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Old Photo used - interview result?

veronice

veronice

Active Member
This thread is for all the people that used an old picture on the DV Lottery application and the result of their interview.
There has been many cases where the green card is denied because they used an old photo to apply. But there's also cases where they used old photos and were approved.
Please, let us know if your photo is old or new (and how old), if you used it in another consular process or DV Lottery application, the embassy where you had your interview and the result.
Thank you!!!
 
For Venezuelan winners having the interview in Bogota, Colombia, the old photo has been reason for denial in several cases.
I'll list some here.
MONTH: August 2019 - (dv lottery 2019)
PHOTO: Derivative
USED: Tourist visa application, 1 year prior entering dv Lottery
EMBASSY: Bogota, Colombia
RESULT: Denied for all (principal and derivatives). Tourist visa revoked.
 
MONTH: December 2019 - (dv lottery 2020)
PHOTO: Principal - More than 10 years old! - Their application was through a company (third party, used the same picture over and over again)
USED: They say it was only used on dv lottery applications.
EMBASSY: Bogota, Colombia
RESULT: Denied for all (principal and derivatives). Tourist visa revoked.
 
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MONTH: December 2019 - (dv lottery 2020)
PHOTO: Derivative
USED: Another consular process, they don't remember using it before.
EMBASSY: Bogota, Colombia
RESULT: Denied for all (main and derivatives). Tourist visa revoked.
 
afterpoop said:
Are there example of cases being approved? Can you post more details of such cases?
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There's one case. A woman applied through usafis and they repeated the photo but she explained it at the embassy and they approved her green card. It was before August 2019.
 
Looks like there were other cases in Cambodia where the counselor rejected multiple applicants for using old photos

forums.immigration.com/threads/passed-interview-with-blue-sky-background-photo-miracle-does-exist-in-this-world.332879


"Then CO stops asking and telling the girl that “ We can’t issue you the visa because you don read the instruction correctly , first your photo must be not older than 6 month and this lottery program suggest you to register by yourself because you can manage your data and embassy doesn’t charge you money if you receive VISA .See you next time and try to read instruction carefully before you register the program “."
 
damo1089 said:
Is your idea for this thread to demonstrate the importance of using an original photo?
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Also, since the data I have available is from the Bogota's embassy, I would like to know if the trend of deny green card on the basis of using an old photo is being enforced this year in all embassies or it is just from that one. The denial rate for my country in that embassy is extremely high according to the information I have available (a small sample, but still a mixed group)
 
SusieQQQ said:
I presume it’s to highlight the risks of people disregarding the clear instructions to use a photo less than 6 months old. (I’m curious actually as to why so many people just ignore that instruction. )
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It is incredible how much people just decide to ignore it. And you wouldn't imagine how many people think it's unfair to be disqualified for "that silly thing"
 
@veronice COs do dig up additional applicant information from a worldwide DoS Consular Affairs database shared by all US embassies with consular sections at the end of the interview before making a decision on the application. This database contains embassy archives from all past NIVs and IVs applications; and if the CO doesn’t find the applicant information(e.g: CO is new to that specific embassy, or access to archives have been moved to a different computer terminal, etc.), they usually pause the interview and request assistance from their staff. It’s safe to assume checking the time stamp on the photo used is one of the details they check before making a decision at the interview. I am actually pleasantly surprised to hear there are selections with entries using old pictures, all these selectees can do regarding the photo issue at this point is read specific embassies past interview experiences and hope the old picture won’t be a deal breaker during the interview. If the embassy in Bogota is a problem, try a different embassy nearby, but chances are it might not make a difference.
 
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Hi, Veronice! ;)

I'll have my interview in about two months, so we'll get a sample from an EU visa waiver country. In my embassy, according to official statistics, less than 1% od DV gets denied, so it'll be interesting to see if I'll be the lucky one for 2020 or if that somehow makes a difference.

When it comes to the question why people use old photos, it is not complicated: the DV process is extremely bureaucratic which isn't something most of us are used to. The spirit of the rule is clear - to ensure that the photo is current and that you are who you say you are without a shadow of doubt. If you have a say 8 months old photo in which you look exactly the same, why would you take a new one? You'd still look the same in the new photo as in the old one.
But the rule is the rule and my guess is that it is a strictly binary process. No ifs or buts.

As I've said, I'm curious so I'll still go to the interview, but I'm not holding my breath here.
 
Grug said:
@veronice COs do dig up additional applicant information from a worldwide DoS Consular Affairs database shared by all US embassies with consular sections at the end of the interview before making a decision on the application. This database contains embassy archives from all past NIVs and IVs applications; and if the CO doesn’t find the applicant information(e.g: CO is new to that specific embassy, or access to archives have been moved to a different computer terminal, etc.), they usually pause the interview and request assistance from their staff. It’s safe to assume checking the time stamp on the photo used is one of the details they check before making a decision at the interview. I am actually pleasantly surprised to hear there are selections with entries using old pictures, all these selectees can do regarding the photo issue at this point is read specific embassies past interview experiences and hope the old picture won’t be a deal breaker during the interview. If the embassy in Bogota is a problem, try a different embassy nearby, but chances are it might not make a difference.
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Do you know about old entry photos? Not previous NIV applications but dvlottery applications. I'm sure there are lots of cases with that scenario too and we still don't know what happens there... All the info I have is about previous NIV applications
 
Merle said:
Hi, Veronice! ;)

I'll have my interview in about two months, so we'll get a sample from an EU visa waiver country. In my embassy, according to official statistics, less than 1% od DV gets denied, so it'll be interesting to see if I'll be the lucky one for 2020 or if that somehow makes a difference.

When it comes to the question why people use old photos, it is not complicated: the DV process is extremely bureaucratic which isn't something most of us are used to. The spirit of the rule is clear - to ensure that the photo is current and that you are who you say you are without a shadow of doubt. If you have a say 8 months old photo in which you look exactly the same, why would you take a new one? You'd still look the same in the new photo as in the old one.
But the rule is the rule and my guess is that it is a strictly binary process. No ifs or buts.

As I've said, I'm curious so I'll still go to the interview, but I'm not holding my breath here.
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Well... Good luck! Is your photo old? Did you use it previously on a NIV, dv lottery application or something like that?
 
Had another look at the instructions. In the main part (before the faq), the photo instructions total about 2 pages. Why do people think they’d bother spending two pages describing the requirements if they didn’t really care about them, and then get surprised to find they get strict about it? I find it so strange, really, especially as it is such an easy thing to do.
 
veronice said:
Do you know about old entry photos? Not previous NIV applications but dvlottery applications. I'm sure there are lots of cases with that scenario too and we still don't know what happens there... All the info I have is about previous NIV applications
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That’s my point: ANY previous applications (NIVs or IVs) where the applicant used that same old photo might be brought up during the IO’s search and review before the end of the interview; and if the embassy has had previous cases of denial due to entries with old photos, chances are a denial might happen again. Bottom line: if you used an old photo, and you have to deal with an embassy where such denials have happened before, chances of denial are substantial. If you’re dealing with an embassy not known for such denials, you might have a chance of escaping the IO’s scrutiny on the old photo issue, but it’s a pretty slim chance. In situations like this where I’ve done something that I can’t change and have no control over, I just look at my alternatives and go from there: so, if you have the option of changing from Bogota to somewhere else for your interview, do that. Otherwise, keep your fingers crossed and pray it doesn’t come up in the interview.
 
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By the way @veronice , were you selected for DV2020? I haven’t stayed up to date with the whole threads for DV2020 here so I don’t know whether you were selected or not.
 
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