General policyPOLICY UPDATE
Photograph Reuse for Identity Documents
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address a change in the agency’s photograph reuse policy.
Effective date and application
This guidance, contained in Volume 1 of the Policy Manual, is effective immediately
Key changes
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address a change in the agency’s photograph reuse policy.
- Provides that USCIS may only reuse a previously collected BSA 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.
- Clarifies that USCIS has the discretion to require a new photograph from requestors in lieu of reusing an existing photograph.
- Removes the requirement to calculate both the age of the photograph and the secure document validity time frame.
- Provides that USCIS will not use or reuse self-submitted photographs.
