Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements

DOS Instructs Posts on IV Packets

12/8/99 AILA Doc. No. 99120801. Consular Processing

UNCLAS STATE 225582

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: CVIS, CMGT

SUBJECT: ALDAC: IV PACKET PHOTOS AND ADDRESSES

1. POSTS WHICH ISSUE IMMIGRANT VISAS ARE REMINDED THAT INS

IS THE ULTIMATE RECIPIENT OF THE IV PACKETS. PREPARATION

OF THE PACKET IS THUS VERY IMPORTANT; IF A PACKET IS POORLY

PREPARED, CONTAINS ERRORS OR IS MISSING PAPERWORK, THE

RESULT WILL BE LOST TIME FOR THE NEW IMMIGRANT AND

FRUSTRATION FOR THE INS OFFICER WHO MUST PROCESS THE

PACKET.



2. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS INS ENCOUNTERS WITH IV

PACKETS IS POOR QUALITY PHOTOGRAPHS. THE IV PHOTOGRAPH

ATTACHED TO THE OF-155A IS A CRUCIAL ITEM -- ULTIMATELY IT

WILL BECOME THE IMAGE ON THE BEARER'S I-551 GREEN CARD.

THE DSL-1083 FORM ENCLOSED IN THE PACKET 3 GIVES APPLICANTS

EXPLICIT DIRECTIONS ON THE PHOTOGRAPH REQUIREMENTS, AND

POSTS SHOULD CLOSELY FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS, AS WELL AS

THE FAM INSTRUCTIONS ON PHOTOGRAPHS FOUND IN 9 FAM 42.65

N6, IN DETERMINING IF THE PHOTOS AN APPLICANT SUBMITS ARE

ACCEPTABLE.



3. IN PARTICULAR, POSTS MUST TAKE CARE THAT THE PHOTO

DIMENSIONS, SIZE AND CLARITY, AS WELL AS ANGLE OF PORTRAIT,



MATCH THE REQUIREMENTS. AS NOTED IN THE FAM, PHOTOS SHOULD

BE COLOR, WITH A LIGHT OR WHITE BACKGROUND; ALTHOUGH BLACK

AND WHITE PHOTOS ARE ACCEPTABLE IN COUNTRIES WHERE COLOR

PHOTOS ARE UNAVAILABLE, THE APPLICANTS WILL HAVE TO BE

REPHOTOGRAPHED ON ARRIVAL AT THE U.S. POE. APPLICANTS MUST

SUBMIT TWO GLOSSY-FINISH PHOTOS (ONE FOR THE VISA AND ONE

TO PROCESS THE I-551) WITH THEIR NAME WRITTEN ON THE

REVERSE.



4. IN THE RUSH TO PROCESS CASES QUICKLY, CONSULAR OFFICERS

ARE SOMETIMES TEMPTED TO ACCEPT SUBSTANDARD PHOTOS RATHER

THAN REFUSING THE APPLICANTS UNTIL THEY BRING IN NEW ONES.

HOWEVER, IN THE LONG RUN THOSE APPLICANTS WILL BE BETTER

SERVED IF POSTS REQUIRE THEM TO RETAKE POOR QUALITY PHOTOS.

THE APPLICANTS WILL ULTIMATELY BE SPARED THE TIME AND

TROUBLE OF HAVING TO REPEAT THE PROCESS IN INS SECONDARY

INSPECTION AT THE POE, OR HAVING THEIR I-551 QUESTIONED AT

SOME FUTURE POINT BECAUSE OF THE POOR QUALITY PHOTO.



5. ANOTHER VISA PACKET PROBLEM WHICH INS FREQUENTLY

ENCOUNTERS CONCERNS THE BEARER'S FINAL ADDRESS IN THE U.S.

LISTED ON THE OF-155A. EACH YEAR THE POSTAL SERVICE

RETURNS THOUSANDS OF GREEN CARDS TO INS WHICH ARE

UNDELIVERABLE BECAUSE THE APPLICANTS DID NOT SPECIFY "CARE

OF" THE PRINCIPAL RESIDENTS AT THEIR FUTURE U.S. ADDRESSES

WHEN THEY SUBMITTED THEIR IV PAPERWORK. INS MAILS AN

APPLICANT'S GREEN CARD TO THE ADDRESS LISTED ON THE OF-

155A; THE POST OFFICE WILL HAVE NO RECORD OF THE ALIEN AT

THAT ADDRESS WITHOUT THE "C/O" DESIGNATION, AND WILL RETURN

THE GREEN CARD TO INS. INS HAS NO WAY OF READDRESSING AN

UNDELIVERABLE GREEN CARD, AND MUST WAIT FOR THE INTENDED

RECIPIENT TO REPORT THE NON-DELIVERY.



6. AS NOTED IN 9 FAM 42.73 PN1.6, POSTS MUST "ENSURE THAT

THE FINAL ADDRESS IN THE US IS COMPLETE AND ACCURATE." IN

THIS CASE, COMPLETE AND ACCURATE MEANS THAT POSTS MUST

SPECIFY "C/O" THE PRINCIPAL RESIDENT AT THE U.S. ADDRESS

GIVEN ON THE OF-155A. BY TAKING CARE TO CHECK THE

APPLICANT'S NEW ADDRESS IN THE U.S., POSTS CAN HELP BOTH

INS AND THE APPLICANTS AVOID WASTED TIME AND EXPENSE DOWN

THE ROAD.



ALBRIGHT