Updated
By Passport Photo at Home · Rules checked against the USCIS photo alert of December 12, 2025, the Form I-485 page, Form I-765 and Form I-131 · How we check (updated )
En español: foto para green card y permiso de trabajo
What changed in December 2025
On December 12, 2025, USCIS published the alert New Photo Policy Helps Prevent Immigration Fraud Through Enhanced Identity Verification. It says: "Self-submitted photos will no longer be accepted. Only photos taken by USCIS or other authorized entities will be used."
The alert says USCIS requires a new photo for Forms I-90, I-485, N-400 and N-600. It also says photos used for documents must have been taken within 3 years of filing. Forms I-765 and I-131 aren't on that list.
What the form instructions still say
When we checked on October 9, 2026, the instructions for these forms still asked you to send photos:
| Form | Edition we checked | Photos in the instructions |
|---|---|---|
| I-485, adjustment of status (green card from inside the US) | 09/18/26, the only edition accepted since September 18, 2026 | Two identical color passport-style photos (page 8) |
| I-765, employment authorization | 08/21/25 | Two identical color passport-style photos (page 21). USCIS isn't accepting the 09/15/26 edition, under a court order, and its form page reminds you that photos must be unmounted and unretouched. |
| I-131, travel documents | 01/20/25 | Two identical color passport-style photos (pages 27–28); a digital photo must come from a camera of at least 3.5 megapixels |
So do you need to send photos?
Follow the current instructions of your form or your USCIS notice. If the edition you file asks for two photos, include them. USCIS may also take your photo, fingerprints and signature at a biometrics appointment to verify your identity, and under the new policy only photos taken by USCIS or other authorized entities are used. Editions change, so check the form's page on uscis.gov, such as the Form I-485 page, before you file.
Photo rules when a form asks for them
The I-485 instructions (edition 09/18/26) describe the photos this way; the I-765 and I-131 instructions ask for the same.
| Item | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Two identical color photos, taken recently | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Size | 2 × 2 inches, full face, frontal view | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Head height | 1 to 1 3/8 inches, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Eye height | 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches, from the top of the eyes to the bottom of the photo | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Background | White to off-white | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Paper | Thin paper with a glossy finish | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Condition | Unmounted and unretouched: not edited or digitally enhanced | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Head covering | Head bare, unless your religious denomination requires headwear | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
| Back of the photo | Your name and A-Number (if any), printed lightly in pencil or felt pen | I-485 instructions, p. 8 |
What's different from a US passport photo
| US passport photo | USCIS photo (I-485, I-765, I-131) | |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Matte or glossy photo paper | Thin paper, glossy finish |
| How many | One | Two identical photos from the same shot |
| Back of the photo | Nothing required | Name and A-Number, lightly in pencil or felt pen |
| Head covering | Religious or medical, with a signed statement | Only headwear required by your religious denomination |
| Size and head | 2 × 2 in, head 1 to 1 3/8 in | The same |
The other rules, such as no glasses and an even, shadow-free light, follow the US passport photo requirements.
Make and print the photos
- Check that the document above the buttons says Green card / immigrant visa. It's already selected on this page.
- Take the photo in front of a plain white or off-white wall with even light, and remove any hat.
- Let the tool crop to 2×2 inches with the head and eyes inside the ranges above, then fix anything the checks flag.
- Keep the photo unretouched: no filters and no smoothing. Skip Fix it for me and Change background, because color correction and a replaced background are retouching too. The reminder next to the save button lists the rest.
- Save the 4×6 print sheet with the main button. Every photo on it comes from the same image, so the copies are identical.
- Order it as a regular 4×6 print with a glossy finish, at 100% with no cropping. See how to print passport photos at Walgreens, CVS or Walmart.
- Cut out two photos and print your name and A-Number lightly on the back of each.
Write on the back with light pressure and let felt-pen ink dry before stacking the photos. Pressing hard can dent the front, and wet ink can transfer onto the face of the photo underneath.
Common mistakes with USCIS photos
- Matte prints. They're fine for a passport, but the USCIS instructions ask for a glossy finish.
- Two different shots. The photos must be identical. Two prints from the same sheet solve this.
- Taping or gluing the photos. The instructions ask for unmounted photos, so don't stick them to a page.
- Retouched photos. The photos must be unretouched, which rules out filters, smoothing and background replacement. The tool's Fix it for me and Change background options make that kind of edit, so skip them and use a plain white wall.
- Heavy writing on the back. Print your name and A-Number lightly so nothing shows through or dents the front.
The I-765 page is blunt about the cost: mounted or retouched photos “will delay the processing of your application and may prompt USCIS to require that you appear at an Applicant Support Center to verify your identity.”
Checklist before you mail the form
- Your form's current edition still asks for photos.
- Two prints cut from the same 4×6 sheet.
- Glossy finish, 2 × 2 in, head 1 to 1 3/8 in.
- White to off-white background, no glasses, no hat.
- No filters, smoothing or background changes.
- Name and A-Number lightly on the back, ink dry.
- Unmounted: not taped or glued to a page.
What about glasses?
US passport and US visa photo rules both ban eyeglasses, so taking them off for the shot is the safe choice for USCIS photos too.
Photos of children
State Department visa photo rules ask that a baby or toddler look at the camera with eyes open, with no other person in the photo. Baby photo doesn't relax any checks for this document. See how to take a baby passport photo for setups that help.
Other green card photo situations
- Immigrant visa from abroad (DS-260). Applicants going through a US consulate need two identical 2×2 inch printed photos. See the US visa photo for the DS-160 page, which covers immigrant visas too.
- The Diversity Visa (green card lottery). The entry needs a 600 × 600 JPEG of each person, and selectees bring two 2×2 printed photos to the interview. See the DV lottery photo requirements.
- Other USCIS forms. Each form has its own instructions. Read the photographs section of the edition you're filing.
Questions
Do I still need to send photos with Form I-485?
Check the edition you file. USCIS's December 12, 2025 alert says it no longer accepts self-submitted photos and requires a new photo for I-485, but the I-485 instructions (edition 09/18/26, the only one accepted since September 18, 2026) still list two passport-style photos. Follow the current instructions or your USCIS notice.
What are the green card photo requirements?
When a form asks for them: two identical color photos, 2 × 2 inches, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom, on a white to off-white background, printed on thin glossy paper, unmounted and unretouched.
Do I need photos with Form I-765 or I-131?
Their current instructions still ask for two identical passport-style photos (I-765 edition 08/21/25, I-131 edition 01/20/25), and they aren't among the forms the December 2025 alert names. Follow the instructions of the edition you file.
How many photos do I need?
Two identical color passport-style photos, when your form's instructions ask for them.
Do USCIS photos have to be glossy?
The instructions ask for photos printed on thin paper with a glossy finish. Choose glossy when you order the print.
What should I write on the back of the photos?
Your name and your A-Number, if you have one, printed lightly in pencil or felt pen.
Can I use my passport photos?
The size and head measurements are the same, but USCIS asks for a glossy finish, so print a fresh sheet on glossy paper. It costs well under $1.
What about a green card lottery photo?
The green card lottery is the Diversity Visa (DV) program. Its entry photo isn't a print: it's a 600 × 600 JPEG of each person, uploaded with the entry on dvprogram.state.gov. See the DV lottery photo page.