← All posts

PMI nonprosedural: is the shortcut abroad worth what Indonesian workers can lose?

Tips · 2026-10-20 · 10 min read

"PMI nonprosedural" means an Indonesian migrant worker who went abroad outside the legal procedure: recruited by an unlicensed calo, sent on the wrong visa, or never registered. The route can look faster, but it costs you the protection the official system gives. KP2MI lists the risks plainly: human trafficking, financial loss, violence, labour exploitation and no legal protection. Below you will find what the shortcut looks like in practice, what each risk means for work in Australia or New Zealand, and how to switch to the official route, even if you have already started.

What "nonprosedural" means in Indonesian law

Under Law No. 18 of 2017, a Pekerja Migran Indonesia (PMI) is any Indonesian citizen who will do, is doing or has done paid work outside Indonesia. A person still preparing to leave is a CPMI, a prospective migrant worker.

"Nonprosedural" is the official word for placement outside that legal procedure. It is not slang. KP2MI's history page names the fight against syndicates that send workers abroad this way as BP2MI's main protection theme.

Four ways workers slip onto the non-procedural route

Most people do not choose to go "illegally". They take one shortcut that someone presents as normal.

A calo who works alone

Article 69 of Law No. 18 of 2017 prohibits individuals from placing Indonesian migrant workers. Placement is only for the government Agency, a licensed P3MI or a company sending workers for its own business (Article 49). A friendly middleman who "knows an employer in Perth" is outside that list, however helpful he seems. Our earlier guide on checking a job offer before you pay walks through the warning signs.

"Go on a visitor visa, the job is waiting"

You cannot work in Australia on an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or a Visitor visa. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta warns that working on a visitor or transit visa is illegal, and that travel routes through another Southeast Asian country or by boat suggested by agents are scams.

Skipping registration because it "takes too long"

The SISKOP2MI FAQ says Indonesian migrant workers must be registered with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, as Law No. 18 of 2017 requires. Workers who skip SISKOP2MI also skip the pre-departure orientation (OPP) and never receive the E-PMI, the record that shows they are officially a PMI.

Handing over your passport

The Embassy lists requests to hand over your passport among its scam signs, together with contact through social media or WhatsApp and a job promised on arrival. Australia's Scamwatch advises never sending your passport or identity documents to an employer or recruitment firm unless you are certain they are genuine.

Official route or shortcut: what changes at each step

The difference is easier to see side by side.

The five risks KP2MI warns about, in plain words

KP2MI's Migran Aman page on the risks of illegal placement names five dangers. Here is what each one means for someone heading to Australia or New Zealand.

Human trafficking

The people who organise non-procedural trips decide where you go, who holds your documents and who you owe. That control is what makes trafficking possible. A worker with a registered placement and their own passport is much harder to trap.

Financial loss

Calo fees, "visa processing" payments and debts for flights are often lost for good. Destination rules also forbid many of these payments: in Australia it is illegal to pay an employer to sponsor you, including through salary deductions, and cashback schemes are illegal. New Zealand employers cannot charge you fees for a job, even through a third party. If money is your worry, our guide on what the law says about placement fees explains your rights in Indonesia.

Violence

A worker who is afraid of being found "illegal" is less likely to report abuse. That fear is exactly what abusive employers and syndicates count on.

Labour exploitation

Low pay, unpaid hours and long shifts are easier to impose on someone with no contract on record. In Australia, visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights as every other employee, including pay, leave and final pay. In New Zealand, everyone, migrants included, has the same minimum employment rights. Those rights are far easier to use when your visa and contract are genuine.

No legal protection

Without a SISKOP2MI registration, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan membership or an E-PMI, there is no official record linking you to your job abroad. If something goes wrong, you start from nothing. On the visa side, Home Affairs says people who take part in visa fraud through a scam agent risk refusal or cancellation and a ban from Australia for up to 10 years.

Going without an agency is legal: the PMI Perseorangan route

Avoiding the non-procedural route does not mean you must use a P3MI. Article 63 of Law No. 18 of 2017 lets an individual PMI (PMI Perseorangan) work abroad for an employer that is a legal entity, with no placement agency in between.

There are two conditions to take seriously. You carry the employment risks yourself, and you must report to the manpower office and the Indonesian mission. Doing it yourself is allowed; doing it secretly is not the same thing.

The basic requirements are the same for everyone. Under Article 5 you must be at least 18 years old, have the competence for the job, be physically and mentally healthy, be registered with a social security membership number and have the complete documents. Article 13 lists them: marital status letter, permission from your spouse, parent or guardian known to the village head, work competency certificate, health and psychology certificate, passport, work visa, placement agreement and employment contract.

