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Form I-131 photo requirements

Form I-131 photo: size and rules

As of November 3, 2026, Form I-131 photos for USCIS are two identical 2 x 2 inch color prints with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall, on a white to off-white background (per uscis.gov, checked on Nov 3, 2026).

Form I-131 asks for photos when someone outside the U.S. files for a Refugee Travel Document, or someone in the U.S. files for an Advance Parole Document or TPS Travel Authorization Document.

Form I-131 filings that need photos include two identical color passport-style photos of the applicant, taken recently.

Updated Rules checked against uscis.govHow we check

Measured drawing: Form I-131 photo2 in2 in1 3/8 in1 inchin1.2 in, our target
Form I-131 photo. Printed size 2 x 2 in. Head 1 to 1 3/8 in, measured from the chin to the top of the hair. The coral dot is where our tool places the top of the head (60% of the height).

Form I-131 photo at a glance

Printed size
2 x 2 inuscis.gov
Head height
1 to 1 3/8 inuscis.gov
Background
White to off-whiteuscis.gov
Prints needed
2 identical photosuscis.gov

Questions people ask

What size are the photos for Form I-131?

Two identical 2 x 2 inch color prints, full face and frontal, with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of the hair to the chin and the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches up from the bottom edge.

The background is white to off-white, and the head stays bare unless religious headwear is required.

Source: uscis.gov

Which Form I-131 applications need photos?

A Refugee Travel Document filed from outside the United States, and an Advance Parole Document or a TPS Travel Authorization Document filed from inside it. Print the two photos on thin glossy paper, unmounted and unretouched, and write your name and A-Number lightly on the back.

If you send a digital photo instead, USCIS asks for one from a camera of at least 3.5 megapixels.

Source: uscis.gov

Every rule, with its source

Size and head position

  • USCIS asks for Form I-131 photos that are 2 by 2 inches and show the full face in a frontal view. uscis.gov
  • The Form I-131 instructions want the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. uscis.gov
  • The eye line in a Form I-131 photo sits 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom edge of the photo. uscis.gov

Background

  • Photos sent with Form I-131 need a white to off-white background. uscis.gov

Glasses, head coverings and clothing

  • A bare head is the rule in Form I-131 photos; headwear is allowed only when the applicant’s religious denomination requires it. uscis.gov

How recent

  • The Form I-131 instructions ask for photos of the applicant taken recently, without giving a number of days. uscis.gov

Editing and filters

  • USCIS wants Form I-131 photos printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched. uscis.gov

Digital file

  • If the Form I-131 photo is digital, USCIS says it must come from a high-resolution camera of at least 3.5 megapixels, because of its scanning process. uscis.gov

Printed photo

  • Form I-131 filings that need photos include two identical color passport-style photos of the applicant, taken recently. uscis.gov
  • Before mailing, write the name and A-Number, if there is one, lightly on the back of each Form I-131 photo with a pencil or felt pen. uscis.gov

Where photos come from

  • Form I-131 asks for photos when someone outside the U.S. files for a Refugee Travel Document, or someone in the U.S. files for an Advance Parole Document or TPS Travel Authorization Document. uscis.gov

FAQ

How many photos go with Form I-131?

Two identical color passport-style photos, 2 x 2 inches, when you file for a Refugee Travel Document from outside the U.S. or for an Advance Parole or TPS Travel Authorization Document from inside it. Source: official page "Instructions for Form I-131 (edition 01/20/25) › Photographs", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Can I wear a head covering in my I-131 photo?

Only when your religious denomination requires it; otherwise the instructions say your head must be bare. Source: official page "Instructions for Form I-131 (edition 01/20/25) › Photographs", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Is SelfieToPassport U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services?

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.

Does SelfieToPassport replace the background of a Form I-131 photo?

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.

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Where this information comes from

Every 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.