PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority

News release
08 April 2026

PNG Immigration is aware of a “misconduct” allegation on social media and will address it administratively.

The Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority (ICSA) has acknowledged the receipt of a complaint raised by a citizen accusing an Immigration Officer for “professional misconduct” and is aware that the same allegation is circulating on social media this week.

The complainant alleged that the officer threatened to cancel his PNG passport and further made reference to cancel his visa into another country.

ICSA is aware of the ongoing personal differences expressed in the social media between the two individuals and wishes to distance itself from their online exchanges. However, ICSA takes
all allegations of misconduct against the Authority or an officer of the Authority very seriously and we will take appropriate steps to address them administratively through the Public Service
code of conduct and ICSA HR Policy.

In response to the allegations of professional misconduct by the officer, ICSA wishes to state that the alleged statement by the officer is inappropriate and misleading. This is not how we
conduct our compliance and enforcement business under the laws that we administer. It is a misrepresentation of the ‘Authority’, the Chief Migration Officer and the Minister for Immigration
and Border Security.

Work performed by any ICSA officer is strictly governed by the relevant laws we administer, and all legal authority vested in an officer must be exercised with utmost responsibility and in
a transparent and accountable manner.

On the alleged threats by an officer to cancel a PNG passport, we want to inform our citizens that only the Minister responsible for the administration of the PNG Passport Act has the legal
powers to refuse an application for a PNG passport or cancel a valid PNG passport that has been issued to a citizen. Even these powers by the Minister must be exercised responsibly.

APPROVED FOR RELEASE

Public announcement to the West Papuans in Milnebay and Madang provinces.

Invitation to Major companies in Morobe province to attend the Sponsor Portal workshop.

We will be hosting a one-day workshop on the Sponsor Portal in Lae, Morobe province on the 20th of this month and we are extending an open invitation to all major companies in Morobe province to register your interest.

The Sponsor Portal is the new electronic platform that we rolled-out that enables companies to lodge applications for work visa - previously it was work permit.

The aim of this workshop is to train company’s representatives on how to correctly use the portal, the work visa requirements, and to have physical interaction with the companies to understand their challenges, provide feedbacks and ensure ongoing compliance with Migration Laws and regulations.

The details of the one-day workshop are as follows:

Venue: Lae International Hotel, Lae, Morobe Province
Date: 20 February, 2026
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm

Attendance is restricted to only two representatives per company. For RSVP, please email [email protected]

Rosso welcomes new PNG citizens

22 people received their citizenship certificates and approval documents from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and Immigration, Hon. John Rosso, in a ceremony in Port Moresby today (13 February, 2026).

The 22 people were part of 59 successful applicants who had their citizenship and approval documents granted by Hon. Rosso on Thursday, 12 February 2026.

“5 of those 59 people were seeking dual citizenship with Papua New Guinea, 26 had applied to be naturalized citizens of PNG, and 28 were PNG citizens who required approval to hold
dual citizenship with other countries that PNG has dual citizenship arrangements with.

“From the 22 recipients here today, 8 are West Papuans. In fact, from the overall 26 naturalised citizens, 25 are West Papuans.”

Hon. Rosso welcomed all the recipients to the ceremony which marked the successful completion of the citizenship application process.

“As I’ve said in previous ceremonies, citizenship provides you with rights, and comes with responsibilities. Respect the laws of this country. Be upstanding and productive citizens. You have a duty of care, and loyalty, to Papua New Guinea.

“Some of you naturalised and dual citizens, have been in PNG for many, many years. So the application process, and this event, is just a formality, confirming what you and those who know you have always known, and that is that you are, very much, Papua New Guinean. You were always Papua New Guinean at heart, now it’s on paper.”

“To those PNG citizens who have received approval to hold dual citizenship with other countries that PNG has dual citizenship arrangements with, I ask you to continue to contribute
meaningfully to this country,” he said.

Currently, the prescribed list of countries that PNG has dual citizenship arrangements with are; Australia, Fiji, Germany, New Zealand, Samoa, United Kingdom, United States of America,
and Vanuatu.

“The Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority is working on amendments to the Citizenship Act, to include more countries to our prescribed list of countries for dual citizenship,” Hon. Rosso said.

“We are also working on changes to make re-gaining or resumption of citizenship for genuine Papua New Guineans, easier.
“All this is being considered, while still ensuring that the citizenship process, which is a constitutional one, is effective and robust.

“When you recite the Declaration of Loyalty to Papua New Guinea today, you will promise to uphold the Constitution and the laws of this country. I ask that you take that oath seriously.

“A country is only as good as its people.

“God Bless Papua New Guinea.”

CALLING OUT WEST PAPUANS IN NCD

This announcement goes out to the West Papuan community residing in the National Capital District. The following persons are to make your way the PNG Immigration Headquarters in Waigani to undergo the Renunciation and Declaration of Loyalty processes in order to receive your citizenship certificates:

1. Martinus ARNARI
2 Simson AURI
3 Petrus AYAMISEBA
4 Annamlna BONGGOIBO
5 Martha BONGGOIBO
6 Hermanus BONGGOIBO
7 Steven Marthinus BONGGOIBO
8 Hofney BUARA
9 Dauda FONATABA
10 Joko Peter FOSSAY
11 Monalisa IREEUW
12 Michael KARETH
13 Dony KARUNI
14 Caroline KARUNI
15 Efer KARUNI
16. Herman KARURI
17 Fernando KARURI
18. Elizabeth KARURI
19 Elias KUARA
20. Julius LANTA
21. Susan LANTA
22. Roy WAKUM
23. Irianny WARWAR
24. Herman WARWAR
25. Joshua WARWAR

Dates:
Wednesday 14th January 2026; Thursday 15th January 2026; Friday 16th January 2026.

