The M5 Conviction Data Pause: A Calm Assessment for Professionals Planning Their Next Move

News · 2026-09-28 · 4 min read

Five of the world's major migration partners have set aside a plan to exchange criminal conviction details about their own citizens. For experienced professionals weighing a move to Australia or New Zealand, it is worth knowing exactly what has stopped, what continues, and how it should shape the way you prepare an application.

The decision at a glance

The group known as the Migration 5 (M5) is made up of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Its leaders agreed in April 2026 to put on hold a proposed exchange of conviction data relating to their own nationals. If one of these countries is your next destination, take note of the pause, but do not read it as a softening of border screening.

Data that continues to move between partners

“Shelved” should not be mistaken for “no data sharing”. Automated biometric and identity exchanges between the M5 partners are still running. New Zealand has held agreements of this kind with most of its partners since the early 2010s, the UK being the one exception. A quality-control framework was agreed by the partners in May 2025, and the first annual reviews got under way in early 2026. When New Zealand reviewed the 2025 calendar year, it found no privacy breaches, no security issues with system access and no accidental or improper disclosures to partners.

How heavily the system is used

Information released under New Zealand's Official Information Act gives a sense of scale:

From Australia to New Zealand: over one million traveller data requests in the year to April 2026, which led to 676 fingerprint matches.
From New Zealand to Canada, Australia and the UK: about 4,000 requests sent to each, returning 383, 340 and 283 positive matches in that order.
From Canada and the US: request figures were redacted, while New Zealand's requests to the US were withheld on international relations grounds.

Set against the volume of requests, the low match counts suggest a wide screening net that catches only a small proportion of travellers, most probably those already known to the immigration authorities of another member country.

The narrower idea that was explored

According to RNZ's coverage, the M5's current arrangements were designed for identity data used in migration decisions, not for criminal records. Under them, conviction records are not passed to New Zealand Police, and members do not exchange details about their own citizens.

Later discussions examined a more limited option: running anonymised fingerprint data against police or criminal record databases. New Zealand concluded that its existing law offers foreign agencies no basis to reach its police or court conviction data for immigration purposes. Matt Gibbs, who serves as Immigration New Zealand's identity manager, confirmed that neither biometric data nor conviction records were exchanged while this was being explored. The working group has not formally met since a virtual session in March 2025.

A legal barrier rather than a change of heart

The plan stalled because of legal constraints, not because interest faded. Every member country applies its own privacy and criminal records laws, and none of those laws automatically opens domestic justice systems to a partner's border agency. Any revived version of the proposal would first require legislators to act.

Practical steps for a strong application

Keep every form consistent. Because identity data already moves between partners, mismatched names, dates of birth or travel histories may be noticed across systems.
Answer character questions fully. Even without a direct conviction data exchange, applications usually call for police certificates and character declarations, and an untrue statement can result in refusal or a ban.
View the pause as provisional. If legal frameworks change, governments may return to the idea.
Maintain an orderly file. Past visa applications, any refusals and your travel documents carry more weight when identity data crosses borders.
Get specialist guidance if your history is complicated. Where there are previous convictions or refusals, consult a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer before you lodge.

What this means for your career plans

The M5 has stepped away from exchanging citizens' conviction records, yet its identity and biometric system remains busy and fully operational. Whether you are working in Dubai, Doha or Riyadh and preparing a move to Australia or New Zealand, accuracy and honesty across every application you have ever lodged remain the most reliable approach.

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