ISLAMABAD: The government has introduced a new digital facility allowing citizens sponsoring visa applicants to complete biometric verification from home through a mobile application, in a move aimed at streamlining the visa processing system.
As per the authorities, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has facilitated biometric verification process for visa sponsorship using the Pak ID mobile app. It would allow sponsors not to go to the offices or pay any service charge.
The new process works in such a way that as soon as the visa application is filed on the online visa portal of Pakistan, the applicant gets an email with all the details of his application. Afterward, he can get his verification done through his mobile device using the Pak ID mobile app.
New users have to register their accounts with email, fingerprint, and face verification. Once the account gets activated, they can use NADRA facilities and choose a suitable option to verify their biometrics or of their close family members.
If the verification is successfully done, a message comes to them saying “verification successful.”
Officials said the initiative is designed to make the visa sponsorship process more secure, efficient, and convenient by reducing dependency on physical visits and manual procedures.
Want to Change Your CNIC Address? NADRA Explains the Easy Process
Earlier, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has outlined a simplified procedure for citizens seeking to update the address on their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), including those living in rented accommodation.
The authority issued a video to guide the people regarding the documentation needed for changing the address on the CNICs temporarily as well as permanently.
As per the instructions, individuals who want to change their temporary address should produce a copy of their rent agreement along with a copy of the latest electricity bill from their rented address.
People looking forward to registering their rented address as their permanent address need to submit another document besides the rent agreement and the electricity bill; they need to submit an affidavit signed by the owner of the property stating that the property has been rented by them and he/she does not object to his/her address becoming the permanent address of the applicant.
However, people whose residence is their own property will have to submit the original ownership papers of their property at any NADRA office.
NADRA urged citizens to ensure they carry the required documents before visiting a registration centre to avoid delays in processing their applications.
