stuff article: Thousands of passport photos rejected each month...

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jlittle

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#312757 14-May-2024 17:18

I renewed my NZ passport recently, using a photo taken on my wife's phone, and after seeing the stuff headline, I thought it might be an idea to relate my experience.

The photo was rejected as having the wrong orientation. It looked fine on several phones and with several ways to view it on a computer.

Then I stripped the metadata (using imagemagick), and then it showed sideways in viewers. I could then rotate it upright, and they accepted the rotated photo.

Regards, John Little

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#3230462 14-May-2024 17:50

When we went through this a year ago the online "verification" tool was beyond useless. I submitted about 5 photos and all were accepted by the verification tool and rejected by DIA. The whole process was incredibly frustrating.

E3xtc

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#3231354 16-May-2024 15:30

Weirdly enough we had to do this with my son's passport in Feb and followed the instructions online, ran the image through the tool and everything was approved and replacement passport sent through with no issues. Sounds like we had a good roll of the dice.

cddt

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#3231356 16-May-2024 15:37

Had to get an emergency passport at short notice for an 8 month old last year. Photo we submitted was accepted by the online tool but subsequently manually rejected. Due to the required time frame we were instructed to email a replacement photo ASAP. Expended a lot of effort at a stressful time to get an acceptable photo of the world's wriggliest baby. Photo was finally accepted.

Picked up the passport from the DIA office in town less than 24 hours later. It contains the original (rejected) photo.

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wellygary

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#3231373 16-May-2024 16:29

cddt:

Had to get an emergency passport at short notice for an 8 month old last year. Photo we submitted was accepted by the online tool but subsequently manually rejected. Due to the required time frame we were instructed to email a replacement photo ASAP. Expended a lot of effort at a stressful time to get an acceptable photo of the world's wriggliest baby. Photo was finally accepted.

Picked up the passport from the DIA office in town less than 24 hours later. It contains the original (rejected) photo.

I really don't know why there is so much grief from DIA over kids' photos,

They can't use smartgates until they are at least 12, so any validation is going to be done manually (Not biometrically)

Plus in the 5 years that the passport is valid the growth changes make most almost incomparable to the photo anyway...

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#3231384 16-May-2024 17:15

After years of trying to take passport photos myself and having no end of hassles, I've frankly found it simpler just to go to the local chemist or postshop, pay the $20 or so and get the receipt and the photo emailed to me. They also have free re-do of the photo if not accepted.

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#3231388 16-May-2024 17:28

There are so many stories in the media about delayed passports, but none of the people complaining say how many times their photos, references or previous documents were rejected.

My personal experience is that my daughter turned 18. On Sunday, we took a photo against a grey background (one of our rooms), cropped to 3:4. She created a RealMe account, and we submitted it online, replacing an expired passport.

On Thursday, she got an email saying that her new passport had been issued, and it arrived here on Monday.

We can't complain, great service.

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dolsen

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#3233712 23-May-2024 10:34

Will be interesting to see what happens with the request I have currently. My son turns 16 in early June but needs his passport before August. Normally I would have waited until after his birthday to get him an Adult passport, but, due the the delays I have put in a request through verified Realme for a new child passport, replacing an expired passport on 5th May. The photo was taken professionally, so, should be OK.

Unlike the example above, the passport application is sitting in a processing state. I have not received any further notification since submitting it. What will happen if they don't start processing it until after his birthday? He would no longer be eligible for a child passport once he turns 16 but would have been if it was processed within the normal timelines. Will they backdate the date to before his birthday, or, request a new application for an Adult one?

Anyone here familiar with the above situation?

Jvipers2

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#3233807 23-May-2024 14:53

I noticed that passport photo is usually rejected when there's shadow as some people have poor lighting/direction of light and stand too close to the plain background...

Goosey

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#3233809 23-May-2024 14:55

We submitted two renewal applications on 7th April

after a few “update” emails where the timeframe went from 6 to 10 weeks, we are now expecting delivery today 23rd May.

all in all not too bad…

one thing I did note is that our referee person did their bit only on Tuesday afternoon of the 21st May and within an hour or two, I got an email say “passports dispatched”.

