Immigration Proposes Lottery System for Australian Working Holiday Visas

The Directorate General of Immigration has proposed to the Australian Government that the issuance of Working Holiday Visas (WHV) for Indonesian citizens utilise a lottery system to enhance fairness and transparency.

Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko stated that the proposal was conveyed during a meeting with Australia’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) as a response to the high level of interest from Indonesian nationals in the WHV programme. “We propose that the visa issuance procedure for Indonesian citizens be managed through a lottery system, which is more suitable to guarantee aspects of fairness, transparency, and efficiency in managing the high number of applicants from Indonesia,” Hendarsam said in a statement received in Bandung on Tuesday.

He explained that the proposal was made on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting with the Australian DHA during the 29th ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Divisions of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (DGICM), which took place from 23 to 25 June 2026 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

He added that these three pillars are supported by cross-agency collaboration, thereby improving the early detection of immigration violations and transnational crimes before, during, and after inspections. The digital immigration system has also been strengthened through the Foreigner Reporting Application (APOA), which is integrated with the Indonesian National Police. This system was used in uncovering a case involving 210 foreign nationals linked to an alleged online investment fraud syndicate in Batam in early May 2026.

During the regional forum, Indonesia was also appointed as the Voluntary Lead Shepherd to coordinate the handling of human smuggling issues in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Cambodia is leading on intelligence issues, Malaysia on terrorism, Singapore on handling fraudulent documents, and Brunei Darussalam on consular affairs. “Transnational crime challenges require an integrated solution. Through Indonesia’s mandate as Lead Shepherd for handling human smuggling, we encourage all ASEAN members to strengthen intelligence exchange and technology alignment for a safer and more resilient region,” Hendarsam said.