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Australian visa scam in Indonesia: is your WhatsApp agent on the official register?

Tips · 2026-10-15 · 10 min read

An Australian visa scam in Indonesia usually starts with a friendly agent on WhatsApp and ends with a large payment for a visa that never arrives. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta is clear: anyone who says they can promise you a visa, or asks for a big upfront payment to "fast-track" it, is running a scam, because only the Department of Home Affairs grants Australian visas. Before you pay, check three things: the agent is on the OMARA register, your application is visible in ImmiAccount, and any grant appears in VEVO.

This guide looks only at the visa side. If your worry is the Indonesian recruiter, the P3MI licence or a placement fee, start with our earlier guide on how Indonesian workers can check a job offer before paying, then come back here.

Why the visa is the part scammers sell

For most people, the visa is the hardest and most confusing step. Scammers know this. They offer to "handle everything" so you do not have to understand the process at all.

The truth is simple. The decision belongs to one government department in Australia. No agent, office or "contact" can change it for money. Even the Australian Embassy in Jakarta does not handle visa or citizenship enquiries; it sends people to the Home Affairs website or to the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196.

The cost of getting this wrong is more than money. Home Affairs says people who take part in visa fraud through a scam agent risk refusal or cancellation of their visa and a ban from Australia for up to 10 years. A fake shortcut today can close the real door later.

The Embassy's warning signs, one by one

The Embassy publishes its list on its visa scams page. Here is what each sign looks like in real life, and what a genuine helper would do instead.

The first message comes through WhatsApp or social media

A stranger finds you on social media or WhatsApp and offers a visa or a job in Australia. The Embassy lists this kind of contact as a scam sign. Australia's Scamwatch adds unexpected messages on Signal or Telegram, a fast hiring process with no interview, and requests for a "recruitment fee" or payment for training materials before you start.

A registered agent can still use WhatsApp to talk to clients. The difference is that you can check who they are before you send anything.

If the person on WhatsApp gives you a MARN, the next step is the register itself. Our guide on how to check a registered migration agent from Indonesia walks through the search and explains how an agent differs from a P3MI.

They promise approval, or say "visa dijamin"

Phrases like "visa dijamin" or "approval is no problem for my clients" are the clearest red flag. Home Affairs says no one can promise an Australian visa, permanent residency or citizenship, and anyone who does is misleading you.

An honest agent talks about requirements, documents and risks. They never talk about a certain result.

The price is higher than the Home Affairs fee

The Embassy lists a price above the Home Affairs fee as a warning sign. You cannot spot this unless you know the official charge, so look it up in the Visa Pricing Table before any meeting.

These are base charges for the main applicant. Home Affairs also says applicants pay other costs for English tests, health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Ask any agent to write down, line by line, which part of their price is the visa charge and which part is something else. Someone who will not do this is hiding something.

If you are saving for a Work and Holiday visa, remember the Letter of Support also asks for proof of funds; see what 5,000 AUD comes to in rupiah and how to show it in a bank letter.

They ask for your passport

Handing over your passport is one of the Embassy's listed signs. Scamwatch gives the same advice: never send your passport or identity documents to an employer or recruitment firm unless you are certain they are genuine.

You rarely need to give originals to anyone. The Embassy lists people who can certify copies for Australian visa applications, such as a bank officer with 5 or more years of service, a lawyer, a police officer or a full-time teacher, as long as they are not related to you. Our guide to apostille and paperwork in Indonesia explains the document side in more detail.

They will not show you the application in ImmiAccount

ImmiAccount is the only official website for applying for an Australian visa. If someone says they lodged your application but refuses to show it to you in ImmiAccount, the Embassy treats that as a scam sign.

After a grant, check it in VEVO. Home Affairs says a visa grant that cannot be found in VEVO is probably fake, no matter how official the PDF looks.

They offer a "work permit", a visa label or a back-door route

Australia does not issue "work permits", visa labels or Labour Market Impact Assessments, so anyone selling one is running a scam. The Embassy also warns about agents who suggest travelling through another Southeast Asian country or by boat.

Another common trick is "go first on a tourist visa, then we change it". You cannot work in Australia on an ETA or a Visitor visa, and the Embassy says working on a visitor or transit visa is illegal.

The email does not end in .gov.au

Home Affairs says any email claiming to come from the department is a scam if the address does not end in .gov.au. A free email account or a private company address using the department's name is not the government.

