The United States Mission in Nigeria has cautioned Nigerians applying for US visas not to submit passport photographs that have been altered with artificial intelligence or digital editing software, warning that such images will be rejected.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Saturday, the mission stressed that applicants must provide recent passport photographs that accurately reflect their current appearance.
According to the mission, photographs that have been digitally enhanced, filtered or manipulated with AI technology do not meet the required standards and could lead to delays in processing visa applications.
It stated that passport photographs should have been taken within the last six months and must clearly resemble the applicant to enable immigration and border officials to verify their identity without difficulty.
The advisory was accompanied by a public notice emphasising that the US Department of State does not accept edited or AI-generated passport photographs for visa processing.
The mission urged prospective applicants to carefully follow the official passport photo guidelines available on the US Department of State’s website before submitting their visa applications.
The warning forms part of ongoing efforts by US authorities to prevent the use of manipulated images in official travel documents, as immigration agencies increasingly depend on accurate, unedited photographs for facial recognition and identity verification at border entry points.
