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United States green card photo requirements

The 2 × 2 in photo rules set by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for the United States green card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 15 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the United States green card photo?

Form I-485 still asks for two identical color photos, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), with a 1 to 1 3/8 inch head on a white to off-white background, printed glossy and unretouched. They are not the picture on your green card: since December 2025, USCIS takes a new biometrics photo of every I-485 and I-90 applicant and does not use self-submitted photos. Form I-751 asks for prints only from people abroad on U.S. military or government orders.

Green cards (Permanent Resident Cards) are issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security. Three forms lead to one: Form I-485 to adjust status inside the United States, Form I-751 to remove the conditions on a two-year card, and Form I-90 to renew or replace a card. Each treats photos differently.

The photo printed on the card comes from USCIS itself. Under a policy in force since December 12, 2025, USCIS says it will not use or reuse self-submitted photographs, and Forms I-485 and I-90 always need a new photograph taken at a biometrics appointment. For other forms, the I-751 among them, USCIS may reuse a biometrics photo it collected no more than 36 months before you filed, or call you in for a new one.

The paper requirements have not all caught up. The I-485 instructions, in an edition dated September 18, 2026, still list two printed photos as required evidence, so I-485 filers should send them. The I-751 asks for prints only from petitioners who live overseas on U.S. military or government orders, and the I-90 asks for none. If you immigrate through a U.S. embassy or consulate instead of adjusting status, the State Department's immigrant visa photo rules apply.

United States green card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:[1]

Print size2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)
Digital sizeNo pixel size: prints go with a paper I-485; online filers upload a scan or phone picture of them
Head height1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm), top of hair to bottom of chin
Eye lineEyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom of the photo
BackgroundWhite to off-white
ColourColor
Photo agePrints taken recently; the card photo is a new one taken at a USCIS biometrics appointment
Print qualityThin paper with a glossy finish; unmounted and unretouched
Pixels when printed600 × 600 px at 300 dpi · 1200 × 1200 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
2 in2 in25–35 mm
2 × 2 in photo drawn to scale, with the 25–35 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: white to off-white.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

The photos must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched.

Instructions for Form I-485[1]

Key requirements

  • Card photo taken by USCIS

    USCIS does not use or reuse self-submitted photos for green cards. Forms I-485 and I-90 require new biometrics, including a new photograph taken at an Application Support Center, whatever prints you send.

  • I-485 still needs two prints

    The I-485 instructions list two identical color passport-style photographs as required evidence and warn that USCIS may reject or deny an application missing required evidence. Send them, even though the card photo is taken separately.

  • Size and head position

    Each print is 2 x 2 inches with a full face in frontal view. The head should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, with the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom edge.

  • Glossy, thin and untouched

    USCIS wants the photos printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, not mounted on card, and not retouched.

  • I-751 prints only from overseas

    Form I-751 asks for two passport-style photos of each petitioner and dependent only when they reside overseas on U.S. military or government orders. They also send two FD-258 fingerprint cards for each person aged 14 to 79, prepared by a U.S. embassy, consulate, USCIS office or military installation.

  • I-90: no prints at all

    Renewing or replacing a card with Form I-90 involves no mailed photos. USCIS photographs you at the biometrics appointment and uses those biometrics to produce the replacement card.

  • Bare head unless religion requires

    Your head must be bare in the prints, except for headwear that your religious denomination requires.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Send two prints of the same photo with a Form I-485.
  • Ask for glossy prints on thin photo paper.
  • Write your name and A-Number lightly on the back in pencil or felt pen.
  • Upload a clear scan or phone picture of the prints if you file the I-485 online.
  • Go to every biometrics appointment USCIS schedules; the card photo is taken there.
  • Bring your Form I-797C notice and photo ID to biometrics.

Don't

  • Do not mount the photos on card or paper.
  • Do not retouch or edit the photos.
  • Do not send two different photos.
  • Do not expect a photo you mail to appear on the card.
  • Do not wear a hat unless your religion requires it.
  • Do not write heavily on the back of the photos.

Sample photos

How a United States green card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 2 × 2 in, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Headwear and religious dress

USCIS instructions for Forms I-485 and I-751 say your head must be bare, unless you wear headwear required by your religious denomination; Form I-751 words it as a denomination of which you are a member. The instructions list no other exception, such as medical headwear.

Both forms also ask for a full face in frontal view, so any religious covering you keep on should leave your face fully visible.

