United States · Green card
Green card photo
USCIS forms that still ask for a photo use the same 2 x 2 inch standard as a US visa. Since December 2025, though, most filings (I-485, N-400, I-90 and similar) take your photo at the biometrics appointment instead. Check your form's own instructions first; if it still wants a photo, run it through the free check here.
Requirements verified September 16, 2026 — always confirm with the issuing authorityThe check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file: $4.99, or $6.99 with a 4 × 6 in print sheet.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies, drawn from our United States guide. The official source of each value is listed under the table.
- Printed size
- 2 × 51 × 51 mm
- Print rules
- Form I-485 Instructions (edition 09/18/26): two identical color passport-style photos, 2 by 2 inches, white to off-white background, printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched, with your name and A-Number lightly written on the back in pencil or felt pen.
- Digital file
- No online upload spec published
- Head size
- 25.4–34.9 mm chin to crown
- Eye line
- 28.6–34.9 mm from the bottom edge
- Background
- Plain white or off-white
- Glasses
- The I-485 instructions publish no glasses rule. We hold the State Department's visa rule (no eyeglasses) because it is the strictest US one, and we cannot detect glasses, so we report this check as unverified rather than passing it.
Where these values come from
- Printed size, Print rules, Head size, Eye line, Background: from uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-485instr.pdf.
- Glasses: checked against U.S. Department of State — Visa Photo Requirements; U.S. Department of State — Digital Image Requirements; U.S. Department of State — Photo Composition Template; U.S. Department of State — Photo Frequently Asked Questions; U.S. Mission Poland — Visa Photo Requirements; U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan — Required Documents; U.S. Department of State — Photo Tool, as set out in our DS-160 Photo Requirements 2026: Exact Specs guide. I-485 instructions are silent on glasses.
About background editing. The I-485 instructions ask for unretouched photos. Background replacement is off by default; leave it off.
What the free check covers
We measure
- Head size against the published window
- Eye position, where the authority sets one
- Head tilt and rotation
- Background brightness and evenness
- Sharpness and exposure
Only you can confirm
- Glasses — we can't reliably detect them, so we flag rather than pass
- Expression and mouth position
- Red eye
- Filters, retouching or AI edits made before upload
We are an independent service, not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority always makes the final decision — a pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check.
What does a failure look like? See our accepted and rejected passport photo examples, with the fix for each one.
Common questions
No. Under USCIS Policy Alert PA-2025-29, USCIS will not use or reuse self-submitted photographs, and the I-485 is one of four forms that require collection of new biometrics, including a new photograph. The photo on the card comes from your biometric services appointment.
The current I-485 instructions, edition 09/18/26, say you must submit two identical color passport-style photographs taken recently, and the USCIS I-485 evidence checklist lists them too. That wording postdates the December 2025 policy change. Follow the instructions for the edition you file.
Two by two inches, in color, with a full face, frontal view. Head height from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches, and eye height 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom. White to off-white background, thin glossy paper, unmounted and unretouched.
Not for the I-485 or the I-90. The USCIS Policy Manual says photo reuse is not permitted for those forms, or for the N-400 and N-600. For other benefit types, USCIS may reuse a photo it took at a biometrics appointment no more than 36 months before you file.
The I-90 instructions, edition 01/20/25, do not ask you to mail passport-style photos. USCIS says it uses the biometrics you provide at the Application Support Center to produce the replacement card, and the Policy Manual requires a new photo for the I-90 rather than reusing an old one.
Keep reading
Requirements N-400 Photo 2026: Do You Still Send Two Photos?
Most N-400 filers send no photos: USCIS takes a new one at biometrics. Who still mails two 2x2 prints, and the photo you need next for a first US passport.
Read the guide
Requirements Green Card Photo 2026: I-485 Prints vs Biometrics
Green card photos after USCIS's December 2025 change: the card photo is taken at biometrics, yet I-485 instructions still list two prints. What each says.
Read the guide
Requirements US Visa and Immigration Photos by Form: 2026 Guide
Which US visa and immigration forms need your photo in 2026: DS-160 uploads, DS-260 prints, DV entries, USCIS forms and biometrics, in one sourced table.
Read the guide