Visa provider due diligence
Indonesia Visa Agent Contract and Filing Controls for Foreign Founders
A safe provider explains the exact visa category, official charge, eligibility evidence, filing account, refund terms and post-approval handover before taking payment.
A foreign founder should stop before paying an Indonesia visa agent that promises guaranteed approval, refuses to name the visa index, combines government charges and service fees into one unexplained amount, or proposes false shareholding, employment or sponsor information. A legitimate engagement should state the category, permitted activities, eligibility basis, official PNBP, professional fee, document list, sponsor, filing account, expected stages, refund rule and deliverables. For E28A investor applications, current official information distinguishes one- and two-year stays and requires corporate and share-ownership evidence; a director or commissioner below the stated ownership threshold may need the work-visa route instead. Verify those conditions on the Directorate General of Immigration website, pay a traceable legal counterparty and retain independent access to every submission and approval.
Key takeaways
- Demand the precise visa index and permitted-activity explanation in writing.
- Separate official PNBP, professional fees and third-party costs.
- Reject fabricated share, position, sponsor or travel information.
- Use a contract with milestones, rejection handling, refunds and handover duties.
- Keep the founder or company in control of email, filing and final approval records.
Numbers and records to ask for before payment
These figures are the current official E28A government-charge totals shown by immigration sources, not a complete provider quote. Professional fees, translations, corporate changes and travel are separate.
E28A one-year PNBP
IDR 7,000,000
Official components include visa, stay permit, re-entry permit and verification charges.
E28A two-year PNBP
IDR 9,500,000
Ask the provider to separate this government amount from its own service fee.
Share evidence
At least IDR 10 billion
Official E28A information states this threshold in the sponsoring company; verify the current page before filing.
Entry validity
90 days
The visa must be used for entry within its validity; the stay period starts on arrival.
Evidence basis: Directorate General of Immigration E28A investor visa information · Directorate General of Immigration limited-stay permit information
Verify the visa offer before paying
Compare the proposed category, permitted activities, ownership evidence and official charges with the provider's contract.
Price alone does not identify a scam. The stronger test is whether the provider can reconcile the founder's passport, shareholding, deed position, sponsoring entity, intended activities and stay period with a current official category. An agent that answers each mismatch with a new verbal promise is transferring filing risk to the applicant.
Visa-provider checks should sit beside broader service-provider verification controls : verify the contracting entity, tax identity, bank-account name, office details and authority of the individual issuing instructions. A personal bank account or disappearing-message arrangement makes recovery and evidence preservation harder even if the underlying category is valid.
Test the visa category before accepting the sales promise
The provider should be able to connect each permitted activity and eligibility condition to a current immigration source. A brand name such as investor visa is not enough.
Unnamed visa index
The warning sign appears when the quote says KITAS but never states E28A or another exact category. Verify it with the official category page, written scope and proposed application data. The responsible person should require a category-specific eligibility memo before paying; otherwise, the founder receives a stay status that does not match the intended activity.
Guaranteed approval
Treat the agent promises a result regardless of documents, background or government review as a decision gate, not an administrative detail. Keep a contract acknowledging government discretion and a documented pre-screen in the transaction file, then replace the guarantee with measurable provider deliverables. This reduces the chance that the founder has no remedy when the authority refuses or requests corrections.
False ownership workaround
A reliable check starts with the effective deed, AHU record, shareholder register and bank evidence. It should resolve whether the provider suggests temporary or invented shares to reach an investor threshold. Where the records do not reconcile, use only genuine, fully approved corporate information; proceeding without that step can mean immigration and corporate records contain a material misstatement.
Wrong activity narrative
the application describes investment monitoring while the founder plans full-time technical work The evidence that matters is a written weekly duty list and immigration permitted-activity comparison. select the route that covers the real conduct If that control is skipped, inspection or transaction evidence contradicts the application.
Audit the quote, payee and refund mechanism
A comparable quote separates state charges from professional work and specifies what happens when the applicant, sponsor or authority changes the case.
One bundled number
Treat official charges, service fees and third-party expenses are hidden inside one price as a decision gate, not an administrative detail. Keep an itemised schedule with currency, tax, due date and recipient in the transaction file, then approve each category and cap unapproved extras. This reduces the chance that the founder cannot tell whether government charges were paid.
Personal account request
A reliable check starts with company registration, invoice, tax details and same-name bank account. It should resolve whether payment is directed to an individual unrelated to the contracting entity. Where the records do not reconcile, pay only the verified counterparty or obtain a documented legal explanation; proceeding without that step can mean chargeback, accounting and enforcement evidence weakens.
