photographs

[Knobby_Wheezer 0]

We are thinking of making all the copies that we send black and white (because we're poor at this time of year and we're cheap). Can this apply to the copies of the photos, too, or must they be in colour? This is in light of having to make 4 identical copies of what we send in the case that USCIS loses our entire package (NO! You're kidding? USCIS loses evidence?).

[mrs. wife! 3]

We are thinking of making all the copies that we send black and white (because we're poor at this time of year and we're cheap). Can this apply to the copies of the photos, too, or must they be in colour? This is in light of having to make 4 identical copies of what we send in the case that USCIS loses our entire package (NO! You're kidding? USCIS loses evidence?).

All the copies we made for the entire package (for our records) are in black and white.

The pictures we send to the USCIS are colorful.

[Knobby_Wheezer 0]

That sucks. Colour copies cost more. But, thanks for the comeback.

[trailmix 77]

We are thinking of making all the copies that we send black and white (because we're poor at this time of year and we're cheap). Can this apply to the copies of the photos, too, or must they be in colour? This is in light of having to make 4 identical copies of what we send in the case that USCIS loses our entire package (NO! You're kidding? USCIS loses evidence?).

How many copies of stuff are you sending and why are you making 4 copies of everything you send? If money is a bit tight right now all you need is one copy for yourself and one for USCIS (unless there is something I am unaware of with adjusting status).

Also for photos, no need to send an album, one or two pages should be just fine (and you don't need any extra copies because - you have the originals). You can put more than one photo on a page - so say you get 4 (or 6) to a page in colour and you send them 8 - colour copies at Staples are around 50 cents a page - so it would only cost you a dollar.

Edited January 16, 2010 by trailmix

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Being thrifty is a virtue in my book, but you still have to see it within the context of the whole picture. How much money would a refusal or even an RFE cost you? More than the 10x$.39 or even 16x$.39 it would cost to go to Target and get 1-hour "Premium" prints, would be my guess . . .

[Knobby_Wheezer 0]

No Target in this town.

We are making 4 copies of everything---just like we have done with every step of this process so far.

1 copy goes to USCIS

3 copies are on file---ready to go when we get the word that they have "lost" everything and we need to send out an identical pack right away.

There was advice on this site in 2006 to make 3 extra copies of everything---ready as is to be dropped in the mail after postage was added. We did this for K-1 application; EAD application; AoS application and are doing it now for Removing Conditions application. USCIS, unless things there have altered radically (and they may have), had a reputation for losing stuff on their desks. If an identical copy was sent in, suddenly the original one would be found under something or in the wrong folder or whatever. The extra copies are a safeguard for peace of mind.

I was going to take everything to a copy centre because I thought that it would be faster. Since I have to use colour copies for all the things that were already in colour for the originals, I might as well print them all here . . . slowly. Black & White prints take a whole lot less time and ink to print which is why I was hopeful.

Consider me chastised.

[Thai Rath 1]

How many photos were you planning on sending?

We didn't send in any photos for ROC and were approved and I think that is pretty common around these parts based on what people post on VJ. Just a thought if you're trying to save money - you could forgo the photos and send in more documentation that could be b&w copies.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I beg to disagree. I'm a strong believer in the saying that a photo tells more than a thousand words. It's easy to have somebody write you an affidavit, but it's difficult to fake a vacation or a Christmas together, and document it with photos. I've always sent very little, with AOS as well as with ROC, but photos were the single most interesting item for the I.O. at AOS and I'm sure that the photos I sent for my ROC did more support to my case than all the paperwork I did not sent.

Knobby, if you have digital images, you can e-mail them to OFoto.com and they'll mail you prints of them for pennies, literally.

[Lona.C. 16]

if you like to save ink and some $ why not go to the local libery , thats usualy the cheapest place to get color prints

( here at our libery its 20c a per print )