Automated verification loop: Valid ID and translation rejected repeatedly

[mosshaven]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Verification Help & Guidance

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to get the Student Developer Pack. My student ID expires on February 15, 2029. Since the original document is in Ukrainian, I took a photo of it side-by-side with a handwritten English translation, exactly as specified in the rejection email.
My GitHub profile and the name listed in my payment information match the information on the document exactly (Nikita Biriuk).
However, the automated scanner continues to reject my application. On one attempt, it even displayed a completely blank error message (screenshot attached).
I’m attaching a photo of my student ID with the translation and a screenshot of the blank error message. Could someone from the community team please review my application manually?
Thank you!

[mosshaven]

(i've blacked out my face, my ID, and the barcode in red just for there: im sending normal photo of ID)

[lucaasporto]

You can try taking a high-quality photo of your card and asking an AI like Gemini or ChatGPT to translate the text in the image. Use a simple prompt like: "edit the image, translating the text to English." Alternatively, you can search Google for "translate image free" and use a website that does that. I hope it works, good luck!

[lucaasporto]

Got it! Look, if you correctly selected your school's name, shared your location (and it aligns with the university you selected), and properly picked the type of academic enrollment from the dropdown menu that matches your document photo, then the issue is most likely with the photo itself.

In the description, GitHub explicitly states: "We can verify your application most easily when your proof includes your complete name, school name, and a current date. Dated school IDs, current transcripts, and enrollment letters on official letterhead tend to work best. Clear, readable images help us process your application more quickly."

So the image quality needs to be as high as possible. If you are taking a photo of your computer screen, turn your screen brightness all the way up and be in a dark room. This will minimize glare as much as possible and give you a better-quality image (if that happens to be the problem).

[mosshaven]

what if github detecting OBS camera?

how can i "bypass" camera and use screenshot or something else??

[lucaasporto]

There are far more people working at GitHub than people trying to bypass their system. I wouldn't try doing that—even if a workaround somehow worked, it would probably take a lot of trial and error to figure out.

I searched the internet and found a potential solution: "If anyone else comes across issues regarding this one particular error: I recommend you use Mozilla Firefox browser, as on this when using the GitHub Education application form this error does not occur. The single error has become gone and now it finally accepted my request!" Other people also commented that it worked for them, saying "I took mine on my iPhone and then uploaded it from Mozilla on Mac, and it worked fine." Maybe it will work for you too, here is the link to the discussion: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/183646

[lucaasporto]

Did it work? @mosshaven