any foreign workers who have obtained limited stay permits (VITAS) are still working in Indonesia without an expatriate employment permit (IMTA), a Manpower Ministry official has said.
With the change in the foreign employment regulation in 2015, VITAS holders can no longer work without a permit, director of foreign employment supervision at the Manpower Ministry Wisnu Pramono said in Jakarta on Monday.
Under the new foreign employment regulation, foreign workers can obtain VITAS only if they have already received an IMTA.
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He said nearly 800 of the 74,000 foreign workers in Indonesia had worked without IMTAs. “There could be more because, with the limited number of our inspectors, we are unable to oversee all of the workers,” Wisnu said.
Wisnu further said that his office had reported the illegal workers to the immigration office and asked them to deport the expatriates.
To be able work in Indonesia, foreign citizens must have a work permit (IMTA), which is issued by the Manpower Ministry based on a request from their employers. Only after obtaining an IMTA can they apply for a limited stay permit (VITAS) and limited stay permit card (KITAS) from the immigration office. (dra/bbn)
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