Are Photos time-sensitive

[LauraDP 10]

Hi VJers

Another day; another question from me.

My query concerns the US passport sized photos the kids and I have to submit along with various bits of paperwork along the way. Are the photos time-sensitive in any way or can I get them taken at any point between now and when it is I have to submit them?

I ask because I live in the Scottish Highlands so accessing a place that can do US passport photos takes some planning. I will, however, be near one when I visit my parents in a couple of weeks. That would mean the photos were taken just days before we submit our I130s. Would those photos then suffice for the entire process or would we need to get more up-to-date photos?

I am trying to get as much of the paperwork sorted out in advance so that we are organised and can focus on the gaps in our application.

Thanks

Laura

[Enigma11561 336]

Photos taken now, to be used a few months from now should not be a problem. A US passport is issued for 10 years, same photo inside. Make sense?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

They are time-sensitive, alas. I think they must be taken within 30 days.

There are some online passport-photo printers you could use to make it more convenient for you. I used "Passport Photo Studio" which is a downloadable program and then you pay $10 for a license to use it. We took our own photos on white background (against the wall) and then the program had a template for the correct face size, so we made our faces bigger and smaller until it was correct, then we printed them on photo paper. It worked wonderfully. I also have this photo on my passport right now.

There are other similar programs, and it's cheaper than getting, for you, what...12 photos at least?

[Holly2234 66]

It depends how old the kids are. Obviously in 6+ months, a young baby or toddler can change quite a lot, but if they are older than that, it should be ok. Remember you need one for the I-130 for each of you (and one of your husband on each one) one each for the medical and two each for the interview. So 4 each in total and just one to go on each I-130 of your husband.

Max Speilmann are very good. They do 6 photos for £9.99. Timpson shoe repairs are also good but they only do 2 photos for £7.99.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The embassy web page says:

Photographs:  Three color photographs which meet Department of State specifications. These photographs must be full-face and taken within the last six (6) months.  Note: Of the three photographs, two (2) are required for the visa and one (1) for your medical examination. 

If you have a plain white background and a digital camera you can take your own and size it using this uploader tool from the Dept of State. Scroll halfway down the page. http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html Save the jpg file and print at home or at a photo place. Pay attention to the guidelines about shadows etc. We used that tool this year successfully and printed at home. I renewed my US passport. Husband applied for naturalization and after for his US passport.

[LauraDP 10]

Thanks for all of the advice, everyone. I realised we had to submit some with the I-130s, which will be happening imminently, but wondered if I could get away with getting all of the photos we needed in one burst and save the spares for the medical etc. I had not appreciated that my husband would need one for EACH of our five I-130s so thanks for highlighting that for me. I think we should be OK with the 6 month window for expiration but, failing that, I am sure we can fit in getting newer sets of photos within that time period. Thanks also for pointing out that I could do it all at home. Photography is actually one of my hobbies but nevertheless I think I would be so anxious about meeting all of the specifications that I would rather shell out the money and get someone to take the photos. There is a Max Spielmann place near my parents that we can go to and I note on the specific store site it says it does 6 photos for £5.99 which seems like a bargain compared to the stress and anxiety of hoping I have got it all tickety-boo myself.

Thanks again for all of your help, everyone.

Cheers

Laura

[dwheels76 5,468]

Nothing to add but God Bless you Laura. My goodness you are doing this for you and 3 little ones and we stress over just bringing over our hunni's.

God speed and I pray you move swiftly through and you are all reunited and together.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Photography is actually one of my hobbies but nevertheless I think I would be so anxious about meeting all of the specifications that I would rather shell out the money and get someone to take the photos. There is a Max Spielmann place near my parents that we can go to and I note on the specific store site it says it does 6 photos for £5.99 which seems like a bargain compared to the stress and anxiety of hoping I have got it all tickety-boo myself.

It is really easy. And it's Dept of State authorized. The tool has a head outline that you line up your photo's head with by +/- zooming built in. It rejects if the sizing isnt right. Makes a 2x2 crop automatically that prints on a 4x6 photo photo paper. If you're a photographer, I'm sure you won't take a photo with dark shadows that look like a beard. I snapped pics in the garage because that was our only white wall. You take a regular head/torso shot, then let the tool crop. A head shot that fills a 4x6 would be too close to size down. I made that mistake at first. You should try it with any old picture just to see how it works for you.

[LauraDP 10]

Nothing to add but God Bless you Laura. My goodness you are doing this for you and 3 little ones and we stress over just bringing over our hunni's.

God speed and I pray you move swiftly through and you are all reunited and together.

Four little ones actually. Our sons are aged 3, 5, 6 and 9. Annoyingly my husband only narrowly missed being able to pass his USC status on to them or this process could have been a whole lot easier. It possibly is a lot more stressful and expensive (expensive for sure) embarking on emigrating to the US as a family of six. However, we are luckier than most on this site in that we are all together as a family no matter what. My husband is a dual national so we can all continue to live here in the UK together or - everything going to plan - all go and live in the US together. If everything goes roughly to schedule, the kids and I should not be separated from my husband for any longer than 3 months.

Thanks for your good wishes.

Laura

[Moomin 292]

Your husband is a USC and the kids are his biological kids?

You can do your own pictures if you have a decent camera, a bit of time and you want to spend less money on it. It's fairly easy. White/offwhite background, no flash, no open mouth,) ears visible. Make sure you can see your eyes through the glasses.

I did mine in first shot and simply re-sized the picture/changed the dimensions. Placed the camera about 3 feet away, me sitting up against a white matte door. Then in post-processing, I took away the "extra amount of door" so the dimensions would be right, put 6 pictures on one page(with around 2mm between each) and chose matte paper when uploading them to a photo website. 3 days later, I had them in the mailbox, all 24 of them, and all of them accepted. For the neat price of less than 10 dollars including shipping. To take the picture, edit, upload and pay, it took around 15 minutes.

It would've taken 2 hours to and from a place who'd do the right dimensions, and cost around 20 dollars for 4 pictures.

[LauraDP 10]

Your husband is a USC and the kids are his biological kids?

You can do your own pictures if you have a decent camera, a bit of time and you want to spend less money on it. It's fairly easy. White/offwhite background, no flash, no open mouth,) ears visible. Make sure you can see your eyes through the glasses.

I did mine in first shot and simply re-sized the picture/changed the dimensions. Placed the camera about 3 feet away, me sitting up against a white matte door. Then in post-processing, I took away the "extra amount of door" so the dimensions would be right, put 6 pictures on one page(with around 2mm between each) and chose matte paper when uploading them to a photo website. 3 days later, I had them in the mailbox, all 24 of them, and all of them accepted. For the neat price of less than 10 dollars including shipping. To take the picture, edit, upload and pay, it took around 15 minutes.

It would've taken 2 hours to and from a place who'd do the right dimensions, and cost around 20 dollars for 4 pictures.

Yes, my husband is a USC (US/UK dual national), we have been married for 16 years (together 19)and we have four sons together. And, yes, they are all biologically his!

We cannot apply for the kids to become US citizens because my husband was not resident in the US for long enough after the age of 14 to qualify to pass on his citizenship, hence the kids have to go through the same immigration process as I do.

I think I will look into the photography software because doubtless we will have lots of photos to take over the coming period and - without bragging - I am actually a pretty skilled amateur photographer. However, just because of pressure of time now I think we might still get the first set for the I130s done professionally since we have the opportunity to do so next weekend anyway.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Moomin 292]

Glad you looked into it. At least it's still possible to get the kids with you fast and now through DCF.

Good idea - when you're experienced, definitely go for the DYI as much as you can, IMO.

Good luck with both