Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is widening the rollout of its Immi App, giving more visa applicants the option to submit passport details and facial biometrics from their phones instead of traveling to a biometric collection center. The mobile app, offered on iOS and Android, is available to applicants who receive a “Requirement to provide personal identifiers” notice during the visa process.
Using the Immi App, applicants capture a live facial image with the device camera and provide passport data, including information stored in the document’s electronic chip where supported. The information is transmitted to Home Affairs and then removed from the app, with users able to receive confirmation by email once processing is complete. When submissions are accepted, applicants can in many cases bypass an in-person appointment and see their ImmiAccount updated within about a day.
Home Affairs has been introducing the app in stages. After piloting in a limited group of countries, the department has extended availability across additional parts of the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Latin America, and South Asia. Current reporting indicates that the tool now supports applicants in 34 countries, including Pakistan, with further geographic expansion expected as the government leans more heavily on remote biometric collection for offshore applicants. Access remains restricted to people who have previously provided biometrics to Home Affairs, hold a valid passport, and reside in one of the approved countries.
The initiative reflects a broader shift by immigration authorities toward digital-first identity proofing, particularly for applicants who face long distances to reach physical collection sites. At the same time, the app’s handling of location and other device-linked information, as described in related privacy policies, is likely to draw attention from civil liberties and privacy advocates as mobile biometric capture becomes a more routine part of cross-border identity checks.
Australia initially introduced the Immi App for Pacific Island visa applicants in September 2024. The country has been updating its identity infrastructure more broadly, including rebranding its national digital ID system, launching a national digital ID program, and revising identity proofing guidelines to account for biometrics.
Sources: Google Play: Australian Immi App, App Store: Australian Immi App, VisasNews, Tribune, Geo.tv, Gulf News, MeatechWatch
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By the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
