The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has come up with a new guideline for photos required for immigration documents. The agency said it would no longer entertain old photos of the applicants, older than more than three years — to prevent identity theft. Self-submitted photos will no longer be accepted, the agency said adding that only photos taken by the USCIS or other authorized entities will be accepted. The new measure was announced at a time the agency had been engaged in a major overhaul of the immigration system. The present rule allows the use of old photographs — as old as 10 years. But now this has been brought down to three. This is applicable for documents which do not require new biometrics and photos.
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During the Covid pandemic, USCIS allowed the use of older and previously collected photographs, leading to applicants even using 22-year-old photographs.
After the pandemic, the USCIS limited the photograph reuse to a maximum of 10 years of age. Applicants’ appearance changed significantly over 10 years, and the old rule compromised the USCIS’s ability to verify, identify and properly screen aliens, the agency said. “USCIS is now changing its photograph reuse policy. USCIS may only reuse a previously collected photograph if, at the time of filing, no more than 36 months (3 years) have passed since the date the photograph was collected at a BSA. This policy applies to all immigration benefit requests, with the exception of the Application for Naturalization (Form N-400), the Application for Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-600), the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90), and the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485).
These forms require the collection of new biometrics, including a new photograph,” it said. USCIS also has the discretion to require a new photograph from requestors in lieu of reusing an existing photograph, it said.
List of new immigration rules announced in the last few weeks
- Pause on all Green cards, work permits, citizenship and every other immigration requests from 19 countries of concern, inclduing Afghanistan, Iran, Sonalia.
- All asylum applications temporarily suspended for review.
- All those who got asylum in the Biden administration will be re-vetted.
- Mandatory biometric capture at US entry and exit for all non-citizens.
- Work permit validity cut down from five years to 18 months.
- Social media vetting of H-1B, H-4 applicants.
