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Green card and USCIS photo maker

Make the two identical 2 x 2 inch passport-style photos that USCIS forms such as the I-485, I-765, I-131 and I-130 ask for, checked against the form instructions and ready to print.

  • Free
  • Photos never leave your device
  • Rules checked

Document:USCIS photo (green card, work permit, travel document, naturalization)

Your photo stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded. JPEG, PNG, WebP or HEIC.

Take a photo

Look straight at the camera and keep your whole head inside the oval, with a plain wall behind you. The preview is mirrored; your photo will not be.

USCIS photo (green card, work permit, travel document, naturalization) requirements

Print size2 x 2 in (50.8 x 50.8 mm)
Head height (chin to top of head)1–1 3/8 in (25.4–34.9 mm)
Eyes from the bottom edge1 1/8–1 3/8 in (28.6–34.9 mm)
BackgroundWhite to off-white
ExpressionNeutral or a natural smile, eyes open
GlassesAllowed if there is no glare and your eyes are fully visible
Head coveringOnly for religious reasons
How recentTaken recently; Forms I-130 and I-129F ask for photos taken within 30 days of filing
  • Color, full face, frontal view
  • Printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched
  • Lightly write your name and A-Number (if any) on the back in pencil or felt pen
  • Most forms ask for two identical photos (Form I-129F asks for one of each person)
  • USCIS does not use mailed photos on a green card or other secure document: it takes that photo at your biometrics appointment

Official source: USCIS — Form I-485 Instructions (edition 09/18/26), Photographs

What USCIS asks for

The photo instructions are almost the same in every USCIS form that asks for photos. The photos must be:

  • 2 x 2 inches, in color, full face and frontal view;
  • on a white to off-white background;
  • printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched;
  • with a head height of 1 to 1 3/8 inches and eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom edge;
  • bare-headed, unless you wear headwear required by your religion.

Because the photos must be unretouched, the tool does not replace your background or change your skin or lighting. It crops, sizes and straightens the photo, and checks that the wall behind you is plain white or off-white.

Which forms need photos

Form Photos Notes
I-485 (green card, adjustment of status) 2 identical New biometrics photo taken by USCIS too
I-765 (work permit, EAD) 2 identical
I-131 (advance parole, refugee travel document, TPS travel) 2 identical
I-130 (spouse petition) 2 of you, 2 of your spouse Taken within 30 days of filing
I-129F (fiancé(e) petition) 1 of you, 1 of your fiancé(e) Taken within 30 days of filing
N-400, N-600 2 identical, only if you live outside the US Otherwise taken at biometrics

Form instructions change: check the edition you are filing on uscis.gov before you print.

The photo on your green card

In December 2025 USCIS changed its photo policy. It no longer uses photos that applicants send in on secure documents such as green cards and work permits. The card photo is taken by USCIS at a biometric services appointment, and an earlier biometrics photo can only be reused if it is no more than 3 years old when you file. Forms I-90, I-485, N-400 and N-600 always need a new biometrics photo. You still have to include the paper photos a form asks for.

How to take the photo

  1. Stand a few feet in front of a plain white or off-white wall.
  2. Light your face evenly, for example facing a window, with no shadows on the wall.
  3. Take off hats (except religious headwear) and preferably your glasses.
  4. Ask a helper to take the photo from about 4 feet (1.2 m) away at your eye level, using the phone’s normal camera without filters or portrait mode.
  5. Look straight at the camera with both eyes open.
  6. Upload the photo here, fix anything the checks flag, and download the print sheet.

Common mistakes with USCIS photos

  • Head too small or too large for the 1–1 3/8 inch range.
  • Background that is not white to off-white, or has shadows and objects.
  • Retouched or filtered photos, or a background changed by software.
  • Printed on thick or matte paper instead of thin glossy paper, or photos mounted on card.
  • Glare on glasses hiding the eyes, or a hat that is not religious headwear.
  • Two photos that are not identical when the form asks for two identical photos.

Printing the photos

Download print sheet gives you two identical 2 x 2 inch photos on one 4 x 6 inch sheet at true size, which covers most forms. Order it as a standard glossy 4 x 6 inch print at a photo counter, or print it at home on thin glossy photo paper at 100% scale, then cut along the guides. For a spouse petition, make and print a second sheet for your spouse. The print sheet maker explains how to keep the size exact, and our price comparison lists what photo counters charge.

Frequently asked questions

What size photo does USCIS need?

USCIS forms ask for color passport-style photos 2 x 2 inches in size. Your head, from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin, should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches, and your eyes should be 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom of the photo. The background must be white to off-white.

Is the photo I send the one printed on my green card?

No. Since December 2025, USCIS does not use or reuse self-submitted photos on green cards or other secure documents. The photo on your card is taken by USCIS, usually at your biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center. The photos you mail with a form still have to meet the form instructions.

How many photos do I need?

Most forms ask for two identical photos of yourself, including Forms I-485, I-765 and I-131 (for advance parole, a refugee travel document or TPS travel). A spouse petition on Form I-130 needs two photos of you and two of your spouse. Form I-129F needs one photo of you and one of your fiancé(e).

How recent must the photos be?

The form instructions say "taken recently". Forms I-130 (spouse petitions) and I-129F are stricter and ask for photos taken within 30 days of filing. Taking new photos shortly before you mail the form satisfies every form, and the photos should look like you do now.

Can I wear glasses in a USCIS photo?

The USCIS form instructions do not ban glasses, but they ask for a full face in frontal view. Glasses often cause glare or hide the eyes, and US passport and visa photos no longer allow them, so taking them off is the safest choice. If you keep them on, make sure there is no glare and your eyes are fully visible.

Does a naturalization application (N-400) need photos?

Only if you apply from outside the United States; those applicants send two identical passport-style photos. Applicants in the United States have their photo taken at the biometrics appointment. Form N-600 works the same way. Always follow the edition of the form instructions you are filing.

What should I write on the back of the photos?

Lightly print your name and your A-Number, if you have one, on the back of each photo with a pencil or a felt pen. Press gently so the writing does not show through or dent the front, and let felt-pen ink dry before you put the photos in the envelope.

Sources

  1. USCIS — Form I-485 Instructions (edition 09/18/26), Photographs (opened )
  2. USCIS — Form I-765 Instructions (edition 08/21/25), Photographs (opened )
  3. USCIS — Form I-130 Instructions (edition 04/01/24), photos within 30 days (opened )
  4. USCIS Policy Alert PA-2025-29 — Photograph Reuse for Identity Documents (opened )
  5. USCIS — Forms I-131, N-400, N-600 and I-129F Instructions (editions 01/20/25), Photographs (opened )

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