Indonesia's manpower ministry updates list of jobs open to foreign workers

Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower has updated its list of jobs which will be open to foreign workers, a press release on Barry Appleman & Leiden's website has announced.

It will be applicable to employers, foreigners entering the country for work, and current foreign workers intending to work past the end of their current work permit.

The updated list covers a range of jobs across 18 industries, as follows:

1. Construction
2. Real estate
3. Education
4. Processing
5. Water treatment, waste water treatment, waste management and recycling, and remediation activity
6. Transportation and warehousing
7. Art, entertainment, and recreation
8. Provision of accommodation and meals
9. Farming, forestry, and fishery
10. Rental and financial lease with option right, manpower, travel agency, and other business support
11. Financial activity and insurance
12. Healthcare, humanity, and social activity
13. Information and telecommunication
14. Mining and extraction
15. Procurement of electricity, gas, steam/hot water, and cold air
16. Large-scale and retail trade, car and motorcycle reparation and maintenance
17. Other service activity
18. Professional, scientific, and technical activity

This falls in line with a new regulation released by the ministry last year, on the necessary procedures in hiring foreign workers. With this regulation in place, the ministry was then able to determine which positions would be open to foreign workers.

The implementation first took place at the end of August, and employers should note that while applications for foreign workers in jobs that are not on this list may be accepted, they should have ready details of their specific workforce needs.

Employers, HR and foreign workers to note:

Work permits which have been granted before this new list was implemented, will still be valid until their expiration dates.

Further, if a foreign worker is working in a position that is not on the list but would like to renew their permit, their company is given two options.

First, employers can submit an approval to keep the employee in their current job and, second, employers can change the foreign worker's job to align with the new list.