An ABC investigation has uncovered a flourishing black-market in Indonesia that preys on young applicants competing for one of the 5,000 annual Australian Work & Holiday (subclass 462) visas. Middle-men are charging up to AU$5,500 to ‘guarantee’ the government support letter required before lodging – claims that often involve bribery or forged documents.
Victims interviewed said bogus letters were rejected by Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, jeopardising future visa prospects. Demand outstrips supply so acutely that locals now call the brief online application window a ‘visa war’, with servers crashing within minutes of opening.
![‘Visa war’ scams target Indonesians seeking Australia’s Work & Holiday visa]()
Canberra faces diplomatic pressure to assume control of the letter-issuance process, mirroring arrangements with other Work-and-Holiday partner countries. Indonesia’s parliament has scheduled hearings after more than 3,000 formal complaints alleging insider access and IT sabotage.
For Australian employers in agriculture and hospitality the integrity risks are real: hiring a worker who presents fraudulent paperwork can trigger civil penalties if the business “reasonably suspected” fraud. Mobility teams are urged to verify support letters, keep due-diligence records and use VEVO checks once visas are granted.
In the short term, Home Affairs is warning applicants to avoid agents promising shortcuts, reiterating that it never requests payments via social media. Prospective travellers should gather bank statements and English-language certificates well in advance and use only the official portal.
Victims interviewed said bogus letters were rejected by Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, jeopardising future visa prospects. Demand outstrips supply so acutely that locals now call the brief online application window a ‘visa war’, with servers crashing within minutes of opening.
Canberra faces diplomatic pressure to assume control of the letter-issuance process, mirroring arrangements with other Work-and-Holiday partner countries. Indonesia’s parliament has scheduled hearings after more than 3,000 formal complaints alleging insider access and IT sabotage.
For Australian employers in agriculture and hospitality the integrity risks are real: hiring a worker who presents fraudulent paperwork can trigger civil penalties if the business “reasonably suspected” fraud. Mobility teams are urged to verify support letters, keep due-diligence records and use VEVO checks once visas are granted.
In the short term, Home Affairs is warning applicants to avoid agents promising shortcuts, reiterating that it never requests payments via social media. Prospective travellers should gather bank statements and English-language certificates well in advance and use only the official portal.
