receive your E31 VITAS, you can stay for a longer duration.

 

[kripik-pisang]

I have no idea if you can apply for it while out of the country. My wife is in Indonesia and has made the application from there. Both imigrasi and my previous visa agent said that it was easier to change sponsor from visa agent to my wife while I was out of the country. Don't understand why.

I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal.

E31A is for a WNI (Indonesian citizen) spouse sponsoring a foreigner. It's referred to as (V)ITAS, which eventually becomes ITAS.

E31B is a dependent VITAS, where a foreigner holding an ITAS/ITAP sponsors another foreigner to stay in Indonesia. From what I understand, your wife is an Indonesian citizen (WNI), so she has already applied for the correct visa.

In the meantime, with your British passport, you can always apply for a Visa on Arrival (VoA) when you arrive, or if it's still possible, get an eVOA online. This visa costs IDR 500k and allows you to stay in Indonesia for up to 30 days, with the option to extend for another 30 days.

Once you receive your E31 VITAS, you can stay for a longer duration.

Somewhere on this forum it says that a VOA or an eVOA cannot be converted into a KITAS. That might have something to do with having normally to show an onward ticket. Then again somewhere else on the forum it says that you can convert from VOA to KITAS.
Anyhow I think I've got that covered (thanks for all the responses, they allowed me to see the solution without panicking). I will simply say I don't have a ticket because I'm leaving by ferry from Batam, which is something I've done before. If its necessary to make that trip in order to show that I have exited Indonesia as possibly expected because of the VOA I'm happy to do it. If anyone can see any flaws with that please let me know, same if you know if VOA requires you to leave Indonesia or not.

 

[pantaiema]

Somewhere on this forum it says that a VOA or an eVOA cannot be converted into a KITAS. That might have something to do with having normally to show an onward ticket. Then again somewhere else on the forum it says that you can convert from VOA to KITAS.

There is a newly issue visa the so called Bridging Visa. Where even you come with VoA you have a possibility to apply for the so called a bridging Visa that allow you to apply for Spouse sponsored ITAS onshore. As this sis new not every immigration staff know it.

Anyhow I think I've got that covered (thanks for all the responses, they allowed me to see the solution without panicking). I will simply say I don't have a ticket because I'm leaving by ferry from Batam, which is something I've done before. If its necessary to make that trip in order to show that I have exited Indonesia as possibly expected because of the VOA I'm happy to do it. If anyone can see any flaws with that please let me know, same if you know if VOA requires you to leave Indonesia or not.

If you enter via VoA, eVoA you are always required to have a return or an onward ticket. This principles apply to almost every country. If someone manage to get through without it as the immigration does not check it, he could call it a day.

 

[kripik-pisang]

If you enter via VoA, eVoA you are always required to have a return or an onward ticket

So the question is do they match up incoming and outgoing.
Would I find myself being hunted down for not fulfilling the "leaving again" part of a VOA?

 

[kripik-pisang]

There is a newly issue visa the so called Bridging Visa. Where even you come with VoA you have a possibility to apply for the so called a bridging Visa that allow you to apply for Spouse sponsored ITAS onshore.

With a cost of 15jt this seems like a no go, especially as my wife is already able to apply for a new KITAS via molina.

 

[pantaiema]

So the question is do they match up incoming and outgoing.

Do you mean when you enter and when you leave using VoA ?? Or checking your onward ticket ?? Either way I do not know the exact answer

So the question is do they match up incoming and outgoing.
Would I find myself being hunted down for not fulfilling the "leaving again" part of a VOA?

With their current system, I doubt they can verify this unless something arises that prompts them want to spend a lot of time to investigate it. However, once your Spouse-Sponsored ITAS is approved, leaving Indonesia using a VoA will become redundant. This is just my personal opinion. So please do not take it for granted.

 

[HappyMan]

I also don't know if they actually check to see whether or not you left on the day of your flight out. But, you have always been able to do visa extensions. And, while l was once forced to purchase an onward ticket when entering Indonesia, they never asked to see an onward ticket when extending a visa. All that being said, leaving on a specific flight and overstaying your visa are completely different matters.
Course, it's been at least 10 years since this was an issue for me. Maybe they've gotten weirdly obsessive about how (rather than when) people should leave the country. Seems unlikely.

 

[jstar]

Somewhere on this forum it says that a VOA or an eVOA cannot be converted into a KITAS. That might have something to do with having normally to show an onward ticket. Then again somewhere else on the forum it says that you can convert from VOA to KITAS.

There have been quite some changes in this area.

When in the country, It was impossible to convert a VOA to an ITAS, that was only possible with a so called SosBud. That was some time ago (a bit the intrinsic problem of a forum with older posts).

Now besides the multiple changes in nomenclature and codes, it seems there’s also more lenience in applying for the ITAS. I heard some people could convert from VOA yes

 

[centurion]

As my wife found out. At least doing it twice is still considerably cheaper than the visa agents fees

You will have paid 300 USD+2.7 million,around, 7.5 million. Spouse visa and KITAS are around 10 million trough agent.

 

[kripik-pisang]

You will have paid 300 USD+2.7 million,around, 7.5 million. Spouse visa and KITAS are around 10 million trough agent.

Actually she only paid the 2.7jt the first time round, not the $150,, so it will be 7.8 jt. Whichever way you look at it still less than the 12 jt charged by my visa agent (That was when I was on a retirement visa). If I could have found a visa agent who only charged 10 jt, I would have used them. However I found agents charging from 14 up to 20 jt in Bali, so chose the cheapest at 12 jt. Maybe you're in the economic haven of Jakarta?

 

[kripik-pisang]

There have been quite some changes in this area.

When in the country, It was impossible to convert a VOA to an ITAS, that was only possible with a so called SosBud. That was some time ago (a bit the intrinsic problem of a forum with older posts).

Now besides the multiple changes in nomenclature and codes, it seems there’s also more lenience in applying for the ITAS. I heard some people could convert from VOA yes

Thanks, I'll check that out or ask my wife to check with Immigration.

 

[pantaiema]

Actually she only pad the 2.7jt the first time round, not the $150,, so it will be 7.8 jt. Whichever way you look at it still less than the 12 jt charged by my visa agent (That was when I was on a retirement visa). If I could have found a visa agent who only charged 10 jt, I would have used them. However I found agents charging from 14 up to 20 jt in Bali, so chose the cheapest at 12 jt. Maybe you're in the economic haven of Jakarta?

Something often overlooked is the long-term benefit for those who are married to an Indonesian citizen or have other ties to Indonesia and intend to stay in Indonesia indefinitely.

In my opinion, if you are using an agent, you are already dependent on them. You will rely on them for every extension of your stay, and it is not easy to change your guarantor without risking the reset of your residency status. This means you will always have to pay the agent fees plus standard fees for each extension.

For those who can avoid using an agent, it is better to use an alternative, such as your spouse, another family member, relatives, who are financially sound as your guarantor to reduce dependency.