Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority

What Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority does

Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority (ICA) is a statutory government authority, operating under the Migration Act 1978, that serves as the sole agency responsible for managing PNG's borders, immigration processing, citizenship administration, and passport issuance. It serves four primary customer segments: foreign nationals seeking entry to PNG (via visas, work permits, and permanent residence), PNG citizens (via passport services and dual citizenship), PNG employers and sponsors (work permit and employment visa sponsorship), and West Papuan refugees and asylum seekers (registration and naturalization). The authority is led by Chief Migration Officer Stanis Hulahau and reports to the Minister for Immigration, with the current portfolio held by Deputy Prime Minister Hon. John Rosso.

ICA's service platform is built around integrated digital systems: the eVisa Portal (online visa applications for visitor, business, employment, and other visa classes), the Sponsor Portal (launched November 2023, merging work permit and working resident visa applications into a single employer-facing product), the MICA (My ICA) online payment gateway (with processing handled by Kina Bank), and the PNG Digital Arrival Card (PNGDAC) launched October 2025 to replace paper-based arrival cards. These digital channels are complemented by a global distribution network of 23+ overseas missions and posts across Oceania, Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East, plus domestic counter services at the Waigani headquarters and the Koitachi Haus passport collection office.

ICA's revenue model is hybrid: it is fundamentally funded through government budgetary allocations as a state entity, while collecting transaction-based Migration Service Fees (visas, work permits, passports, permanent residence, citizenship, APEC Business Travel Cards) that flow to government treasury. All visa fees were transitioned to USD equivalents in November 2019. The authority has signed MOUs with the Internal Revenue Commission, Investment Promotion Authority, and National Gaming Control Board to enable cross-agency information sharing and enforcement coordination. Customer outcome metrics include 7,568 West Papuan refugees registered and 3,127 citizenships granted since 2015, and participation in the APEC Business Travel Card scheme covering 19 economies.

Name

Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority

Legal name

Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority

Website

https://ica.gov.pg

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Papua New Guinea's statutory government authority that exclusively manages immigration, visas, work permits, citizenship, and passport services through digital platforms (eVisa, Sponsor Portal, MICA, PNGDAC) and a global network of 23+ overseas missions and domestic offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Immigration & Citizenship Administration

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration, Citizenship & Border Administration (Civil) (BPAIAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visa, Immigration Liaison & Travel Document Policy (Foreign Affairs) (BPAIAIAL), Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB)

Keywords

• Immigration services
• Visa processing
• Citizenship administration
• Passport services
• Border management

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Moresby (Waigani)

HQ country

Papua New Guinea

HQ region

Oceania

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Visa and Entry Permit Fees: Migration Service Fees charged for various visa and entry permit classes, including visitor visas, business visas, employment visas, and extensions. Effective November 2019, all fees are charged in USD equivalents and paid via the online payment gateway.
2. Passport Fees: Fees for PNG passport applications, including standard processing and fast processing options. Standard fee is K100, with additional fees for fast processing or re-issue of lost/stolen/damaged passports.
3. Work Permit Fees: Fees for new work permit applications, renewals, bridging permits, and replacements. Fee structure updated January 2021. K300 renewal fee, K300 replacement fee for APEC cards.
4. Permanent Residence Application Fees: Application fee of K5,780 for permanent residence, plus K255 for re-evidencing entry permit in new passport.
5. Citizenship Application Fees: Fee of K10,000 for citizenship by naturalization application, payable at Vulupindi Haus.
6. ABTC Application Fees: Migration Service Fee of K400 for APEC Business Travel Card applications for PNG citizens.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority (ICA) is the sole government statutory authority responsible for managing Papua New Guinea's borders in relation to the movement of persons. It processes visa and entry permit applications, issues PNG passports, administers citizenship and permanent residence applications, conducts integrity checking, and carries out immigration compliance and enforcement. Services are delivered through in-person counters at the Waigani head office, a network of 23+ overseas missions worldwide, and digital platforms including the eVisa Portal, Sponsor Portal, MICA online payment system, and the PNG Digital Arrival Card.

