To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to UKVI applicants with reusable biometric information, which applicants were (a) permitted to use the data and (b) prevented from utilising reusable biometric data.
Answered on
11 January 2021
The Home Office published Covid-19 guidance on 3 September 2020 setting out biometric reuse measures that were introduced to support UKVI customers adversely affected by the pandemic. The guidance sets out the circumstances under which reusable biometrics can be reused and can be found here:
We are developing plans to enable us to widen the reuse of previously enrolled fingerprint biometrics, while maintaining public safety. The capability to reuse previously enrolled fingerprint biometrics will help us to reduce the need for foreign nationals to attend an office to provide their fingerprints every time they make an immigration application. However, foreign nationals will still be required to provide their latest facial image.