For companies hiring foreign professionals in Indonesia, one of the less glamorous parts of doing business has traditionally been navigating different government systems for different stages of the process.
That may soon become a little easier.
On 9 September 2026, the Indonesian government announced plans to integrate the Online Single Submission (OSS) system with the Ministry of Manpower’s SIAPKerja and the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections’ All Indonesia platform.
The planned integration covers several important stages of the foreign-worker process, including the Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing (RPTKA), VITAS, ITAS and ITAP.
The government is targeting a processing time of around four to five days once the integrated system is operational.
For employers, particularly companies with foreign employees or PT PMA structures, the change could make the administrative journey easier to follow.
There is, however, an important distinction: one digital entry point does not mean one approval.
So, What Exactly Is Changing?
At present, foreign-worker administration crosses two main regulatory areas.
The Ministry of Manpower oversees employment-related requirements, including the RPTKA, while Immigration handles the relevant visa and stay-permit processes.
Under the planned system, OSS is expected to act as the starting point, connecting the manpower information with SIAPKerja and the immigration-related information with All Indonesia.
Think of it less as the government creating a brand-new “super permit” and more as connecting several existing pieces of the administrative puzzle.
The RPTKA does not disappear. Immigration approval does not disappear. The systems simply become more closely connected. For businesses, that distinction matters.
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SIAPKerja Is Still Part of the Picture
SIAPKerja remains the Ministry of Manpower’s side of the process.
The system is connected to the RPTKA process, which establishes the employer’s legal basis for employing a foreign worker in a particular position.
Under the planned model, an employer would start through OSS, with relevant manpower information then moving into SIAPKerja for assessment by the Ministry of Manpower.
In other words, SIAPKerja is not being thrown away. It is expected to become part of a wider digital pathway.
This makes the accuracy of company and employee information increasingly important. If a company’s information, job title or foreign worker details differ between documents, a more connected system will not magically make the discrepancy disappear.
Where Does All Indonesia Come In?
On the immigration side, the planned integration will involve All Indonesia.
The platform is expected to connect with procedures involving VITAS, ITAS and ITAP. VITAS refers to a Limited Stay Visa, while ITAS is a Limited Stay Permit commonly associated with KITAS status. ITAP refers to a Permanent Stay Permit for foreign nationals who qualify under the applicable immigration rules.
Again, the system itself does not replace Immigration’s role.
The idea is to connect the information and applications while allowing each authority to continue carrying out its own assessment and approval.
For foreign professionals, much of this change may happen behind the scenes. For employers and HR teams, however, the integration could eventually mean fewer disconnected administrative steps.
What Happens to the RPTKA, VITAS, ITAS and ITAP?
The simplest way to understand the reform is that these documents and processes remain relevant.
RPTKA
The employer’s basis for utilising a foreign worker in a particular role.
VITAS
The Limited Stay Visa used for eligible foreign nationals entering Indonesia for a limited-stay purpose.
ITAS
The Limited Stay Permit associated with the foreign national’s immigration status and, where applicable, KITAS.
ITAP
The Permanent Stay Permit, available only where the foreign national meets the relevant requirements.
So while people may casually refer to the whole process as getting an “Indonesia work permit”, the legal reality remains more nuanced.
Employment authorisation and immigration permission are separate functions, even when the technology connecting them becomes integrated.
Will It Really Take Only Five Days?
That is the government’s target.
The planned integrated process is expected to have a processing period of approximately four to five days. For businesses, a more predictable timeframe could make it easier to plan international recruitment, employee onboarding, project launches and travel arrangements.
But employers should avoid treating five days as a guaranteed approval deadline.
The target concerns processing. It does not remove the possibility of additional review where documentation is incomplete, information is inconsistent or an application does not satisfy the relevant requirements.
When Will the New System Start?
The government is targeting the end of September 2026 for the rollout.
The announcement followed the signing of two Joint Decrees involving the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, and the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming/BKPM.
One focuses on integrating OSS, SIAPKerja and All Indonesia, while the other establishes a Technical Integration Team to support implementation.
Until the integrated system is formally operational and transition instructions are published, companies with applications already underway should continue following the existing procedures.
What Should Companies Do Now?
For employers, the waiting period before implementation is actually a useful opportunity.
Companies preparing to hire foreign workers can review their OSS company information, business licences, proposed positions, employment arrangements, RPTKA documentation and immigration paperwork.
Passport details, job titles and company information should also be consistent across supporting documents.
This is particularly relevant for PT PMA companies. Having a PT PMA does not automatically give a company unrestricted authority to employ foreign workers in every position. Position-specific, manpower, immigration and business requirements continue to apply.
A More Connected System, Rather Than a Looser One
Indonesia’s 2026 reform is ultimately about connectivity.
OSS is expected to become the front door, while SIAPKerja and All Indonesia continue to support their respective manpower and immigration functions.
For companies, that could mean a smoother journey through what has historically been a multi-system process. But the fundamentals remain: the position must qualify, the company information must be accurate, the employment arrangement must comply with the relevant rules, and the foreign worker’s immigration status must match the legal basis for their employment.
For businesses preparing for the change, getting the paperwork right may prove just as important as understanding the new technology.
LMI Consultancy provides Immigration Consultation, Legal and Business Setup Consultation, and Tax Consultation in Indonesia and ASEAN, supporting companies and foreign nationals with business establishment, foreign-worker arrangements, immigration and tax compliance.
