The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is being very careful with the flow of immigrants. They don’t want there to be any legal loopholes that someone could slip through. That’s why they recently announced a new rule regarding the photos required for any bureaucratic procedure when entering the United States. This new policy helps prevent fraud by providing much more accurate identity verification.
No more old photos
If you are one of those vain people who took a photo in which you looked very handsome and have been using it for years since then, we have bad news. The Office recently published new guidelines limiting the age of photographs that foreigners can use to create immigration documents for the United States to a maximum of three years. This rule will not come into effect next year; this update takes effect as soon as it is officially published.
Not only does this measure limit the use of photos taken within three years prior to the date on which a person submitted a form to USCIS, but only photos taken by the agency or other authorized entities may be used. In other words, you can’t take a nice photo with your cell phone or use one that you have on paper. Only photos taken by authorized entities may be used.
In doing so, they want to ensure that “all photos used in a document are recent, accurate, and trustworthy. This is a key requirement for preventing fraud and identity theft.”
USCIS new photograph requirements
Let’s recap:
- USCIS can only reuse a photograph from a biometric services appointment (provided that this photo was taken less than 36 months ago).
- Even if the photograph is within the time parameters, USCIS reserves the right to require a new photo from the applicant if it deems it necessary (instead of reusing an existing one).
- USCIS will not use (or recycle in new documents) any photograph that the applicant has submitted or provided.
If the photo they have on file in your USCIS folder is more than three years old, the agency itself will schedule an appointment for you to have a new photo taken with them.
Why is USCIS requesting new photos?
To avoid crowding at Application Support Centers (ASCs) during the pandemic, USCIS temporarily allowed the reuse of previously collected photographs. However, this measure resulted in three documents with photographs up to 22 years old, which jeopardized the identity verification of anyone who was asked for documentation. That is why, in September 2024, the agency changed its policy and began to modernize and strengthen its security around the identity documents used by immigrants.
The latest change, made in December 2025, is to strengthen the aforementioned screening and investigation processes. I am referring to the fact that the flexibility granted during the pandemic has seriously affected the ability to properly identify and evaluate applicants.
What documents and paperwork are affected by all this?
These new photo requirements affect all immigration benefit applications. In fact, there are forms that always require a new biometric photo to be included. Here are some of the forms that always require a recent photo, taken within the last three years:
- 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.
FAQs
What is the new rule for photos for immigration documents?
The USCIS has dictated that it will automatically reject any biometric scan that is more than 3 years old. They will require a new photograph to present forms.
Can I submit my own picture to USCIS?
No, they don’t want you glamming up too much, or tweaking your photograph so that you look cute (but no longer yourself). They will only admit photographs taken by the agency itself (USCIS) or other authorized entities (such as Application Support Centers).