The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services provides all of its paperwork online, allowing applicants worldwide easy access. Moreover, much of the application work is processed electronically. Nevertheless, those providing information, evidence and documentation still find it necessary to access hard copies of important paperwork. These are scanned and uploaded for review, either for the initial application or further along in the approval process.
Below are some helpful tips provided by the USCIS for scanning these documents to avoid delays and improve efficiency.
Do not do the following:
- Include photos or documents that are smaller than 4×6 inches as evidence. Instead, use larger copies that are easier to scan. The notable exception is a passport photo.
- Bundle papers together using staples, hole punches, binder clips, or paper clips
- Print forms on colored paper
- Use sticky notes on the documentation
- Fold documents
- Submit scrapbooks, photo albums, greeting cards, or binders as evidence
- Submit more than one copy of the same document unless requested
- Submit original marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, marriage licenses, passports, or naturalization papers unless the form requires it or the USCIS specifically requests the original document.
- Submit anything with electronic chips, batteries, cassette tapes, DVDs, CD-ROMs, thumb drives, or toys. Photocopies of these are accepted.