Jakarta. Indonesia's anti-corruption agency is investigating allegations that immigration officials in Bali demanded unofficial payments from visa agents to process residence permits and other immigration documents for foreign nationals, expanding a corruption probe that has already implicated several senior immigration officials.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said investigators on Friday questioned two witnesses from visa service agencies in Bali regarding alleged "click fees" — informal payments allegedly required to process immigration applications at the Ngurah Rai and Denpasar immigration offices.

KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said the witnesses, both associated with local visa service businesses, were questioned over allegations that officials requested payments beyond the official non-tax state revenue fees charged for immigration services.

Investigators are examining allegations that visa agents were required to make additional payments in order to secure the processing of applications for temporary stay permits (KITAS), permanent residence permits (KITAP), visit permits and visa-on-arrival documents.

"If the agencies did not provide additional payments, the applications would not be processed," Budi said.

According to the KPK, the unofficial payments ranged from Rp 100,000 ($6) to Rp 2.5 million per application, depending on the type of immigration document being processed.

Investigators allege that officials deliberately delayed applications by refusing to "click" or approve them in the ministry's electronic immigration system unless additional payments were made. The practice became known internally as "click money," referring to payments required to advance applications through the digital system.

The anti-graft agency is also tracing the flow of the alleged payments to determine whether funds were distributed beyond local immigration offices.

"There is information indicating that the money collected from agents was pooled and distributed, including to officials at higher levels," Budi said.

The KPK has alleged that payments were shared among staff members and supervisors, with some distributions occurring on a weekly basis.

The investigation forms part of a wider corruption probe involving the processing of residence permits for foreign nationals between 2022 and 2026.

The agency has named eight suspects, including former deputy immigration minister and former immigration director-general Silmy Karim, who investigators allege received weekly payments of Rp 100 million.

Other suspects include current and former senior immigration officials responsible for residence permits and immigration status services.

The KPK estimates that the alleged scheme generated approximately Rp 145.5 billion ($8.1 million) in illicit payments.