Babies and children

Children need their own photos. A child adjusting status on Form I-485 sends two prints of the child, and a Form I-751 filed from overseas on military or government orders needs two prints of every dependent, whatever their age. Dependents in the United States on an I-751 send none.

Children can also be called for biometrics. USCIS does not require children under 14 to sign their application; they may sign at the appointment if they are able, or a parent or legal guardian may sign for them.

Three kinds of photo come up in a green card case. Prints you supply go with a paper Form I-485, or with an I-751 filed from overseas on orders; they are 2 x 2 inches, glossy and on thin paper. A digital photo can be printed at the exact size on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter; check that each photo measures 2 x 2 inches before you cut it out.

Filing the I-485 online instead? USCIS tells online filers to turn any required passport-style photos into a scan or a phone snapshot and attach it as evidence, in a file of 12 MB or less.

The third photo is the one that counts for the card. USCIS staff take it on their own machines at the Application Support Center, so there is nothing to prepare for it, and since December 2025 USCIS does not substitute a photo you supply.

Where to submit the photo

Mail the two prints with a paper Form I-485, or upload images of them when you file online. An I-751 petitioner living overseas on military or government orders includes prints and fingerprint cards with the petition; other I-751 petitioners and all I-90 applicants send no photos.

For biometrics, USCIS sends an appointment notice (Form I-797C) for a local Application Support Center; if you are overseas, the notice tells you to contact a U.S. embassy, consulate or USCIS office abroad. To change the appointment, request it through your USCIS online account before the original date and time, showing good cause. If you miss it without rescheduling, USCIS may treat the application as abandoned and deny it.

How to get your United States green card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United States green card: 2 × 2 in print, white to off-white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: card photo taken by USCIS; i-485 still needs two prints; size and head position; glossy, thin and untouched.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Three kinds of photo come up in a green card case. Prints you supply go with a paper Form I-485, or with an I-751 filed from overseas on orders; they are 2 x 2 inches, glossy and on thin paper.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Mail the two prints with a paper Form I-485, or upload images of them when you file online.

Make this photo online

United States green card photo FAQ

The prints USCIS asks for are 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), in color, with a white to off-white background and a full, frontal view of the face. On Form I-485, the head should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. The photo on the card itself is taken by USCIS at your biometrics appointment.

Two identical color passport-style photos of yourself, taken recently, as the I-485 instructions require. Lightly print your name and A-Number, if you have one, on the back of each in pencil or felt pen. USCIS will still take a new photograph of you at a biometrics appointment.

No. Under USCIS policy since December 12, 2025, self-submitted photos are not used or reused for the documents USCIS issues, and Forms I-485 and I-90 always need a new photograph taken at a biometrics appointment. The prints you mail with an I-485 are part of the required evidence, not the card photo.

No. The Form I-90 instructions do not ask for mailed photos. USCIS takes a new photograph at your biometrics appointment, because it does not reuse photos for the I-90, and it uses those biometrics to produce the replacement card.

Only if you, your spouse or your stepparent reside overseas on U.S. military or government orders. Then send two color passport-style photos of each petitioner and dependent, regardless of age, along with fingerprint cards. Petitioners in the United States send no photos; USCIS may reuse a biometrics photo from the previous 36 months or schedule a new one.

The USCIS instructions for Forms I-485 and I-751 do not mention eyeglasses. They require a full-face, frontal view and an unretouched print. U.S. passport and visa photos, by contrast, do not allow glasses except for medical reasons.

Yes, if your religious denomination requires it. Otherwise the USCIS instructions say your head must be bare. The photo still has to show your full face in frontal view.

Immigrants processed abroad apply for an immigrant visa with the State Department. For the immigrant visa interview you bring two identical photos, 2 x 2 inches, printed on photo-quality paper, and the State Department's visa photo rules on glasses, background and recency apply.

Related photo specifications

Other United States documents

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Official sources

  1. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-485 uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-485 uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-751 uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-90 uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Alert PA-2025-29: Photograph Reuse for Identity Documents uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part C, Chapter 2: Biometrics Collection uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  8. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  9. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Tips for Filing Forms Online uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  10. U.S. Department of State. Photo Requirements (U.S. Visas): Immigrant Visas travel.state.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  11. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  12. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  13. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 (alert on unmounted, unretouched photos) uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  14. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Tips for Filing Forms by Mail uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
  15. U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos travel.state.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

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"United States green card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-states/green-card-photo

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