Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Affairs are exploring a major overhaul of visa administration for international students in a bid s to boost Indonesia's competitiveness in the ASEAN region by replacing complex administrative hurdles with a more streamlined and transparent system.

"We want to increase the number of foreign students coming to Indonesia; therefore, the administrative process must be reformed. Campuses should focus on academics, while service systems need to be simpler and faster," Hermawan K. Dipojono, Expert Staff to the Minister, said on Tuesday (3/3/2026), as cited by antaranews.com.

A key proposal under discussion is the transformation of the sponsorship role, allowing students to apply and pay for visas independently using their Letter of Acceptance (LoA). Other potential reforms include lowering student visa fees, providing "zero-rupiah" immigration components for scholarship recipients at state universities, and eliminating the requirement to exit the country when changing study levels. 

Furthermore, the ministry is considering allowing international students to work part-time in academic roles, such as research or teaching assistants, to foster a "brain circulation" of global talent within Indonesia.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)