On December 12, 2025, USCIS issued a Policy Alert announcing new guidance governing the submission and reuse of photographs for immigration benefit requests. It is no longer accepting self-submitted photos and is limiting when USCIS-taken photos may be reused in benefit requests. Only photos taken by USCIS, at an Application Support Center (ASC) for a Biometrics Services Appointment (BSA), or other authorized entities will be allowed. This guidance is effective immediately and applies to all benefit requests filed on or after December 12, 2025.
Previously taken photographs and other biometrics collected by USCIS for other purposes will no longer be reused for the following immigrant- and citizenship-related applications:
- Form I-485, Application for Adjustment of Status
- Form I-400, Application for Naturalization
- Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship
- Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
For all other benefit requests, including all non-immigrant requests (e.g., a Form I-765/OPT application), USCIS may reuse a previously collected BSA photograph if it is less than three years old at the time of filing, at the discretion of USCIS.
Applicants who file their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application (e.g. OPT application) on or after December 12, 2025, should expect to receive a notification to attend a BSA at an ASC as part of the application process. Applicants should follow the instructions provided in the notification to schedule the BSA. The closest ASC to Ann Arbor is located in Detroit. However, applicants living outside the area will need to schedule an appointment at the closest available ASC. We recommend EAD applicants continue to follow the posted instructions and submit two passport-style photographs with their applications until USCS updates their instructions.
If you receive a USCIS communication regarding a photo or biometric appointment request and have questions, please contact the International Center. We will continue to monitor developments and will update this announcement as needed.