RI visitors urged to apply for visas

JAKARTA (JP): The Australian Embassy in Jakarta has urged Indonesians who plan to visit Australia during the Olympic Games from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1 in Sydney to apply for visas as early as possible.

Head of the embassy's immigration section, Jose Alvarez, said that the call was made to avoid a last-minute rush.

"It normally takes only two to three days to process visitor visas for Indonesians. But we are concerned that a last-minute rush could slow our systems. So we are urging people to apply early to avoid disappointment," he said in a release available to The Jakarta Post.

The embassy visa section is open from Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (yan)