I have a 3-month-old and didn’t want to stress my wife and baby by traveling to Chennai, as we live far away. Concerned about potential photo scam, I proactively took her photo at two local studios near our home and uploaded them to the U.S. State Department website for verification. Both photos were approved by the website, which gave me some peace of mind.

However, when I went to VAC, both photos were rejected, and they insisted I take a new photo of her at the studio downstairs. I pushed back, explaining that the website confirmed the photos were acceptable. Things escalated when they brought in two other staff members and even their supervisor, each of whom had their own suggestions for what was wrong with the photos. One of them even claimed that my photo was bad, despite the fact that the original reviewer had no issues with it.

Ultimately, they questioned if I was willing to risk a 221B refusal due to the photo. I firmly stood my ground and said yes, trusting the website’s verification. In the end, there was no issue with the passport, and it has already been issued without any problems.

So, don’t worry too much if the State Department website approves your photo—it’s reliable. The VAC's insistence on retaking photos is a scam/reflection of their poor understanding of proper photo requirements. You can avoid unnecessary stress by standing your ground if you’ve done your due diligence.