Altered Photos Posing Challenges For NZ Immigration Advisers

Immigration New Zealand has raised concerns about the growing number of visa applicants submitting digitally altered photographs.

According to RNZ report by Gill Bonnett, the agency said it receives around 20,000 visa applications every week, with about 1000 of those containing photos that have been filtered or airbrushed.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) deputy secretary Alison McDonald told the Association for Migration and Investment conference in Auckland on Friday that the trend was increasing and causing significant difficulties for officials.

McDonald said, as reported by RNZ, that social media had normalised the use of filters and photo-editing tools, noting that she could see the trend through her own children’s online activity. She said more applicants were submitting photos that had been “morphed” using filters or artificial intelligence.

She told immigration advisers they might need to find a diplomatic way to inform clients when their appearance does not match their submitted photo.

While she acknowledged that many people wanted to look “a little bit younger” or “a little bit more beautiful,” McDonald said immigration officers must be able to clearly identify applicants and match their images to official records.

RNZ reported that McDonald highlighted the scale of the issue, saying about 1000 edited images were being detected each week. She added that although digitally enhancing photos had become more socially acceptable, it was causing major challenges for Immigration New Zealand.

She also urged immigration advisers to tactfully point out to clients when their edited photos did not accurately represent their real appearance.