SelfieToPassport
Make my photo

Work permit (EAD) photo requirements

Work permit (EAD) photo: size and rules

As of October 25, 2026, work permit photos for Form I-765 are two identical, unretouched 2 x 2 inch color prints, with the top of the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom (per uscis.gov, checked on Oct 25, 2026).

On its Form I-765 page, USCIS defines an unretouched photo as one that has not been edited or digitally enhanced.

When an online USCIS filing calls for passport-style photos, the applicant has to scan them or photograph them with a phone and upload the result.

Updated Rules checked against uscis.govHow we check

Measured drawing: Work permit (EAD) photo2 in2 in1 3/8 in1 inchin1.2 in, our target
Work permit (EAD) 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).

Work permit (EAD) photo at a glance

Printed size
2 x 2 inuscis.gov
Head height
1 to 1 3/8 inuscis.gov
File size
Up to 12 MBuscis.gov
Background
White to off-whiteuscis.gov
Prints needed
2 identical photosuscis.gov

Questions people ask

What are the photo specs for a work permit (Form I-765)?

Two identical prints, each 2 x 2 inches, in color, full face and frontal view, against a white to off-white background. From the top of the hair to the chin the head should be 1 to 1 3/8 inches, and the top of the eyes should sit 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom edge.

The Form I-485 instructions print the same numbers word for word, so anyone filing both forms together can follow one set of measurements, while still sending two photos with each form.

Sources: uscis.gov (pages 1, 2)

Can work permit photos be edited or retouched?

No. USCIS says photos must be unmounted and unretouched, meaning not edited or digitally enhanced. A retouched or mounted photo slows the case down and can trigger a request to appear at an Applicant Support Center to verify identity.

Replacing or cleaning up the background with an app is still an edit, so if the wall behind you is not white or off-white, retake the picture instead.

Source: uscis.gov

How do you add photos when filing Form I-765 online?

USCIS lets you file Form I-765 from a USCIS online account. When the online form asks for passport-style photos, scan your prints or take a picture of them with your phone, then upload the image.

Uploads must be 12MB or smaller and are generally PDF, JPG or JPEG files. USCIS also asks that each attached image be clear and readable.

Sources: uscis.gov (pages 1, 2)

Where does the photo on the EAD card come from?

USCIS says it uses the biometrics taken at your Application Support Center appointment to produce the Employment Authorization Document. The two passport-style photos are still part of the evidence the Form I-765 instructions list.

Sources: uscis.gov (pages 1, 2)

Every rule, with its source

Size and head position

  • Each photo for an Employment Authorization Document application must be a 2 by 2 inch, front-facing image of the full face, per the Form I-765 instructions. uscis.gov
  • On a work permit photo, USCIS sets the head height at 1 to 1 3/8 inches, with the hair included in the measurement down to the chin. uscis.gov
  • The Form I-765 instructions want the top of the eyes between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the lower edge of the print. uscis.gov

Background

  • Photos sent with Form I-765 must show a white to off-white background behind the applicant. uscis.gov

Glasses, head coverings and clothing

  • Headwear is not allowed in an EAD photo unless the applicant’s religious denomination requires it. uscis.gov

How recent

  • USCIS asks I-765 applicants for photos of themselves that were taken recently. uscis.gov

Editing and filters

  • On its Form I-765 page, USCIS defines an unretouched photo as one that has not been edited or digitally enhanced. uscis.gov
  • Sending a mounted or retouched photo delays an I-765 and can lead USCIS to require the applicant to appear at an Applicant Support Center so it can verify identity. uscis.gov

Digital file

  • When an online USCIS filing calls for passport-style photos, the applicant has to scan them or photograph them with a phone and upload the result. uscis.gov
  • Every file uploaded to a USCIS online form must be 12MB or smaller and is generally a PDF, JPG or JPEG. uscis.gov

Printed photo

  • An I-765 application needs two identical color passport-style photos of the applicant, and USCIS wants them printed on thin, glossy paper. uscis.gov
  • Two identical passport-style photographs appear among the general requirements on the USCIS informational checklist for Form I-765. uscis.gov
  • USCIS asks EAD applicants to mark the reverse of each photo lightly with their name, plus their A-Number if they have one, using a pencil or felt pen. uscis.gov

Where photos come from

  • Form I-765 can be filed online after creating a USCIS account, and a paper application remains an option when needed. uscis.gov

Who reviews the photo

  • USCIS states that, for Form I-765, it also uses the applicant’s biometrics to produce the Employment Authorization Document. uscis.gov

FAQ

How many photos do I need for a work permit application?

Two identical color passport-style photos, 2 x 2 inches each, as the Form I-765 instructions and the USCIS checklist for the form both state. Source: official pages "Instructions for Form I-765 (edition 08/21/25) › Required Documentation › C. Photographs" and "Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-765 (for informational purposes only)", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

What do I write on the back of my EAD photos?

Your name and, if you have one, your A-Number, written lightly in pencil or felt pen. Source: official page "Instructions for Form I-765 (edition 08/21/25) › Required Documentation › C. Photographs", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Will USCIS accept any photo I send?

USCIS decides. It warns that mounted or retouched images delay processing, and no photo service, SelfieToPassport included, can promise that a photo will be accepted. Source: official page "I-765, Application for Employment Authorization", checked on Oct 25, 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 Work permit (EAD) 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.

Make my Work permit (EAD) photo

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.