US green card photo (Form I-485) photo requirements

Form I-485, the application to register permanent residence, is filed with two identical passport-style photos: 2×2 inches, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to crown, eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom, white to off-white background, taken within 30 days of filing, with your name and Alien Registration Number written on the back. The photo standard is the State Department passport one, so the same crop works, but the recency rule is stricter.

Make and check a US I-485 photo Free checker; files from A$6.99.

Can I take it myself? Yes

Yes. USCIS applies the State Department photo standard and does not require a photographer. The two prints must be identical and on photo paper, so print both from the same sheet at a pharmacy kiosk. Where you file I-485 online through a USCIS account, the photo is uploaded as a square JPEG to the same standard; the limits for that upload were not confirmed and are flagged. Glasses are not allowed and backgrounds must not be edited.

How to take the photo

1. Use a plain white or off-white wall, stand half a metre from it and face a window. No flash.
2. Someone else takes the photo from about 1.2 metres at eye level with head and shoulders in frame; the tool crops to the 2×2 inch square.
3. Remove glasses; they have not been allowed in US immigration photos since 2016. No hats or headphones; religious coverings must show the whole face.
4. Neutral expression or a natural closed-mouth smile, eyes open, looking at the camera.
5. Print two identical copies from the 6×4 sheet at a kiosk, cut on the marks, and write your name and A-Number lightly on the back of each.
6. File within 30 days of taking the photo; USCIS asks for photos taken within the last 30 days.

Why US I-485 photos get rejected

1. Glasses. Remove them and retake.
2. Head or eye position outside the bands. Head 25–35 mm, eyes 28–35 mm from the bottom; the checker shows both.
3. Background not white or off-white. Retake against a white wall; no editing.
4. Photos not identical. Print both from the same sheet.
5. Photo older than 30 days. Take a fresh one just before filing.
6. Name and A-Number missing on the back. Write them lightly in pencil or felt pen so the ink does not show through.
7. Shadows on face or background. Face the light and step away from the wall.

Infants and children

Children filing their own I-485 need their own photos. A baby may have eyes closed and mouth open; lay them on a white sheet and shoot from above with nobody else and no objects in the frame. Print two identical copies.

Step by step: USCIS online account

1. Check whether your I-485 category can be filed online; many are still paper-filed by mail.
2. If filing online, upload the square JPEG from this tool at the photo step and follow the account's evidence upload guidance.
3. If filing by mail, attach two printed 2×2 inch photos in a small envelope with the form, labelled on the back.

Open USCIS online account

What it costs

Walgreens, CVS and Walmart charge US$15–17 for two prints. Our Single licence is US$4.99 and counts as the same document size as the US passport and DS-160 photos, so one licence covers all three for 30 days.

Retailer pages: Walgreens , CVS , Walmart .