Vince McMahon, first assistant secretary of DIAC's border security division, said ETA and APP are unique systems.

"We screen more than 99 per cent of air and sea arrivals coming to Australia, incorporating all 47 airlines that fly into Australia," McMahon said.

"Australia is a pioneer in the electronic visa regime; starting with overseas students and working holiday makers who could apply online for a visa, the technology has been well received, vastly reducing waiting times and manual processing demands on DIAC staff, while security procedures have remained paramount.

An estimated 3.5 million ETAs are issued by Australia each year, with 26 million issued since the system was established in 1996. The APP system was introduced in 1998 and now processes in excess of 15 million travellers a year.

We are in discussions on border security solutions with a number of nations, including government agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom."