Question about Photo on Naturalization Certificate

[GuruSikh 6]

On 7/20/2021 at 1:29 PM, SusieQQQ said:

Find this whole discussion a little confusing. We have 3 in our family who naturalized and one (minor child) who derived citizenship automatically. All 4 certificates have the photos from the biometrics. I don’t recall a photo being taken at my interview at all, and I don’t even recall seeing any discussion of such a thing happening until this thread. I do recall the lady at my biometrics appointment saying it would be the photo that went on my naturalization certificate.  Does this possibly vary by FO?

 

 

I am not sure. My wife's best friend, she lives in Seattle. She had to submit passport size photos with her N-400, but she did not file the papers herself. Her immigration lawyer/agent did the paperwork and filing.

[GuruSikh 6]

On 7/20/2021 at 5:06 PM, SusieQQQ said:

During COVID many offices switched to smaller same day ceremonies for those who got approved that day. My husband and daughter both had same day ceremonies with maybe 20 people a few hours after their interviews, I had to wait 6 weeks after my interview  (at the same FO but pre-Covid) to attend a huge (1300 people? Something like that) ceremony. So it really depends on the FO and what they can organize.

Sorry for late reply. ok thank you, did not know.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

2 hours ago, GuruSikh said:

I am not sure. My wife's best friend, she lives in Seattle. She had to submit passport size photos with her N-400, but she did not file the papers herself. Her immigration lawyer/agent did the paperwork and filing.

No photos required to be filed from applicants within the US. Not sure why lawyer asked for them. From the instructions: Photographs. Only applicants who reside overseas must provide two identical color photographs of yourself taken recently. Page 10, https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/n-400instr.pdf

 

 

[arken 4,197]

6 hours ago, GuruSikh said:

I am not sure. My wife's best friend, she lives in Seattle. She had to submit passport size photos with her N-400, but she did not file the papers herself. Her immigration lawyer/agent did the paperwork and filing.

 May be she had applied for naturalization few years ago. Photos were required for N400 filing at the time. USCIS dropped that requirement after they got a good hold on online filing.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

2 hours ago, arken said:

 May be she had applied for naturalization few years ago. Photos were required for N400 filing at the time. USCIS dropped that requirement after they got a good hold on online filing.

Sometime before 2018, which is when I applied? I didn’t need to submit photos (and did submit online).

[GuruSikh 6]

8 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

No photos required to be filed from applicants within the US. Not sure why lawyer asked for them. From the instructions: Photographs. Only applicants who reside overseas must provide two identical color photographs of yourself taken recently. Page 10, https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/n-400instr.pdf

 

 

That's what I thought too, I thought they always used bio metrics picture. My wife's friend mentioned that and I got unsure and confused.

So I thought make this post and be sure.

[GuruSikh 6]

3 hours ago, arken said:

 May be she had applied for naturalization few years ago. Photos were required for N400 filing at the time. USCIS dropped that requirement after they got a good hold on online filing.

Oh I did not know that. I think her friend applied in 2019.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

12 minutes ago, GuruSikh said:

Oh I did not know that. I think her friend applied in 2019.

Was not required at that stage. Maybe her lawyer wasn’t up to date.

[GuruSikh 6]

3 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Was not required at that stage. Maybe her lawyer wasn’t up to date.

oh ok. Probably.

[arken 4,197]

4 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Sometime before 2018, which is when I applied? I didn’t need to submit photos (and did submit online).

Yeah, i think i applied in mid 2016 when they had just started rolling paper filed cases to online processing (a big flop at the time). Till then photos were needed. 
 

 

 

[scotty2009 13]

On 7/20/2021 at 1:38 AM, Mike E said:

Usually the one taken at the interview.  It can be the one from the biometric appointment. 
 

Unusual but it happens. My interview letter said not to bring photos, and during the interview my IO asked me where my photos were. I said “the letter said not to bring them”. He said “well our digital camera isn’t working today, so I need photos”. I got photos made that day and returned them to USCIS the next day (I was the last interview before the office closed fir the day). 
 

The certificate used a photo I didn’t recognize, so I assume it was from biometrics 11 months prior 

 

Since then the San Joae field office now has beneficiary attending an interview take biometrics at one of an array of desks that is separate from the normal biometrics room.  This way they don’t need to have one of the special digital cameras per interview room.  
 

Same here.  USCIS wants extra photos because the machine that prints naturalization certificates is designed to print just two certificates using the same image.  So if there is a printer problem (paper jam, ink issue, etc.) USCIS wants a backup photo to make two more attempts.  

 

I believe it is technically possible to do this because the martial status of an oath taker can

change between interview and oath and the certificate should be correct when the oath is taken. Also there can be technical errors in the actual certificate.  Finally I can imagine sometimes certificates aren’t printed for the reasons I gave above and before the actual oath, USCIS grabs the oath taker for another photo taking.  
 

She should bring two pairs  of photos to the N-400 oath and ask if they can print a new one there.  Can’t hurt to ask.  

 

USCIS is under no obligation to grant her request.  She might be told that granting the request would delay oath.  
 

I didn’t receive 8 questions on my letter so I’ve no idea.  What are these 8 questions? Perhaps post the entire letter minus the case number, names, and other identifying info. 
 

I believe there is no way to have oath without being given a naturalization certificate.
 

 In any case, I would (and would have) refuse(d) to take the oath AND hand over my green card without a naturalization certificate in hand.  

Hello! 

May I please ask what size of photo did IO require for your naturalization? Is it the passport size and how many do they need? I'm going to have my interview this week and planning on bringing pictures as well to avoid possible delay.         

 

Edit:  Belpw is what I found online as picture requirement. Am I on the right page?

Photographs. Only applicants who reside overseas must provide two identical color photographs of yourself taken recently. The photos must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched. Passport-style photos must be 2” x 2”. The photos must be in color with full face, frontal view on a white to off-white background. Head height should measure 1” to 1 3/8” from top of hair to bottom of chin, and eye height is between 1 1/8” to 1 3/8” from bottom of photo. Your head must be bare, unless contrary to your religious beliefs. Using a pencil or felt pen, lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back of the photo

Edited April 27, 2022 by scotty2009

[Mike E 11,723]

27 minutes ago, scotty2009 said:

Hello! 

May I please ask what size of photo did IO require for your naturalization? Is it the passport size and how many do they need? I'm going to have my interview this week and planning on bringing pictures as well to avoid possible delay.         

 

Edit:  Belpw is what I found online as picture requirement. Am I on the right page?

Photographs. Only applicants who reside overseas must provide two identical color photographs of yourself taken recently. The photos must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched. Passport-style photos must be 2” x 2”. The photos must be in color with full face, frontal view on a white to off-white background. Head height should measure 1” to 1 3/8” from top of hair to bottom of chin, and eye height is between 1 1/8” to 1 3/8” from bottom of photo. Your head must be bare, unless contrary to your religious beliefs. Using a pencil or felt pen, lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back of the photo

US passport size 

[scotty2009 13]

24 minutes ago, Mike E said:

US passport size 

Thank you!