I’m not sure when DIA emailed the referee to do their bit.

edit: we opted to get photos taken at a camera and photo shop…

easier…no need to muck about getting lighting and backgrounds sorted….

ezbee

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#3233812 23-May-2024 15:14

Maybe advances in technology and resolution of photos are causing problems.
Chemist etc are using cameras that operate at a longer focal distance where people doing a selfie are right up close may be more distorted.

Glasses may also be more of a problem these days?

Just had my driving licence renewed and while glasses are no more dark or shiny than past this time it had to be sans glasses.

Passport ones have been with glasses.
I think there was an instruction if you normally wear them photo should be done with them.
Though I don't see anything in present instructions.

Though should things be similar to the Driving License it may go better without next renewal?

I did know of someone who had problems with the Australian gate with glasses where NZ gate was fine.
Aussie manually processing them just said they should not be doing their passport photo with glasses anyway.

dolsen

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#3244263 4-Jun-2024 10:18

dolsen:

Unlike the example above, the passport application is sitting in a processing state. I have not received any further notification since submitting it. What will happen if they don't start processing it until after his birthday? He would no longer be eligible for a child passport once he turns 16 but would have been if it was processed within the normal timelines. Will they backdate the date to before his birthday, or, request a new application for an Adult one?

Anyone here familiar with the above situation?

Well, my Son turned 16 today, so, presumably is no longer eligible for a child's passport.

No contact from DIA, and the dashboard shows the following.

Passport application was submitted on 05/05/2024
Passport renewal – Child Child Digital Renewal In progress

Will update with what happens, do they reject the application as no longer a child, or get us to upgrade to an adult one, or restart from scratch with an adult one? Will let you know.

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nova

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#3244329 4-Jun-2024 11:55

I applied to renew two passports online on 22nd April, radio silence for 5 weeks and then got emails last week to say it was been processed and then dispatched. Should arrive today. One of the photos was taken by a dedicated passport photo place, and the other by me, and both seemed to have passed the checks ok. Nothing to indicate that anything was blocking the application, it just looked like it sat in a queue for 5 weeks. Not terrible, but nothing like the level of service I got in 2019, applied on Monday and had the passport in my hand by Wednesday.

heavenlywild

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#3244331 4-Jun-2024 11:57

dolsen:

Well, my Son turned 16 today, so, presumably is no longer eligible for a child's passport.

No contact from DIA, and the dashboard shows the following.

Passport application was submitted on 05/05/2024
Passport renewal – Child Child Digital Renewal In progress

Will update with what happens, do they reject the application as no longer a child, or get us to upgrade to an adult one, or restart from scratch with an adult one? Will let you know.

I applied for a child passport on the 1st so just a few days ahead of you. No updates, just "in progress".

dolsen

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#3247562 11-Jun-2024 17:07

dolsen:

No contact from DIA, and the dashboard shows the following.

Passport application was submitted on 05/05/2024
Passport renewal – Child Child Digital Renewal In progress

Will update with what happens, do they reject the application as no longer a child, or get us to upgrade to an adult one, or restart from scratch with an adult one? Will let you know.

Well, I just received an email from the passport office that they are almost at the point of starting to look at it...

"Thank you for your recent New Zealand passport application.

This is an update to let you know that we expect to assess your passport application shortly. Please keep an eye on your email and phone over the next week; we’ll be in contact if we need any more information from you.

If you need your passport sooner, you have the option to upgrade your application for priority processing. Please contact us if you want an upgrade. There is an extra fee of NZD$215.00."

It's a bit annoying that other people have submitted after I submitted my application and then received their passports before my application has even been looked at. Perhaps it's different because it's a child's passport, but, I think it should be FIFO, not, lets do this bunch while these others sit in a backlog.

GeekGuy

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#3247577 11-Jun-2024 18:12

Submitted my application to renew online, my expired Passport on Sunday night (9/06/2024) and have just received a message that it has now been completed on 11/06/2024.

Photo done at my local Chemist and paid for the passport with the $215 option.

If I remember correctly, my previous expired passport took about the same time as well.

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