Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is expanding the use of its Immi App, a mobile application that allows eligible visa applicants to submit passport details and facial biometrics directly from their smartphones instead of visiting a biometric collection center. The app, available for iOS and Android, is designed for applicants who receive a “Requirement to provide personal identifiers” notice as part of their visa process.
The Immi App captures a live facial image using the device camera and collects passport information, including data stored in the document’s electronic chip where applicable. The captured data is transmitted to Home Affairs and then deleted from the app, with applicants able to receive confirmation by email once the submission is complete. When everything is in order, the department says applicants can avoid an in-person appointment and see their ImmiAccount updated, often within about a day.
Home Affairs has been rolling out the app in phases. It initially piloted the tool in a limited set of countries and, more recently, expanded availability across additional parts of the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Latin America, and South Asia. Current reporting indicates that the app is now available to applicants in 34 countries, including Pakistan, with further expansion expected as Australia moves toward broader remote biometric collection for offshore applicants. Eligibility remains restricted to applicants who have previously provided biometrics to Home Affairs, hold a valid passport, and reside in one of the covered countries.
The Immi App reflects a wider shift among immigration authorities toward digital channels for identity proofing, particularly in contexts where traditional visa processing requires long travel distances to collection centers. At the same time, the app’s data-handling practices, including location and other device-linked data that may be collected under its privacy policies, are likely to attract scrutiny from privacy advocates, especially as mobile biometric capture becomes a standard part of cross-border identity verification.
Australia initially launched the Immi App for Pacific Island visa applicants in September 2024. The country has been actively modernizing its identity infrastructure, including rebranding its national digital ID system, launching a national digital ID system, and updating national identity proofing guidelines.
Sources: VisasNews, Tribune, Geo.tv, Gulf News, MeatechWatch
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By Ji-seo Kim