Product overview

The Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority (ICA) operates a platform of integrated digital services for immigration and citizenship management. The core product portfolio includes the eVisa Portal for online visa applications, the Sponsor Portal (launched November 2023) which merged work permits and employment visas into a single application product, the MICA online payment system for Migration Service Fees, and the PNG Digital Arrival Card (PNGDAC) launched October 2025. Supporting services include APEC Business Travel Card management (including a mobile Virtual ABTC), PNG Passport status checking, and an Online Fraud Report system. Visa products offered include Visitor, Business, Employment, Special Exemption, Student, and Journalist visas. Additional services cover citizenship applications (including dual citizenship), permanent residence, and work permits. All services are accessed through the ica.gov.pg website and associated portals, with payment processing handled through Kina Bank.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eVisa Portal Electronic visa application portal enabling travellers worldwide to submit digital visa applications online. Supports new applications, existing application login, and visa approval status checking for visitor, business, employment, and other entry permit classes.
• Sponsor Portal Web-based platform merging work permit and working resident visa into a single application product, enabling PNG employers and sponsors to submit combined work permit and employment visa applications online.
• MICA (My ICA) Online Payment System Online payment gateway account system for Migration Service Fees. Enables users to register accounts, pay visa and permit fees in USD, track payment history, and submit support tickets.
• PNG Digital Arrival Card (PNGDAC) Digital arrival card system replacing traditional paper-based arrival cards for travellers arriving in Papua New Guinea. Free of charge; available online up to 72 hours before arrival and at airport kiosks.
• APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Business travel card scheme providing PNG citizens pre-cleared entry to participating APEC economies, fast-track processing, and multiple short-term entries with minimum 59 days stay per visit.
• Virtual APEC Business Travel Card (VABTC) Mobile-based virtual version of the APEC Business Travel Card allowing card holders to securely display their ABTC on mobile devices.
• Visitor Visa Single-entry visa for holiday-makers, sportspersons, and non-commercial film-makers visiting PNG for tourism or family visits. Valid for 60 days.
• Business Visa Visa for individuals conducting short-term business activities in PNG including trade missions, selling goods and services, and negotiating business setup. Valid for 30 days single entry.
• Employment Visa Visa for individuals engaging in paid employment in PNG. Requires a valid work permit and employment visa before commencing work; lodged through the Sponsor Portal.
• Special Exemption Visa Visa for individuals undertaking approved paid or unpaid activities including foreign officials, diplomats, MSG members, aid agency workers, volunteers, missionaries, and researchers.
• PNG Passport Services PNG passport application, renewal, and processing services for citizens, including standard and fast processing options and downloadable application forms.
• Citizenship Services Citizenship application services including naturalization, descent registration, marriage-based citizenship, dual citizenship with approved countries, and investor/sportsperson pathways.
• Permanent Residence Services Long-term residency services for CEOs, business investors, skilled professionals, missionaries, retirees, spouses of PNG citizens, and children of citizens.
• Work Permit Services Work permit application, renewal, bridging permit, and cancellation services, including downloadable application forms with colour-coded processing requirements.
• Visa on Arrival Visa-on-arrival facility available to passport holders from specified countries, issued at Jackson's International Airport and Wutung land border post.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7568 West Papuan refugees registered since 2015 as part of nationwide naturalization project
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Gaming Control Board (NGCB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU between ICA and NGCB to combat illegal activities by foreign nationals. Signed April 2022 to strengthen cooperation between immigration enforcement and gaming regulation.
• Internal Revenue Commission (IRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU between ICA and IRC for cooperation and information sharing related to tax compliance and immigration matters.
• Investment Promotion Authority (IPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU between ICA and IPA to strengthen ongoing cooperation. Supports verification of foreign enterprise registration and business activities in PNG.
• Kina BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processor for ICA's online payment system (MICA). Handles all card payment processing. ICA does not store card information - all transactions processed through Kina Bank's certified payment gateway.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tonga Ministry of Immigration: Tonga's immigration ministry handles visa, work permit, and citizenship services with a small-team, regional mandate comparable to PNG ICA. Another Pacific peer with similar scale and operating constraints.
• Vanuatu Department of Immigration: Vanuatu's immigration department manages visa, work permit, and citizenship services for another small Pacific nation with comparable scale and tourism-driven visa programs. Directly comparable mandate and regional positioning.
• Immigration Fiji: Fiji's national immigration authority with comparable mandate covering visa processing, work permits, citizenship, and border management for another Pacific Island nation. Most functionally similar peer given shared regional context and small-island state scale.
• Kiribati Immigration: Kiribati's immigration authority manages similar functions across an even more geographically dispersed Pacific nation. Compares on mandate structure and small-island-state scale, though operations are smaller.
• Solomon Islands Immigration Division: Solomon Islands immigration authority, a direct Pacific neighbor of PNG with similar Pacific Island state scale, geographic dispersion challenges, and small-staff mandate.
• Samoa Immigration Division: Samoa's immigration division handles visas, work permits, and citizenship for a Pacific Island nation with similar population scale and diaspora dynamics to PNG. Direct functional parallel in a Pacific regional context.

Broad incumbents

• Immigration & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore: Singapore ICA (notably sharing the ICA acronym) is a much larger, more digitized immigration and checkpoints authority in the Asia-Pacific region, often cited as a regional benchmark for digital immigration services that smaller Pacific authorities like PNG ICA aspire toward.
• Australia Department of Home Affairs (Immigration): Australia's immigration function sits within a much larger federal department with vastly greater resources, but oversees the same core visa, citizenship, and border management activities and serves as a regional reference point for PNG's overseas mission operations.
• Immigration New Zealand: New Zealand's immigration service operates at significantly larger scale within a comparable developed Pacific economy, providing a reference model for visa digitalization and skilled migration programs that border PNG's sphere.
• Indonesia Directorate General of Immigration: Indonesia's immigration directorate handles visa, citizenship, and border management for a much larger Southeast Asian nation but shares regional proximity with PNG and overlapping visa reciprocal arrangements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/papua-new-guinea-immigration-citizenshiip-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority