What if my photos are taken 50 days before I sent my N-400? How would they know?

J

jojo_angelov

New Member
I am gathering all the documents for the application and I took my photos at Walmart about 50 days ago. I was so busy that I did not have time to get the application ready until now. My question is the following: How would USCIS knoe that the photos were taken 50 days ago and not 30 ? I look identical now and on the photos?
 
They have a special microscope that can analyze the photograph to determine the age of it based on the microscopic decay of the surface.

They also have access the NSA database which records all activity on the Internet, so they'll know that you started this thread admitting that the photos are 50 days old.



Just kidding. But if you want to be perfectly safe and truthful on this, get some new photos. The photos you already have can be later used for your US passport, if you complete naturalization fast enough (the passport application requires photos which are no older than 6 months).

If they have a way of finding out, the consequences are worse for naturalization than for the US passport application. If they make an issue of this in naturalization, you don't become a citizen or your citizenship is delayed. If they make an issue of it with your US passport application, at least you're still a citizen while you work to sort out the situation.
 
In short, what Jackolantern is saying is that, no, they really won't find out unless, for example, the photos you are giving them were used in something that they previously issued, or in a document you show them (your foreign passport, for example). If you look the same (some people change a LOT in 50 days; the president is a good example :), the photo would probably do.

If you'd like to be squeaky clean, do what J is suggesting.

For what it's worth, the photo on my naturalisation certificate was taken 2 years prior, but I had only used it on an international driving permit. AAA has a copy. If I start giving the government trouble, they might be able to dig it up :/
 
cafeconleche said:
For what it's worth, the photo on my naturalisation certificate was taken 2 years prior, but I had only used it on an international driving permit. AAA has a copy. If I start giving the government trouble, they might be able to dig it up :/
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2 years old? That was insane, especially when considering that AAA gives free passport photos to members!
 
I've never had these photos before... This will be the last and first time I actually use them so my question is will they ever contact me to ask me where I got them and the exact date that I got them? They will not have any other records anywhere of these photos.

cafeconleche said:
In short, what Jackolantern is saying is that, no, they really won't find out unless, for example, the photos you are giving them were used in something that they previously issued, or in a document you show them (your foreign passport, for example). If you look the same (some people change a LOT in 50 days; the president is a good example :), the photo would probably do.

If you'd like to be squeaky clean, do what J is suggesting.

For what it's worth, the photo on my naturalisation certificate was taken 2 years prior, but I had only used it on an international driving permit. AAA has a copy. If I start giving the government trouble, they might be able to dig it up :/
Click to expand...
 
They will not contact you.

And, I wasn't a member. I just needed the damn thing for a roadtrip in Europe, but I was already in Europe and had to send photos for someone to go to AAA for me...
 
My attitude re. this is similar to Jackolanterns: The naturalization process is stressful enough (even when your case is straightforward). Do you really want to add stress by using old photos? Passport photos are so cheap and I preferred spending that money than wondering whether there will be any problems. Re. the naturalization certificate photo: in my case they actually used the one from the biometrics (probably just because they were lazy to scan the photos I sent with the application) and I unfortunately look like I'm high on something (which I wasn't).
 
Igmu said:
My attitude re. this is similar to Jackolanterns: The naturalization process is stressful enough (even when your case is straightforward). Do you really want to add stress by using old photos? Passport photos are so cheap and I preferred spending that money than wondering whether there will be any problems. Re. the naturalization certificate photo: in my case they actually used the one from the biometrics (probably just because they were lazy to scan the photos I sent with the application) and I unfortunately look like I'm high on something (which I wasn't).
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^^^^This exactly. You will most certainly be ok with 50 day photos and no one will care, but the stress thinking about this for you will not be worth the $15 and one hour you will save
 
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