Hi! Questions about the initial petition for K-1 visa (I have done my research)

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

Good luck! Since each of the papers must be the original signed ones, not photocopies, it'd be best for him to get real passport photos made. Digitally printed ones may or may not be acceptable according to their quality and the quality of paper they are printed on. As to evidence of the relationship you must submit, you need only to prove that you have met in person in the last two years...along with all the right paperwork.

Down the road, since you asked, someone will need to sponsor him for the visa. That would be your father, I assume, since you probably don't have sufficient income. That's also when lots more evidence....photos, copies of plane tickets, hotel bills, phone bills, e-mails, etc....will be needed.

What exactly is a "real" passport photo? Many professional photographers produce their output on digital printers these days. The Department of State passport photos guidelines that thongd4me helpfully linked above acknowledge this fact, and provide the standards that must be met for digitally printed photos.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Good luck! Since each of the papers must be the original signed ones, not photocopies, it'd be best for him to get real passport photos made. Digitally printed ones may or may not be acceptable according to their quality and the quality of paper they are printed on. As to evidence of the relationship you must submit, you need only to prove that you have met in person in the last two years...along with all the right paperwork.

Down the road, since you asked, someone will need to sponsor him for the visa. That would be your father, I assume, since you probably don't have sufficient income. That's also when lots more evidence....photos, copies of plane tickets, hotel bills, phone bills, e-mails, etc....will be needed.

What exactly is a "real" passport photo? Many professional photographers produce their output on digital printers these days. The Department of State passport photos guidelines that thongd4me helpfully linked above acknowledge this fact, and provide the standards that must be met for digitally printed photos.

Agreed. I've seen "professional" passport photos taken with digital cameras and printed on digital printers at photography boutiques. I've also seen passport photos taken in a UPS store with an ancient Polaroid camera made expressly for taking passport photos, but costing far less than what you'd pay in a professional photo studio. I've never heard of any US government agency rejecting any of these photos, as long as they are clear, and meet the other requirements.

BTW, those old Polaroid cameras are fascinating. There is a reticule in the viewfinder that is used to size the head in the frame automatically. They have two lenses, and take two passports size photos on the same Polaroid print simultaneously. In and out in five minutes with two passport photos!

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

What exactly is a "real" passport photo? Many professional photographers produce their output on digital printers these days. The Department of State passport photos guidelines that thongd4me helpfully linked above acknowledge this fact, and provide the standards that must be met for digitally printed photos.

Agreed. I've seen "professional" passport photos taken with digital cameras and printed on digital printers at photography boutiques. I've also seen passport photos taken in a UPS store with an ancient Polaroid camera made expressly for taking passport photos, but costing far less than what you'd pay in a professional photo studio. I've never heard of any US government agency rejecting any of these photos, as long as they are clear, and meet the other requirements.

BTW, those old Polaroid cameras are fascinating. There is a reticule in the viewfinder that is used to size the head in the frame automatically. They have two lenses, and take two passports size photos on the same Polaroid print simultaneously. In and out in five minutes with two passport photos!

Two generally hideous passport photos, you forgot to say.

In any decent-sized city in Korea, you can easily find numerous professional photo shops where you can walk in, have your photo taken, and walk out 10-15 minutes later with 8-12 perfect quality digitally-printed passport photos plus the high-res digital file on CD (or a login id and password for the photographer's online storage). Total cost: $10.

Edited September 13, 2009 by Stephen + Elisha

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

What exactly is a "real" passport photo? Many professional photographers produce their output on digital printers these days. The Department of State passport photos guidelines that thongd4me helpfully linked above acknowledge this fact, and provide the standards that must be met for digitally printed photos.

Agreed. I've seen "professional" passport photos taken with digital cameras and printed on digital printers at photography boutiques. I've also seen passport photos taken in a UPS store with an ancient Polaroid camera made expressly for taking passport photos, but costing far less than what you'd pay in a professional photo studio. I've never heard of any US government agency rejecting any of these photos, as long as they are clear, and meet the other requirements.

BTW, those old Polaroid cameras are fascinating. There is a reticule in the viewfinder that is used to size the head in the frame automatically. They have two lenses, and take two passports size photos on the same Polaroid print simultaneously. In and out in five minutes with two passport photos!

Two generally hideous passport photos, you forgot to say.

In any decent-sized city in Korea, you can easily find numerous professional photo shops where you can walk in, have your photo taken, and walk out 10-15 minutes later with 8-12 perfect quality digitally-printed passport photos plus the high-res digital file on CD (or a login id and password for the photographer's online storage). Total cost: $10.

Yeah, well, ya' ain't gonna blow 'em up and hang 'em on the wall! This is for the government - not the cover of GQ!

Anyway, you get my point. USCIS doesn't care how or where the pictures were made. As long as they meet the general requirements, they'll accept them. The photo my fiancee gave me for the I-129F wasn't the right dimensions (slightly too tall and narrow), her face was too tall, and the background was pale blue. Neither her photo nor mine were dated, and hers was nearly 2 months old. USCIS accepted them without problems.

Obviously, she's not going to the same photo shop for her pics for the consulate.

[Old Dominion 26]

I prefer not to take chances with USCIS. You need to run scared, as the politicians say, and assume that if there is some T not dotted, someone will wrinkle their nose and set the file aside.

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

I prefer not to take chances with USCIS. You need to run scared, as the politicians say, and assume that if there is some T not dotted, someone will wrinkle their nose and set the file aside.

Okay, so? What are you saying?

A passport photo is a passport photo. It doesn't matter if it was taken at the UPS Store with an ancient Polaroid or with a $10,000 digital SLR, printed on your inkjet or at the CVS. As long as it meets the Department of State passport/visa photo guidelines and accurately represents your current appearance, it will be accepted.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I prefer not to take chances with USCIS. You need to run scared, as the politicians say, and assume that if there is some T not dotted, someone will wrinkle their nose and set the file aside.

Okay, so? What are you saying?

A passport photo is a passport photo. It doesn't matter if it was taken at the UPS Store with an ancient Polaroid or with a $10,000 digital SLR, printed on your inkjet or at the CVS. As long as it meets the Department of State passport/visa photo guidelines and accurately represents your current appearance, it will be accepted.

True. Our oldest son was away at school. He stood against a white wall and his friend took a photo of him. He emailed it to my wife who cropped it to fit the passport photo specs. She put it on a flash drive and took it to a photoshop who printed 12 for her. No problems. The photo was taken in February, 2008 and was just submitted in July of 2009 for his AOS. He has received his "welcome letter" and AOS approval without interview. The photo is STILL an accurate representation of his appearance and he also had photos taken at his biometrics. As long as the photo meets the specs for a "passport photo" which are well explained in the instuctions, it does not matter who, how or where it is taken

[thepizzadude 26]

I just scanned my fiancees passport photo we took in Cebu for the I-129F and then I scanned it in my puter and used Photoshop to make a sheet of 12 and we used them thru embassy and AOS