What do Immigration Officers look for in a travel document?

1
What do Immigration Officers look for in a travel
document?

• Charlie Stevens
• National Document Fraud Unit
• UK Immigration Service

2
Introduction

• What is the purpose of a travel document?
• It is a document that
• confirms identity and
• nationality for the
• purpose of crossing
• international borders

3
Why does it need to be secure?

• To ensure that the document cannot be
  counterfeited or unofficially altered. An
  Immigration official will use the document to
  confirm a persons nationality, identity and
  entitlement to leave to enter.

4
What is the role of ICAO?

• More than 200 countries issue passports
• Each country issues many different docs.
• ICAO promotes a standard layout
• Recommended safeguard standards
• Digital images are more secure
• The MRZ offers global machine-readability
• Standards for biometrics are vital

5
Training

• Because of the numbers of different travel
  documents that are in circulation, it is usual
  for Immigration officials to be trained to
  identify generic rather than specific security
  features.
• It would be impossible to remember the specifics
  of every travel document.
• That is why adherence to ICAO specifications is
  so vital.

6
How is the document checked?

• Verification of a travel document takes place on
  four levels.
• Level 1 on entry
• Level 2 back office
• Level 3 forensic lab
• Level 4 - manufacturer

7
Why is Level 1 so important?

• This is the start of the chain. If suspicions
  are not raised here, level 2 4 checks cannot be
  conducted.
• Often it is behaviour that gives rise to
  suspicion, not the document.
• At this point impostors as well as document fraud
  are identified.

8
Equipment used at Level 1

• MRZ reader
• Ultra-violet light
• Transmitted light
• Limited magnification
• Full page reader

9
Detection at Level 1

• At this level it is the passenger's bona fides
  that are tested
• Compliance of MRZ is validated
• Check of passenger against watch lists
• Check of document number against watch lists
• Are they the rightful holder?
• Security features checked

10
Document security features verifiable at Level 1

• Substrate features
• UV dull paper
• Complex multi-tonal watermark
• Random fibres (visible and/or UV)
• Planchettes
• Embedded thread

11
Document security features verifiable at Level 1

• Security printing
• Intaglio with latent image
• Anti-copy features
• Rainbow
• Guilloche
• Micro-text

12
Document security features verifiable at Level 1

• Laminate features
• UV inks
• Visible safeguards
• Special inks (thermochromic, phosphorescent)
• 3M

13
Document security features verifiable at Level 1

• Security features
• Optically Variable Devices
• Optically Variable Inks
• ImageperfTM
• CLITM, TLITM, etc.

14
Document security features verifiable at Level 1

• Tactile features
• Embossings
• Laser etchings
• Raised text

15
BUT!

• It must be borne in mind that an Immigration
  official only has a very short time and little in
  the way of equipment to conduct all of these
  checks.

16
Without standardisation
17
How is standardisation achieved?

• Document 9303

18
Thank you!

• Charlie Stevens
• National Document Fraud Unit
• UK Immigration Service
• Charlie.Stevens_at_homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
• 44 20 8745 2480