Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is piloting an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) app that enables eligible travellers to apply for an electronic visa to enter the country and authenticate their identity credentials by scanning their passport with an NFC-enabled mobile device. Latest news about Australia digital visa find out below.

The ETA app leverages optical character recognition (OCR) and NFC technology to read, capture and authenticate the identity data held on the chip in an applicant’s passport and then enable the applicant to verify their “liveness” with a selfie during the application process.

“Accurately capturing important application data directly from a trusted source eliminates data entry errors and inconsistencies that impact visa processing,” Sujit Sunthankar of technology provider Sita explains in an interview posted on the company’s website.

“The app authenticates and validates electronic passports through the smartphone’s NFC capability at the point of application rather than at physical borders.

“Access to the passport chip is obtained by using OCR to read the printed machine-readable zone (MRZ) on the inside of a passport and deriving a key. This key allows the chip to be accessed and authenticated using the digital certificates within the chip, ensuring the passport is genuine and the chip has not been compromised.

“Once the chip has been authenticated, the data on the chip — which consists of the travel document, identity data and a digital image of the passport holder — is read. It is then compared with a selfie image capture before proceeding.

“The selfie image capture process performs complex liveness and anti-spoofing checks against multiple face risk profiles, which strengthens the identity verification of the applicant. These important security checks are undertaken seamlessly in real time by the app without inconveniencing the applicant.

“The OCR, NFC, selfie image and complex liveness and anti-spoofing checks are integrated within the app in a novel manner, in what we believe to be an international first.”

Australia originally began rolling out the ETA electronic visa in the run-up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and is trialling the new mobile app version while restrictions on travel to the country are in place and the existing system of applying for an ETA online or via an agent or airline is unavailable.

To apply for an ETA online through this website, you must hold a passport from one of the following countries or regions:

• Brunei – Darussalam
• Canada
• Hong Kong (SAR PRC)
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Korea, Rep of (South)
• United States.

It is for short term stays for tourism or business visitor activities such as attending a conference, making business enquiries, or for contractual negotiations.

“Travellers not included in the Australian ETA trial can apply online through ImmiAccount for another visa that might suit their needs,” the Australian government adds.

How to apply for Australia digital visa

To apply for an ETA online you must be outside Australia.

An ETA is for short term stays for tourism or business visitor activities.

You must have your passport, email address and a valid credit card to complete the online application.

The details you provide in your online ETA application need to be exactly the same as they appear in your passport. You must use the same passport that is linked to your online ETA application when you travel.

Anyone who arrives in Australia without a valid travel document, visa or authority can be refused entry to or delayed until their identity and claims to enter Australia have been confirmed.

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