The United States Mission in Nigeria has warned Nigerians applying for US visas not to submit passport photographs that have been altered with artificial intelligence or digital editing tools, saying such images will not be accepted.
The advisory was issued on Saturday via the mission’s official X account and reported by Punch. It stressed that passport photographs must be recent, unedited, and accurately reflect the applicant’s current appearance.
According to the mission, applicants should use photographs taken within the last six months, warning that digitally enhanced or filtered images could significantly delay visa processing.
“Do NOT use AI or digital editing tools on your passport photo. We will not accept photos that are edited or filtered,” the mission said.
It added that applicants must ensure their photographs closely resemble them so that officials from the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection can easily verify their identities.
A flier accompanying the advisory reiterated that the US Department of State does not accept edited or filtered passport photographs and warned that submitting altered images would slow down the application process.
The mission also directed applicants to review the official passport photo requirements on the US Department of State’s website before submitting their visa applications.
The warning comes as US authorities increase efforts to prevent the use of AI-manipulated images in official documentation, with border security agencies relying on authentic, high-quality photographs for facial recognition and identity verification.
