WorldReach is boasting about the success of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the UK. The UK Home Office set up the scheme to allow European Nationals to apply for UK immigration status after the country decided to split from the rest of the European Union.

To apply for immigration status, those Nationals needed to be able to prove their identity and demonstrate that they were already living in the UK, and also declare any criminal convictions. Applications could be submitted digitally, through the mail, or in-person at a service location.

WorldReach provided the technology for the digital option. The company’s Know Your Traveler solution uses IdentityReach to read ePassport chips and confirm the legitimacy of an applicant’s travel document. It then compares the image in that ePassport to a selfie (with liveness detection) to make sure the document matches the individual in question.

According to the latest Home Office statistics, 3.1 million people (out of an estimated 3.5 million European nationals) have already completed the application process. The vast majority opted for the digital route, with many completing their application in less than 10 minutes. Applications were filled out on more than 2,300 different iOS and Android makes and models, and the system itself was able to field as many as 30,000 applications per day at its peak.

The technology allowed the Home Office to safely process a high volume of applications in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There has never been a more crucial time for proven remote identity verification services, especially for government on-boarding and essential services delivery,” said WorldReach CEO Gordon Wilson. “The EUSS is a scalable proof-point of what’s possible with the right end-to-end processes, technology and collaborative team.”

WorldReach first started working with the Home Office in 2018. That contract included a two-year provision for an EU Exit Settlement Scheme, which now seems to have been invoked. WorldReach previously integrated Cognitec’s facial recognition tech into its smartphone app.