Passport Photos with light background for OCI application

C

calneel007

New Member
I am soliciting feedback on photographs to be submitted with the OCI application to the CGI-NY. Anybody knows how to get a light background passport size photo. I checked with AAA and they are not allowed(!) to take picture with non-white background.

Any suggestion is appreciated.
 
White is fine... they used to want a blue background but the sheer stupidity of it and probably people ignoring it led them to specify a "light" background. If white is not "light" I don't know what is...
 
Superho said:
White is fine... they used to want a blue background but the sheer stupidity of it and probably people ignoring it led them to specify a "light" background. If white is not "light" I don't know what is...
Click to expand...

It would be better to go with off-white instead of white. The image needs to be sharp and for contrast with the background, the background needs to be non-white (off-white). I had sent my photos (off-white) taken at Walgreens. It worked just fine. Just make sure you insist on non-white background and that you are convinced that it is not completely white or light. Not all folks at places like Walgreens necessarily know the difference in terms of what you want. Keep getting it taken until you are ready to order the prints. I went to two stores and after 3-4 tries until I got it correct.
 
Take pictures at home on digital camera; background can be off white, light blue, etc. I agree, if white background is not light color, not sure what it is; but, process is a process.
I have used online (free) software to measure 35mm (another requirement) and once satisfied with 35mm requirement; go to walgreens/walmart and get pictures printed. cut pictures to size and send them with OCI/visa application.
it saved quite money for me with family of 4.
 
crabappple said:
Can you please share the online software ?

Thanks!
OCI wannabe
Click to expand...

White is good ... don't waste your time trying for the FREE software and go to Walgreens, it would cost some money but you will get what you want and it would be worry free and there will not be any question on the photos atleast.

You mentioned AAA, if you have membership, they take passport size photos for free, go get it from there

Again

WHITE IS GOOD and accepted by Indian Embassy.
 
my friend used that site.. his applications got accepted...
epassport however i think provides (if i am not mistaken) 35 mm*35mm pics... NYC asks for 2 inches (50 or 55 mm)
But like i said 35mm worked for my friend (looks like it did for JPBoston too).

I bought a light blue cardboard from Michaels (its a craft chain store). The walgreens guy clipped it to their background.
Asked them to take passport pics and zoom the picture to occupy most of the picture (used dimensions that the oci/passport website provides...just changed the background). Walgreens charges a lot for this though, but the guy worked with me until i was satisfied. ... epassport will be cheaper
 
Photographs with white background 2x2 inch (US passport Photo) are accepted by Indian Consulates and Indian Embassy for OCI. One can get 2X2 US passport photographs from Costco, Walgreen or CVS.
 
Be cautious and follow the photo specs for your consulate. The Chicago consulate only allows 35mmx35mm and there's a whole section on their website trying to explain why it should be 35 x 35mm and not 51 x 51 as outlined in the Part A application....

In our case, we asked a few of the dept store as well as walgreens, costco, cvs and no one would do 35 x 35. So we called a photo studio professional who gave us a great deal for a family of 4.

I am still curious what they plan to do with 5 photos, why not 2 or 4 or 6... :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Chicago has 35mm picture requirement;which no department store/walgreens/walmart/costco/sams,etc can do. Some stores do not even allow you to change background. One photo studio did have 35mm photo capability but charges were $19/2 photos. That is $57 for six (since Chicago requires 5 photos). Total cost would have been $228 for family of 4 (yes, just for pictures).

I have downloaded software from http://www.kcsoftwares.com. This software allows you to check whether a photo can meet 35mm requirement (this software has list of passport picture requirements by countries). Once picture quality and size requirements are met, we had pictures printed in walmart (you can refine adjustments at walmart prior to printing). Total cost for 4 is $1.30 with taxes. I agree it takes time but, in my case $226 saving was enough motivation to try pictures on digital camera couple of times.
Alternately, you can use google's Picasa (free software). use custom crop of 1.5"X1.5" (about 35mm equivalent). This again, depending on how much 6 photos would cost at photo studio. 2"X2" may be rejected by consulate and may cause more delays to OCI/PIO processing. and white is not an acceptable background at Chicago consulate for OCI purposes. Please check your respective consulate web site prior to getting pictures.

I thnk Houston and SFO consulate have 35mm photograph requirement.
 
rahul_v_samant said:
my friend used that site.. his applications got accepted...
epassport however i think provides (if i am not mistaken) 35 mm*35mm pics... NYC asks for 2 inches (50 or 55 mm)
But like i said 35mm worked for my friend (looks like it did for JPBoston too).
Click to expand...