Who is allowed to help with your Australian visa

Under Australian rules, anyone giving immigration assistance with an Australian visa must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person.

• Registered migration agents are listed on the Register of Migration Agents on the OMARA website. Each one has a Migration Agents Registration Number (MARN).
• Legal practitioners are lawyers who may also give this help.
• Exempt persons, such as a sponsor, a nominator or a close family member, may help with your application but must not charge you a fee.

Home Affairs says someone who claims to be an agent but has no MARN or OMARA listing is not legitimate. A friendly calo who "knows people at Immigration" fits none of these groups.

The Embassy's own rule is short: use only official sources. That means the Australian Embassy in Indonesia, the Department of Home Affairs, and registered migration agents listed on the OMARA website.

How to check an agent and your application before paying

1. Ask for the full name and MARN in writing. A registered agent gives both without hesitation.
2. Search the OMARA register yourself. Do not use a link the agent sends you. Make sure the name and number match.
3. Look up the official fee. Compare the quote with the Visa Pricing Table and ask for a written breakdown of everything else.
4. Keep your passport and originals. Give certified copies only after the checks are done.
5. Ask to see the application in ImmiAccount. You should see what was lodged in your name.
6. Check every email address. Messages from the department come from an address ending in .gov.au.
7. Confirm any grant in VEVO. If it is not in VEVO, treat it as fake and stop paying.

Work and Holiday ballot: a new hook for scammers

Home Affairs says first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) applications from Indonesian passport holders will be managed through a ballot, with registrations expected to open later in 2026. A new process with a limited number of places is exactly what scammers like to "sell".

Remember two facts. The Letter of Support (SDUWHV) comes only from the Directorate General of Immigration through sduwhv.imigrasi.go.id. And Home Affairs says an SDUWHV from a previous program year lets you register for the ballot but does not reserve a place, give priority or exempt you from it. So nobody can sell you a "reserved place". Our guide to getting your Letter of Support ready for the 462 ballot explains the real steps.

Skilled workers face a similar trick: "pay me and I will find you a sponsor". A real Skills in Demand visa starts with an employer who sponsors you for a role. Our plain guide to the Skills in Demand (482) visa shows how the employer and the worker each take part.

Common mistakes Indonesian applicants make

• Trusting a "contact at the Embassy". The Embassy does not handle visa enquiries at all, so such a contact cannot help you.
• Believing a PDF grant letter. A grant you cannot find in VEVO is probably fake, however real it looks.
• Accepting "agent" as a title. Without a MARN and an OMARA listing, the person is not a registered migration agent.
• Paying a relative or sponsor for help. Exempt persons may help, but they must not charge a fee.
• Sending a passport photo page to a stranger. Wait until you know the person or company is genuine.
• Planning to "start on a tourist visa". The Australian Embassy warns that working on a visitor visa is illegal.

Frequently asked questions

Can an agent in Jakarta promise that my Australian visa will be approved?

No. Only the Department of Home Affairs grants Australian visas, and Home Affairs says nobody can promise a visa, permanent residency or citizenship. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta calls any such promise a scam sign.

How do I check whether a migration agent is registered?

Ask for the agent's full name and Migration Agents Registration Number (MARN), then search the Register of Migration Agents on the OMARA website. Someone with no MARN and no OMARA listing is not a legitimate migration agent.

Is a visa grant letter sent to me on WhatsApp real?

Do not trust it until you have checked it yourself. ImmiAccount is the only official website for applying, and Home Affairs says a visa grant that cannot be found in VEVO is probably fake.

Can the Australian Embassy in Jakarta help with my visa application?

No. The Embassy does not handle visa or citizenship enquiries. It sends people to immi.homeaffairs.gov.au or to the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196, so anyone claiming a private contact inside the Embassy is a warning sign.

Can I work in Australia on a visitor visa while an agent arranges my work visa?

No. You cannot work in Australia on an ETA or a Visitor visa, and the Embassy says working on a visitor or transit visa is illegal. An agent who suggests this plan is asking you to do something the Embassy calls illegal.

Key takeaways

• Only the Department of Home Affairs grants Australian visas; nobody can promise approval.
• Check every agent's MARN on the OMARA register before paying anything.
• Know the official charge from the Visa Pricing Table and ask for a written breakdown of the rest.
• See your application in ImmiAccount and confirm any grant in VEVO.
• Keep your passport, and never plan to work on a visitor visa.

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