No rejection terms
the contract is silent on correction, resubmission, withdrawal and refund The evidence that matters is a milestone table defining earned fees and refundable amounts. agree the outcome for each failure path before the deposit If that control is skipped, every delay becomes an open-ended additional charge.
Cash-only government fee
The warning sign appears when the provider will not provide an official receipt or payment reference. Verify it with PNBP billing code, payment receipt and application identifier. The responsible person should make receipt delivery a release condition; otherwise, the applicant cannot verify whether the state charge reached the authority.
Turn red flags into contract controls
Define receipts, correction duties, refunds, application access and final handover before submission.
Secure application access and the final handover
The founder should leave the engagement with an independently usable record, not screenshots controlled by the agent. Define access and retention before submission.
Agent-owned email
A reliable check starts with shared case mailbox, access log and recovery details. It should resolve whether all notices and verification links go to an address the founder cannot access. Where the records do not reconcile, place the applicant or sponsor in control of the mailbox; proceeding without that step can mean requests or expiry notices can be withheld.
No submission copy
the agent provides only a success message without the filed data The evidence that matters is complete application export, uploaded documents and timestamps. review the filing copy before or immediately after submission If that control is skipped, incorrect facts remain undiscovered until a later renewal.
Approval without verification
The warning sign appears when a PDF is delivered with no method to check identifiers or status. Verify it with official status screen, approval number and passport data comparison. The responsible person should verify every personal and sponsor field on receipt; otherwise, a typo or altered document travels into the next process.
Renewal lock-in
Treat the agent retains the only credentials and threatens loss of status if another provider is used as a decision gate, not an administrative detail. Keep credential inventory, sponsor obligations and transfer or cancellation procedure in the transaction file, then complete a documented handover while the status is current. This reduces the chance that the founder becomes dependent during renewal or exit.
Immigration sources behind the provider checks
Check category details on official immigration pages on the date of application. Fees, classification labels and document workflows can change even when the commercial quote has not been updated.
- Directorate General of Immigration E28A investor visa information : The official visa category explains permitted investor activities, required corporate evidence and the shareholding evidence threshold. A director or commissioner below the stated shareholding threshold is directed to the appropriate work-visa route.
- Directorate General of Immigration limited-stay permit information : Immigration status is a separate approval layer. Incorporation, a corporate office appointment and a business licence do not automatically create a right to reside or work in Indonesia.
- Government Regulation No. 34 of 2021 : The regulation sets the framework for employing foreign workers. Corporate office, immigration status and the actual duties performed must be assessed together rather than inferred from a title alone.
- Minister of Manpower Regulation No. 8 of 2021 : The current implementing regulation governs RPTKA applications, changes, reporting and the foreign-worker compensation fund. The fund is generally USD 100 per position per person per month, subject to stated exemptions.
The stated E28A figures are government charges for the specified stay periods, not a universal all-in market price. They exclude professional fees, corporate amendments, translations, travel and any separate manpower process. Approval remains with the competent authority.
Release the visa deposit only after six facts reconcile
Approve payment only when the passport holder, exact visa index, permitted activities, eligibility evidence, sponsoring entity and official-fee schedule tell one consistent story. Attach the provider's scope, milestone invoice, receipt duties, refund rule and handover list to that approval.
If one fact is unresolved, classify the payment as pending rather than urgent. A genuine deadline should be explainable through an official validity period or document expiry, not through an agent's disappearing discount.
Approve a traceable filing route
Set a clear payment and evidence sequence that remains usable if the provider changes or the application is questioned.
Frequently asked questions
Can an Indonesia visa agent guarantee approval?
No provider controls the authority's decision. A useful commitment covers document screening, accurate filing, response times, correction work and refund treatment—not guaranteed government approval.
How much is the official E28A investor visa charge?
Current official information shows IDR 7,000,000 for a one-year stay and IDR 9,500,000 for a two-year stay. Confirm the official page at payment because government charges can change.
Is a personal bank account always proof of fraud?
It is a serious verification issue, not automatic proof by itself. Ask why the payee differs, verify the legal relationship and insist on an invoice and traceable receipt. The safest route is payment to the contracted legal entity.
Should the agent keep the immigration account credentials?
The applicant or sponsoring company should retain access to the case mailbox, filed information, receipts and approvals. Any provider access should be documented and removable.
What if the provider proposes temporary shares for an investor visa?
Do not use fabricated or reversible ownership solely to satisfy a filing. Corporate and immigration records must reflect the genuine approved ownership and funding arrangement.
