Can't hide an input field with css('visibility') on Android

Can't hide an input field with css('visibility') on Android

I'm trying to hide an input field by setting its .css('visibility','hidden'); This works fine running in my development browser (Chrome on Windows), but when I run it on Android (version 4.0.4, Samsung GS2, Phonegap), the hiding behaviour doesn't work properly. The field is not hidden at first, but if I then do something with some other JQM widget on the page, such as collapsing or expanding a listview, then the input field is hidden. I get the same result if I rotate the device, which presumably triggers a window redraw that implements the style.

I cannot use .hide() in this case, I must use .css('visibility'), that much cannot be changed. 

I've tried .page() and .trigger('create') on the input field, they don't help. How do I trigger the magic sauce that the widget redraw is doing so the .css() changes get carried out on the input field?