USCIS Green Card photo rules in plain words
The photo is square: 51x51 mm (2.01 x 2.01 in), printed at 300 DPI. The instructions for Form I-485 ask for colour photos, and USCIS expects two identical copies.
- Head size: 25-35 mm from chin to crown (1 to 1 3/8 in). The crown is measured from the top of the hair.
- Eye line: 28.6-34.9 mm (1 1/8 to 1 3/8 in) up from the bottom edge of the photo.
- Background: white to off-white, with no pattern.
- Head covering: only for religious reasons, and the face must be fully visible.
- Retouching: none. The photo must be unretouched.
USCIS does not state a rule about glasses. The safest approach is to take them off, as you would for a US visa photo.
How to take the photo at home with a phone
Stand facing a plain wall in even daylight, such as beside a window, so no shadows fall on your face or the wall. Ask someone to hold the phone at eye level, about an arm's length plus a little more from you. Look straight into the lens with a neutral expression and your mouth closed.
Keep your shoulders square to the camera and include the top of your head and your upper shoulders in the frame. Do not use a selfie filter or beauty mode, because the photo must stay unretouched.
Upload and let the tool do the sizing
Upload the shot on this page. The photo is processed in your browser and is not uploaded to a server. It is cropped to 51x51 mm, the background is replaced with a clean white, and the head size and eye line are checked against the numbers above.
Common reasons a Green Card photo is rejected
- The head is too small or too large, outside the 25-35 mm range.
- Only one photo is supplied when two identical ones are required.
- The photo is retouched or edited by an app.
- Shadows on the face or background, or a background that is not white to off-white.
- Glasses that reflect light, or a head covering that hides part of the face.
- The prints are on thick or matte paper instead of thin glossy paper.
- The photo is not colour.
How to print and submit it
This is a printed-photo submission. Print two identical 2x2 in photos on thin glossy photo paper at 300 DPI, with no borders, and trim them to 51x51 mm. A print shop or a home photo printer both work, as long as the colours are natural and the print is not stretched.
Because the file is a single square image, you can place two copies on one sheet before printing. Check the size on the printout with a ruler before cutting. If an authority rejects the photo, you are covered by a full refund.