Australia will attempt to stamp out fraudulent visa applications through the use of biometric data for onshore applications.
Immigration minister Chris Bowen said the change will help reduce some types of fraud, and that biometric data will be collected for protection visas lodged onshore.
“Around the world identity fraud and fraudulent visa applications are on the rise,” he said yesterday. “We need to make sure that Australia’s toolbox is world’s best practice for dealing with this.”
Biometric data is already being used in countries such as the United States, Britain and Canada. Some other countries in Europe and Asia will require the use of biometric data from December.
“We are collaborating closely with the United Kingdom border protection agency and we’ve signed an agreement with them to use their facilities in various locations around the world, which will reduce the costs and include the efficiency of our biometric testing around the world,” Bowen said.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
