diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_views.py b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_views.py
index 1638f7c30ca974d7760e3bff24acc0f7e485cfd0..ec0b7c7c343bd2271fb3788f8b025ebc5c95678b 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_views.py
@@ -1875,6 +1875,12 @@ class TestReverifyView(TestCase):
         success = self.client.login(username=self.USERNAME, password=self.PASSWORD)
         self.assertTrue(success, msg="Could not log in")
 
+    def test_reverify_view_can_do_initial_verification(self):
+        """
+        Test that a User can use reverify link for initial verification.
+        """
+        self._assert_can_reverify()
+
     def test_reverify_view_can_reverify_denied(self):
         # User has a denied attempt, so can reverify
         attempt = SoftwareSecurePhotoVerification.objects.create(user=self.user)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/views.py
index fcd45a52a3909794a2fbbaee0f1b43ae29277890..516a52a8e19c1b1c8f9d78f11fa724daa10036e6 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/views.py
@@ -1358,10 +1358,12 @@ class ReverifyView(View):
         """
         status, _ = SoftwareSecurePhotoVerification.user_status(request.user)
 
-        # If the verification process is still ongoing i.e. the status for photo
-        # verification is either 'submitted' or 'must_retry' then its marked as
-        # 'pending'
-        if status in ["must_reverify", "expired", "pending"]:
+        # If the user has no initial verification or if the verification
+        # process is still ongoing 'pending' or expired then allow the user to
+        # submit the photo verification.
+        # A photo verification is marked as 'pending' if its status is either
+        # 'submitted' or 'must_retry'.
+        if status in ["none", "must_reverify", "expired", "pending"]:
             context = {
                 "user_full_name": request.user.profile.name,
                 "platform_name": settings.PLATFORM_NAME,