Despite an earlier regulation disallowing third parties from transacting with the Directorate General of Immigration (DGI) - which is responsible for immigration-related applications (such as Telex VITAS and KITAS applications) - third-party agents are currently still allowed to submit applications and documents on behalf of a company as long as they present a copy of a nominated company representative's company identification card. This more lenient policy is subject to change without notice.

Transition to Online Process

In conjunction with the recent regulation, the DGI is in the midst of transitioning to a fully online process. Once implemented, the online process should eventually eliminate the requirement for any manual Telex VITAS submissions (and consequently, in-person appearances by a company representative). The DGI may now require Telex VITAS applicants to provide recent personal bank statements.

Online KITAS Slips Replace KITAS Cards

The KITAS (Limited Stay Permit) application process remains unchanged insofar as the original passport still needs to be submitted manually and employees' biometrics must still be registered as part of the process. However, local immigration offices have stopped printing physical KITAS cards and are now issuing printed slips of the online KITAS instead.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

If they have not already, employers must identify a company representative, provide a copy of the representative's company identification card as soon as possible, and should be prepared to have their company representative appear at the DGI if the stricter policy from the earlier regulation is fully implemented. Fragomen will continue to monitor the DGI's policy on third-party agent involvement and report on developments.

Applicants filing new online Telex VITAS applications should also be prepared to provide a copy of their recent personal bank statement(s), which will be handled according to Fragomen's data privacy policy. Telex VITAS applicants should expect delays while the DGI upgrades its online system.

The KITAS process will remain the same, and assignees will still need to appear in person to submit their original passports and to register their biometrics. As KITAS cards are no longer issued, when the KITAS process is completed, assignees should instead carry a copy of their passport and online KITAS slip with them at all times.

Fragomen will continue to monitor the new processes closely and report on developments.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to APCCInitiations@fragomen.com.

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