Card cuts visa red tape

Duncan Graham, Contributor, Surabaya

When a top Cabinet minister criticized Australia's visa policy at an Indonesia-Australia business conference in Bali, he certainly stirred the proverbial possum.

Or, as they say elsewhere, created controversy.

Speaking at the Indonesia-Australia Business Conference in Bali in April, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie said that relationships between the two countries would improve if Australia relaxed its visa requirements for Indonesians.

But it was not only the Indonesians that got fired up. Many Australian businesspeople agreed that their country's entry procedures for Indonesians were too harsh.

Speaking at the same conference, education expert Isla Rogers- Winato was among Australians who cited tough visa rules as a key reason for a 10 percent downturn in Indonesians studying in Australia.

Although Australian authorities regularly tout the fact that 95 percent of visa applicants to the country are approved, critics say this ignores the reality that many of procedures are onerous and off-putting, compared to Indonesia's.

It is much easier for Australians, they say, to use the Indonesian visa-on-arrival system that requires one valid passport, a return ticket and US$25 and gives tourists 30 days to enjoy the archipelago.

However, few people seem to be aware of a little-publicized system to allow easy access for businesspeople to a raft of international destinations, including Indonesia, which has been in operation here for almost a year.

In May last year, the Indonesian government became a partner in the APEC Business Travel Card scheme.

However, it appears that there are still delays in processing Indonesian locally applicants as some regulations, including fees, have not been determined.

The scheme allows legitimate frequent-flyer businesspeople visa-free entry into any country in the APEC region that has given them clearance.

At present there are 14 participants: Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Thailand. Singapore and Papua New Guinea are expected to join soon.

Business travellers have to apply for the card in their own country, usually through their immigration department. Each country determines its own eligibility criteria and fees; in Australia it is A$155 (about Rp 1.1 million), in Indonesia it has not been fixed yet but will probably between US$200 and $300. While prices charged by customs currently vary, this does not stop Indonesians from getting the cards.

Checks are then made on the applicant's criminal history, financial credibility and business legitimacy.

If one is approved, the applicant's country then seeks pre- clearance from the destination countries. Put simply, your government applies to foreign governments on your behalf.

When clearances are received the businessperson is issued with an endorsed plastic card. It's the size of a credit card and carries a photo. The card is presented along with the passport when the holder enters through a special fast-track lane at the airport.

At present these lanes operate only at Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar and Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta Airport here, but at all Australian international airports.

All standard immigration, customs and other entry requirements must be followed, but entry for APEC Business Travel Card holders should be fee-free. Australian cardholders are allowed up to a 60-day stay in Indonesia. Indonesian and all other cardholders can remain in Australia up to 90 days.

The cards are valid for three years and linked to the holder's passport number.

Participants in the scheme have agreed to process pre- clearance requests from member countries within an average of two weeks.

Most comply; but in some cases it has taken Indonesia up to nine months to grant Australians clearance. China is also tardy in giving approvals. Recognizing the touchiness of sovereign states to outside criticism, there is little more that the applicant's country can do other than send gentle reminders when delays occur.

The scheme was first tested in 1997 between Australia, Korea and the Philippines. It followed long-standing complaints by regular business travellers constantly having to apply for visas and being subject to delays.