Job Discussion Forums

jaybet3 · Joined: 15 Dec 2010 Posts: 140 Location: Indonesia

Back when I first started teaching in Indo (2009), a big-name chain school had me working on a social visa. Promising the KITAS would be coming soon. They even once took my passport and got an extension processed in Bali WITHOUT AN EXIT STAMP!!! I was furious with the school.

Then next time I had to leave the country, Immigration pulled me out of the line and had me wait while the officer went into a room to speak with what was likely his boss. Keeping calm and my mouth shut, the officer came back and returned my passport without any questions. I can only guess that whoever put their chop on my visa was known as part of the scams that are rampant in this country.

My advice. Don't work on a social/tourist visa. I was lucky. If you get caught, you're the one who is in trouble. Sorry friend, but the school ain't gonna back you up. Not during these days of increased scrutiny.

In conclusion, don't think that smiling face is going to give a crap about you when things get bad.

memae · Joined: 24 Apr 2012 Posts: 38

i know, and that's a lot to do with why i'm out. Working at this school just makes me anxious.

bradleycooper · Joined: 12 Apr 2013 Posts: 310

memae · Joined: 24 Apr 2012 Posts: 38

Well, i made it home without any hassles. What was weird was that they said they had to cancel my sosbud because they cancelled my processing KITAS. Like, they said they cancelled my KITAS because i wasn't going to work for them, but because of that they had to cancel my current sosbud because i wouldn't be coming back to work for them. They made it sound like a DIKNAS thing, which is weird, because on a sosbud i shouldn't have been working or looking for work so why would that be so affected by cancelling a KITAS. Sounded strange to me, but i'm just happy to be out of what was becoming a really, really uncomfortable situation.

Out of 8 western teachers, 4 left at the same time (myself included), and i'm not sure they'll have much luck in hiring new ones.

Tazz · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 512 Location: Jakarta

Well done in getting out of there! I'll bet the other four western departures were all 'new hires' working illegally as well? Absolutely. right now, the school will not be able to obtain those work permits for new hires.....the story they fed you about the connection between your Sosbud and processing the Kitas....pure bull!

memae · Joined: 24 Apr 2012 Posts: 38

The others were not extending their contracts, and i wasn't signing mine just to find out i'd end up feeling the same way as them. Some of them have lived there for a long time and have family there, so it's a pretty big deal that dissatisfaction working there is enough to convince them to quit. Most people can put up with nonsense at work if they're settled and happy in the other parts of their lives.

It ended up taking weeks to get my passport back from immigration too, just because no one wanted to go and pick it up (and i couldn't get there while it was open because i was teaching).

i was wondering if perhaps it's a bit easier to get working visas for schools outside of Jakarta, and considering Manado is about as far as you can get maybe they just don't care so much.

i thought what they were saying about sosbud and kitas being connected wasn't right. They made me give them my flight details and stuff so i wouldn't get into trouble at immigration. i have no idea if they were just being bullies and trying to scare me or if they are just super clueless about visas. When i picked up my sosbud before starting there they said i didn't need any documents to get it, which i questioned because i've done this before, but i was assured that it wasn't necessary. Don't know why i took their word for it because i was right. Should've taken that as a red flag and never gone through with starting work there, but geez, spending a bit of time in Manado was pretty fabulous and my Indonesian really picked up (except everyone kept correcting me when i'd chop out bits and pieces of words because of my 'logat Jakarta').

There's talk of a pentecostal equivalent opening in the city and i'm sure some of the parents are involved in funding it to get started. It might be better for a school to have multiple investors and a board rather than just one owner and no transparency. There's also a new SPH and i think Citra Kasih is slowly expanding. Some competition might do the school some good.