vSure Visa Checks API v2

vSure visa check API

Brand banner

Upgrade from v1 to v2

vSure has offered its v1 Visa Check API in market for close to a decade. We have a large number of clients who will transition from v1 to v2. Here's the key FAQs around v1 vs v2.

How long do we have?

There are no plans to retire v1 API at this stage. Logically we will, but that won't be 2024. We will provide at least 6 month's notification if and when a decision is made to retire the v1 API.

What are the key differences?

Authentication

v1 relies on API keys with IP address white-listing. This is problematic in a world that is moving away from static IP Addresses. v2 leverages Auth0 and oAuth2. oAuth2 has become an industry standard for machine to machine authentication. By using Auth0, we also open up the world of SSO, allowing for MS Azure Entra / SAML integration.

Developer self-service portal

v1 needs IP address white listing via support requests.

v2 comes with a new developer portal and self-management of keys.

Asynchronous

v1 is a synchronous API

v2 is Asynchronous.

Asynchronous opens up a host of opportunities for vSure to improve our solution. Including:

  • Better error handling;
  • Automated retry;
  • Automated, multi-source verification;
  • Queueing;
  • Batching;

Off Peak and Fast Checks

v1 offered a synchronous, single check solution.

v2 is Asynchronous AND offers 2 different modes and price points:

  1. Off Peak - requests can be made at any time, but are queued and processed between the hours of 9pm and 6am AEST. Off Peak checks are discounted compared to v1 and Fast Checks
  2. Fast Check - requests are prioritised 24/7. Standard result within 10 seconds.

More modern tech

v1 was written in the early 2010s and has evolved.

v2 is written in clean code in the mid 2020s leveraging the latest in toolsets and platform utilities. Built with more scalability and more optimised performance.

More modern schema

v1 isn't consistent with modern API schema expectations. The schema mixes cases, spaces, field types etc.

v2 is written in consultation with leaders in developer experience globally and delivers a consistent, modern JSON schema.

Multi-Jurisdiction / Country checks

v1 only offers Australian checks.

v2 incorporates multiple jurisdictions starting with Australia AND New Zealand.

Easier to interpret the result (Australia)

v1 requires you to interpret the status field, which is variable text, to work out the entitlment.

v2 offers simple fields "work_entitlement" / "study_entitlement" - this can be used to understand the visa result succinctly - like a traffic light:

  • Unlimited = Green;
  • Limited = Orange;
  • NIL = Red;

POSTMAN Collections

v1 offered POSTMAN samples/screenshots.

v2 comes with a POSTMAN Collection.

Customer Authority

v1 has no requirement for users to hold accounts with the Australian Department of Home Affairs (aka Immi Account).

v2 requires a Real Me account to perform New Zealand checks and optionally allows Immi Accounts to be attached to Australian visa checks. See the Customer Authority page for more details.

Developer Resources

v2 includes endpoints to help your build out your solution quickly and easily:

  1. ISO Country Codes and Country Names aligned to the Department Of Home Affairs as an endpoint;
  2. Visa Codes and Visa Descriptions as an endpoint;
  3. Visa Conditions and Visa Condition Description as an endpoint;
  4. Playbooks by use case - our "cheat sheets" for how developers can use the vSure V2 API to solve problems and optimise the end-user experience;

Multi-source Australia visa checks

v1 uses our own proprietary, single point integration with Home Affairs databases.

v2 leverages multiple different connection points to Home Affairs meaning better redundancy, retries and error handling;

Charges

v1 is charged per unique successful check per calendar month. This has been confusing for clients and has proven hard to cross-match with their own records;

v2 charges per successful check. This aligns more to the audit trail and onward charge models;

What hasn't changed?

We still develop to OWASP and international cyber-security best practice.

We are still ISO 27001:2022 certified.

We still follow the AWS Well-Architectured Framework.

We still partner with global cyber security leaders Foregenix.

We are still the vertical market leader. Visa checks is what we do - all that we do. Our clients include many of Australia and the World's biggests brands.

We are still customer-centric. We strive for continuous improvement and releasing a v2 API showcases that.

We are still responsive to support and developer requests.

SOLD - how do I get started?

Have we convinced you on the merits of v2? Log a support ticket here today to start your journey to v2 by gaining access to the Developer Portal.