The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), also known as the Immigration Bureau, has announced a new photo policy that restricts the use of photos for immigration documents to those taken within the last three years. They will no longer accept self-submitted photos, only allowing photos taken by USCIS or authorized agencies to be used, in order to enhance identity verification and prevent immigration fraud.
According to a new policy announcement released by the Immigration Bureau on Friday, as of now, the photos submitted by foreign nationals for immigration document processing must have been taken within three years prior to the submission of the relevant forms by the applicant.
The Immigration Bureau stated that this measure aims to strengthen identity verification, prevent identity theft, and safeguard national security.
Furthermore, the Immigration Bureau will no longer accept photos submitted by applicants themselves, only those taken by USCIS or other authorized agencies.
The purpose of this measure is to ensure that each photo used in secure documents accurately reflects the true identity of the applicant, thus avoiding identity theft or fraud caused by the use of outdated or non-compliant photos.
This strict screening and review photo policy is part of USCIS’s ongoing efforts to enhance identity verification measures, with the aim of protecting the integrity of the U.S. immigration system and ensuring the security and credibility of all immigration documents.
Guidance notes indicate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS had previously implemented flexible policies allowing photos to be reused for up to 10 years, even if there had been significant changes in a person’s appearance. However, these policies had proven to be too long in duration, weakening the Immigration Services’ ability to properly verify, identify, and effectively screen foreign individuals.
The newly introduced policy aligns with the priorities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), modernizing the screening and review processes to address existing vulnerabilities in identification documents.
According to the guidance notes, regardless of when the applicant or petitioner last had their photo taken, new photos must be provided for the following forms:
– Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card);
– Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status);
– Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization);
– Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship).
The above policy guidelines take effect from the date of publication. For more information, please refer to the official policy announcement.