Time: 9am – 10am Location: Central Government Office, Melanesian Way, Waigani, NCD

For further information regarding this, you may contact the Citizenship Advisory Committee Secretariat via the following:
Email: [email protected] or Telephone: 3276129 or Mobile number: 77263905

*Ensure to bring a photo ID with you when you come

INTRODUCING PASSPORT STATUS ONLINE TRACKER AND THE SPEED IDENTITY CAPTURE

We are pleased to introduce two new initiatives that will improve client service and better experience for Papua New Guinea citizens.

1. Passport Status Online Tracker
Citizens can now be able to check the status of their passport application online using the Passport Status Online Tracker. To check your passport application status, you have to visit the PNG Immigration website www.ica.gov.pg using your computer or your smartphone and click on the link on the home page or type status.ica.gov.pg and enter your passport application receipt number.

The status will be available 24 hours after you lodged your application. The tracker allows you to see exactly where your application is in the process, giving you confidence and peace of mind. You can visit the Passport Office to collect your passport once the tracker indicated that your passport is ready.

This new initiative will reduce the queue and will save people time and effort. This tool is part of our commitment to providing modern, easy-to-use online services for our citizens.

2. Speed Identity Capture
The Speed Identity Capture is a new digital tool introduced to capture your Passport photo electronically. This tool is currently rolled out at our Passport Office at Koitachi House in Gordons, Port Moresby and in our Momase Regional Office in Lae, Morobe province.

Walk-in clients will now be asked to have their passport photos and signature captured using this Speed Identity Capture tool. With this tool, your photo and signature will automatically transfer to the system and captured in your application.

This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to modernize the passport and transition it from Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) to Electronic Passport (ePassport). PNG ICSA aims to introduce the ePassport towards the end of 2026, subject to meeting all international standards, compliance and regulatory requirements and funding.

We thank the Government and the Members of the Parliament for the recent passage of the Passport Bill 2025 which will enable ICSA to commence implementation of the ePassport and related projects.

ICSA - Search

NEWS RELEASE: ICSA confirms extraction of over 100 Foreign Nationals engaged in alluvial mining in Morobe province

The Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority (ICSA) has confirmed the extraction of over 100 suspected foreign nationals who were unlawfully engaged in alluvial mining activities in Morobe province.

A total of 105 suspects, all of a single nationality, were apprehended in five illegal mining sites along the Sambio river in the Wau Waria district in Morobe province. The operation was conducted in the early hours of yesterday morning through an intelligence-led joint effort between PNG Immigration and the Police.

Chief Migration Officer, Wellington Navasivu, confirmed that the individuals arrived in Port Moresby at mid-day today (29th October 2025) and are held in immigration detention awaiting administrative removal from the country.

The suspects were found to be in breach of several provisions under the Migration Act and the Employment of Non-Citizens Act. The breach includes working at unauthorised locations, absence of valid work permit documentation, engagement in employment inconsistent with visa conditions and providing false information to immigration officers.

The Chief Migration Officer said the suspects were flown to Port Moresby today and will be held in detention until all administrative processes are completed and they will be removed from the country.

“We will ensure the individuals are placed on alert and will not return,” Mr Navasivu gave his assurance. “The company and their sponsors who brought them into the country will be held responsible and necessary administrative and compliance charges will apply”.

The ICSA reiterates its commitment to upholding the integrity of Papua New Guinea’s immigration laws and ensuring that all non-citizens comply with legal requirements whilst in the country.

CALLING OUT WEST PAPUANS IN PORT MORESBY

This announcement goes out to the West Papuan community residing in the National Capital District. The following persons are to make your way our Headquarters in Waigani, Central Government Office, to undergo the Renunciation and Declaration of Loyalty processes in order to receive your citizenship certificates:

1 Berlinda YANDE
2 Anton MOKBIRAN
3 Robby SAYORI
4 Yokob MURAFER
5 Rita SORONTOW
6 Max MAMBRASAR
7 Boni Bobby BONSAPIA
8 Ottis KARENI
9 Irma Beatrix IREEUW
10 Octovina KARURI
11 Fabiola TAFOR
12 Yance IREEUW
13 Arnoldus SIRFEFA
14 John Ambrose KAIOM
15 Steven AMUNIAN
16. John WALILO
17 Esti ATASOA
18. Frank Moses BONSAPIA
19 Yustin AWOM
20. Doreen FONATABA
21. Hennie Hanna SAKORA
22. Jacobus GWIYAGE
23. Samuel MALLO
24. John SAMAI
25. Denis KOSNAN
26. Hermina Yolentha OMBA
27. Arnoldus OMBA
28. Fred MAMBRASAR
29. Paul KOSNAN
30. Olviana Fonataba TEKWIE

📆Dates: Tuesday 7th October to Friday 10th October 2025.
⌚️Time: 10am – 12 noon & 1pm – 2pm

For further information, contact the Citizenship Advisory Committee Secretariat on:
Email: [email protected] or Telephone: 3276129 or Mobile number: 77263905

*Ensure to bring a photo ID with you when you come 👌

PNG launch the Digital Arrival Card

The Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority today officially launch the PNG Digital Arrival Card (PNGDAC).

The PNGDAC replaces the old paper arrival card with a secure, online platform.

From now onwards, passengers travelling to PNG can conveniently complete their arrival card digitally in 72 hours prior to boarding.
The Digital Arrival Card makes travel easier and same time gives the Border Agencies (Immigration, Customs & Quarantine) faster access to accurate passenger information.

Inbound passengers can access the PNGDAC on our website ica.gov.pg or scan the barcode to fill in the required information at least three days prior to arrival.

Visit ica.gov.pg for more information.