The United States Mission in Nigeria has warned Nigerians seeking visas against using artificial intelligence generated or digitally edited passport photographs, saying such images will not be accepted and could significantly delay the processing of applications.
In an advisory issued on Saturday through its official X account, the mission urged applicants to ensure that passport photographs submitted for visa applications are recent, unedited and accurately reflect their current appearance.
According to the mission, the use of AI tools, filters or other digital enhancements on passport photographs violates the photo requirements of the US Department of State and could affect the visa application process.
The statement read, “Do not use AI or digital editing tools on your passport photo. We will not accept photos that are edited or filtered. Your photo should be recent, taken within the past six months, and look like you. The TSA or CBP officer must be able to recognise you. Submitting a digitally enhanced photo will significantly delay your application.”
The mission also released an information flier reinforcing the directive, stressing that AI manipulated or filtered passport photographs are unacceptable for official visa documentation.
Applicants were advised to review the official passport photo guidelines on the US Department of State website before submitting their applications.
The advisory comes amid growing concerns over the increasing use of artificial intelligence to alter personal photographs. US authorities have continued to tighten identity verification measures as immigration and border agencies rely on authentic, high quality images for facial recognition and security screening.
