Green card holders alert: USCIS ends reuse of old, self-submitted photos

The updated guidance by USCIS tightens timelines for reusing biometric photos and ends acceptance of self-submitted images for immigration identity documents

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new policy guidance to address a change in how photographs can be reused for immigration identity documents. The rule will mainly affect green card applicants and holders, as well as those applying for US citizenship.

 

The update tightens the rules around how old an image can be and ends the use of photographs submitted by applicants themselves.

 

What does the new photograph reuse policy say?

 

The US Department of Homeland Security released a press note on Friday, December 12, saying USCIS has revised its approach to reusing photographs already on file.

 

 

Under the new policy, USCIS may reuse a previously collected photograph only if no more than 36 months, or three years, have passed since the image was taken at a biometric services appointment at the time of filing.

 

The guidance also makes clear that photograph reuse is no longer automatic. Officers can ask for a fresh image at any stage, even if the existing photograph falls within the three-year limit.

 

USCIS said the change “removes the requirement to calculate both the age of the photograph and the secure document validity time frame.”

 

It also confirms that self-submitted photographs will no longer be used or reused for immigration documents.

 

Which applications are exempt?

 

The policy applies to most immigration benefit requests, but several applications are excluded because they already require new biometrics to be collected.

 

These are:

 

• Application for Naturalisation, Form N-400

• Application for Certificate of Citizenship, Form N-600

• Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, Form I-90

• Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Form I-485

 

Applicants filing these forms will continue to provide new biometrics, including a fresh photograph.

 

How did the rules work earlier?

 

Before this update, USCIS allowed photographs to be reused for up to 10 years on any agency-issued secure document. This policy was put in place after pandemic-era flexibilities ended in September 2024.

 

For applicants aged 26 and older, USCIS checked that the photograph did not exceed 10 years during the validity period of the secure document.

 

For those aged 25 and younger, the rules were stricter. The photograph could not be older than 30 months during the document’s validity period.

 

The new guidance replaces this age-based and document-validity calculation with a single three-year limit tied to the biometric appointment.