A sponsored job with a real employer fits this route well. Australian employers who sponsor a Skills in Demand (482) visa pay all the costs of sponsoring and nominating you and cannot pass them on to you. Live examples on our site include a carpenter job in Cairns and a flooring installer job in Christchurch. JobsAbroad Indonesia is a job platform, not a P3MI: you apply to the employer, and you still complete the Indonesian procedure yourself.

How to get on the official route, step by step

This order follows SISKOP2MI's own steps, with two checks added at the start and the end.

1. Before you register anywhere or hand over original documents, check the company and the vacancy on KP2MI's Cek Legalitas page. It shows a P3MI's licence status and whether a vacancy is official.
2. Create an account on SISKOP2MI using your population data based on your NIK.
3. Search the vacancies and go through selection. Have an English CV ready that lists your trade, tools and years of experience; Build AI CV can help you write one in clear English.
4. Complete the required documents, including BPJS Ketenagakerjaan membership. If a police certificate is needed, your SKCK is valid for up to 6 months from the date of issue, so time it well.
5. Attend the Orientasi Pra Pemberangkatan (OPP), the pre-departure orientation.
6. Receive your E-PMI, the record that shows you are officially a PMI.
7. Before you fly, check the visa yourself: an Australian grant that cannot be found in VEVO is probably fake, and a New Zealand visa can be checked with Immigration New Zealand's Visa Verification service.

Prefer to ask in person? KP2MI's regional BP3MI offices and P4MI posts are listed in the SISKOP2MI FAQ.

Already paid a calo or already abroad? What to do now

It is not too late to ask for help. Save these contacts today, before you need them.

• KP2MI call centre: 08001000 from within Indonesia, +6221-29244800 from abroad, and the complaints WhatsApp 0811-8080-141.
• In Australia: KBRI Canberra, KJRI Melbourne, KJRI Perth, KJRI Sydney and KRI Darwin.
• In New Zealand: the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, 70 Glen Road, Kelburn, Wellington, phone (04) 475 8697.
• For workplace problems in Australia, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94. An employer cannot cancel your visa; only Home Affairs can.

If the problem is an agent selling you an Australian visa, read our guide to checking a WhatsApp visa agent, and see the Home Affairs visa scam guidance.

Common mistakes that turn a plan into a non-procedural trip

• Trusting a calo because everyone knows him. Being well known is not a licence. Only the three placement actors in Article 49, or you yourself as a PMI Perseorangan, are on the legal route.
• Thinking "no agency" means "no rules". A PMI Perseorangan still reports to the manpower office and the Indonesian mission.
• Leaving on a visitor visa to "sort out the job later". You cannot work in Australia on a Visitor visa or an ETA.
• Handing over original documents before checking. Migran Aman says to check that the company and vacancy are registered before you hand over originals or pay anything.
• Treating BPJS Ketenagakerjaan as optional. The law requires it for migrant workers.
• Believing a visa promise. Anyone who promises you an Australian visa is misleading you; only the Department of Home Affairs grants them.

Frequently asked questions

What does PMI nonprosedural mean?

It describes an Indonesian migrant worker placed abroad outside the legal procedure. "Nonprosedural" is the official word for that kind of placement, and KP2MI names the syndicates behind it as its main protection theme.

Can I work abroad without going through a P3MI?

Yes. Article 63 of Law No. 18 of 2017 allows an individual PMI (PMI Perseorangan) to work for an employer that is a legal entity without a placement agency. You then carry the employment risks yourself and must report to the manpower office and the Indonesian mission.

Can I fly to Australia on a visitor visa and look for a sponsor there?

You cannot work in Australia on an ETA or a Visitor visa. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta also warns that working on a visitor or transit visa is illegal, so a plan built on "go first, find work later" puts your future visas at risk.

I am already working abroad without registering. Who can I contact?

Contact KP2MI on +6221-29244800 from abroad, or on its complaints WhatsApp 0811-8080-141. In Australia you can also reach KBRI Canberra or the consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Darwin, and in New Zealand the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington.

Does JobsAbroad Indonesia register me as a PMI?

No. JobsAbroad Indonesia is not an Indonesian placement agency (P3MI) and does not handle Indonesian government placement procedures for you. Check which Indonesian rules apply to you with the official government sources before you leave.

Key takeaways

• "Nonprosedural" means placement outside the legal procedure, and KP2MI treats it as its main fight.
• KP2MI's five risks: human trafficking, financial loss, violence, labour exploitation and no legal protection.
• Individuals may not place migrant workers, but you may go yourself as a PMI Perseorangan if you report.
• The official route runs through Cek Legalitas, SISKOP2MI, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, OPP and the E-PMI.
• Check your visa in VEVO or with Visa Verification before you fly, and save KP2MI's numbers now.

#pmi nonprosedural #migran aman #kp2mi #illegal placement #calo #indonesian workers