Green card photo requirements
As of October 25, 2026, a green card photo for USCIS is a 2 x 2 inch color print with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from hair to chin, on a white to off-white background (per uscis.gov, checked on Oct 25, 2026).
Green card photos sent to USCIS have to be unmounted and unretouched.
Form I-485 must include two identical color passport-style photos of the applicant, printed on thin paper with a glossy finish.
USCIS wants a 2 x 2 inch color print that shows the full face from the front. Measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, the head should be 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall.
The eyes have their own window: the top of the eyes sits 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches up from the bottom edge. Because USCIS measures from the top of the hair, a tall hairstyle counts toward the head height.
Source: uscis.gov
The Form I-485 instructions only say the photos must be taken recently. The USCIS Policy Manual, which officers use when reviewing an adjustment of status case, is more specific: the photographs must have been taken within 30 days of filing.
Planning around the stricter of the two keeps you safe, so have the photos taken no more than 30 days before you file.
Send two identical prints on thin paper with a glossy finish. They must be unmounted and unretouched, and USCIS defines unretouched as not edited or digitally enhanced.
With a pencil or felt pen, write your name and your A-Number (if you have one) lightly on the back of each photo.
From your biometrics. USCIS says that when you file Form I-90 to replace a green card, it uses the biometrics collected at your Application Support Center appointment to produce the new card.
The Form I-90 instructions add that USCIS may ask you to come in for biometrics, which can include fingerprints, a photograph and a signature, to verify your identity.
Two identical color passport-style photos of the applicant, 2 x 2 inches each, on a white to off-white background and printed on thin glossy paper. Source: official page "Instructions for Form I-485 (edition 09/18/26) › What Evidence Must You Submit › 1. Photographs", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Only when your religious denomination requires it. Otherwise the Form I-485 instructions say your head must be bare. Source: official page "Instructions for Form I-485 (edition 09/18/26) › What Evidence Must You Submit › 1. Photographs", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
A USCIS officer reviewing the adjustment of status application confirms that the photos are in your file. No photo service, SelfieToPassport included, can promise that USCIS will accept a photo. Source: official page "USCIS Policy Manual › Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 4 - Documentation", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
No. SelfieToPassport is not affiliated with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or any other government agency. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services publishes the photo rules for free at uscis.gov; this page links to each one.
For U.S. documents we crop and resize your original photo. We do not replace the background: the State Department lists photos with a background cut out by software as unacceptable.
Ready? Free preview with the measurements drawn on your photo; $6.95 for the digital file and both print sheets.
Make my Green card photoEvery rule on this page comes from a page published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.
Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.
