🇺🇸US Green Card Photo
for $1

The official requirements

The green card photo specification is the same 2×2 inch standard used for US passports and visas:

• Size: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm), square
• Background: plain white
• Head size: 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from chin to crown
• Expression: neutral, both eyes open
• Glasses: not allowed
• Recency: taken within the last 6 months
• Color: color photo

But for most applicants in 2026, this spec is now background information rather than something you act on — because of the rule change below.

How the photo is taken now

This is the part that changed. For Form I-485 (adjustment of status) and Form I-90 (green card renewal/replacement) applications filed on or after December 12, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts a photo you submit yourself (policy alert PA-2025-29).

Instead, USCIS captures your photo at the Application Support Center (ASC) biometric services appointment — the same appointment where they take your fingerprints and signature. You receive an appointment notice after filing; the photo is taken there, by USCIS staff, to the correct spec.

Do not mail printed photos with an I-485 or I-90 filed after that date. They are not needed and will not be used.

Preparing for the ASC appointment

You don’t take this photo — but you do show up for it, and how you present yourself at the appointment is what ends up on the card. Treat the ASC visit the way you’d treat a photo shoot:

1. Remove glasses before your photo is taken. The no-glasses rule applies to the ASC photo exactly as it did to submitted photos.
2. Wear ordinary clothing in a solid, darker color — not white, which blends into the background.
3. Arrive on time with your appointment notice and a valid photo ID. A missed ASC appointment delays the whole application.
4. Neutral expression, both eyes open, hair clear of the face — the same rules, just applied live at the counter.

What still goes wrong

The photo itself is now USCIS’s job, so classic photo rejections are off the table. The problems that remain are about the appointment and your appearance:

• Glasses worn at the ASC counter — take them off before the photo is captured.
• Appearance changed significantly since filing — if you look substantially different from your application materials, bring documentation to explain it.
• Missed or rescheduled ASC appointment — this is now the main cause of green card photo delays. Treat the appointment notice as a hard deadline.
• Filing under the old assumption — mailing printed photos with a post-December-2025 I-485 wastes effort and can confuse your file.

What to wear (and not wear)

Because the photo is taken at the ASC appointment, what you wear that day is what matters.

Avoid: glasses of any kind, hats or caps, headphones, and uniforms. Skip white and very pale tops — they merge into the white background.

Fine: normal everyday clothes in a solid color, light everyday makeup, religious head coverings worn daily, and medical devices such as hearing aids.

When you still need a printed photo

The ASC rule covers I-485 and I-90. You may still need a self-provided 2×2 photo for other immigration forms — and for applications filed before December 12, 2025 that predate the change.

If you do need one, the spec is the standard 2×2 inch photo above. You can get it at a pharmacy photo counter for around $15, or produce a compliant 2×2 file and print sheet with an online tool for about $1. But for a current I-485 or I-90, the honest answer is simpler: you don’t need to buy a photo at all — USCIS takes it for you at the appointment.