The epassportphotos site gives you different photo sizes depending on the standard that is in the county that you choose in the dropdown. I submitted mine to the CGINY where they ask for the default US size (2" x 2") and so I used the US country selection which is the default. You can get the 3.5 cm x 3.5 cm size by choosing India as the country in the dropdown menu. Like I said, this is a very useful site.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rahul_v_samant said:
my friend used that site.. his applications got accepted...
epassport however i think provides (if i am not mistaken) 35 mm*35mm pics... NYC asks for 2 inches (50 or 55 mm)
But like i said 35mm worked for my friend (looks like it did for JPBoston too).

I bought a light blue cardboard from Michaels (its a craft chain store). The walgreens guy clipped it to their background.
Asked them to take passport pics and zoom the picture to occupy most of the picture (used dimensions that the oci/passport website provides...just changed the background). Walgreens charges a lot for this though, but the guy worked with me until i was satisfied. ... epassport will be cheaper
Click to expand...
I second that opinion about epassport. It has worked great for our pictures in US passport (2 inch x 2 inch) as well as OCI size with light blue background (photos scanned and approved already). You just have to follow their instructions for taking pictures. For OCI pictures, I bought a light blue cardboard from dollar shop and taped it to the wall. take printouts from CVS, Walgreens etc. and you're done in less than 2 bucks.
Another advantage is that if for any reason your photos could not be scanned in Delhi, they ask you to email the new picture (in jpeg format). You can do this easily using this website. Walgreens wont give you the jpeg file.
 
ricky0721 said:
I second that opinion about epassport. It has worked great for our pictures in US passport (2 inch x 2 inch) as well as OCI size with light blue background (photos scanned and approved already). You just have to follow their instructions for taking pictures. For OCI pictures, I bought a light blue cardboard from dollar shop and taped it to the wall. take printouts from CVS, Walgreens etc. and you're done in less than 2 bucks.
Another advantage is that if for any reason your photos could not be scanned in Delhi, they ask you to email the new picture (in jpeg format).
----- Where did you read that if photos could not be scanned in Delhi they send you email to send the pictures to Delhi? one of my Friend OCI was applied through NYC Indian consulate and his OCI was Granted but nothing was happening from Delhi for Printing of documents on OCI status page. NYC never sent any email or letter to him regarding new Photographs or Problem in Scanning from NYC or Delhi.
He then searched on Indian embassy London UK site then sent his photographs again to NYC with request to Scan the photographs again.
Here is the info:
http://hcilondon.in/oci.php
Note: When the status of an OCI document in the online status enquiry is GRANTED and NOT PRINTED EVEN AFTER A WEEK, please note that the photograph uploaded could not be printed in Delhi. To rectify this, please take a copy of the status report and paste a FRESH PHOTOGRAPH (51x51mm with 80% coverage of face) on the left hand below the status report copy & sign (thumb impression in case of infants) on the right hand side opposite to the photo and submit it at token counter of High Commission (upto 1200 hrs. only) or send by post to OCI Department by special delivery. This will be scanned and uploaded again
You can do this easily using this website. Walgreens wont give you the jpeg file.
Click to expand...
-----------------------
 
ginnu said:
-----------------------
Click to expand...

This is from the email I received from the Indian Consulate after the OCI was granted (approved):
3. If you find that your OCI documents are not printed after three weeks of granting your application, then there is a problem with your photo. Since the photo is not as per the specifications provided in the website, it has not been accepted by the on-line printing facility (Machine and not a man) at Delhi. As we need to reprocess your application, you need to do the following things:

(a) Please do the on-line registration once again. Take printout and then scan only first page of the Part-A of the form after you sign or put your thumb impression (as applied) in the box near the space for photo. Please sign or put thumb impression (as required) by thick pen (black or blue ink), do not spill over signature /thumb impression out of the signature box. Please do not paste photo on the part-A. Please send photo as mentioned in (b) below. Please send scanned copy (jpeg format) of this first page and photograph (jpeg format as separate attachment) to us by email.

(b) Kindly take photo as per the following: (i) face should be at the center of the photo and face should occupy 75% of the photo area. (ii) Background should be light e.g. sky-blue, (iii) Background should not be white, (iv) There should be proper light on the face...It should not be too bright, dark or reddish or yellowish, (v) If you have lenses, please take care that there should not be a reflection in the eyes, (vi) Eyes should be visible through the thick frames (vii) It is better that you take photo by removing your spects. Do not take photo at departmental stores, take photo from proper photo studio and take it in jpeg. format from them (with resolution of 300 dpi). Please do not send the same photo which you sent with the hard copy of the application (first time), by scanning. Please do not send the same photos again and again.This will further delay your application.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top