Green Card Photo Checker Free USCIS Photo Test

USCIS asks for two identical 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) color passport-style photos. Your head must measure 1 to 1⅜ inches (50–69% of the frame) from chin to top of head, and your eyes must sit 1⅛ to 1⅜ inches (56–69%) up from the bottom edge. The background must be plain white or off-white. If you scan or photograph the print to check it here, keep it square.

You'll need this exact 2×2 inch photo for Form I-485 (adjustment of status), I-130 (relative petition), I-765 (work permit), I-131 (advance parole), I-90 (green card replacement), I-751 (removing conditions), and the same 2×2 inch standard is used for immigrant visa applications filed through DS-260. Diversity Visa lottery entries use a digital-only 600×600 px photo — use our DV Lottery Photo Checker for that.

Yes, and it's one of the most common reasons USCIS issues a Request for Evidence on an I-485 package. An RFE pauses your case for months while you resubmit compliant photos and wait for USCIS to re-queue the file. Photos that clearly fail the rules can also be rejected at a biometrics appointment or consular interview, adding more delay.

Measure straight up from the lowest point of your chin to the top of your head, hair included. On a 600×600 px photo, that span needs to fall between 300 and 414 pixels. Stand too far from the camera and your head reads under 50%; crop too tight and it exceeds 69%. Either mistake fails automated review.

No. The State Department banned glasses entirely in November 2016, and the rule covers prescription lenses, reading glasses, blue-light filters, and tinted or photochromic lenses. A signed medical note from an eye doctor is the only exception, and it applies only in rare cases like recent surgery.

Use a plain white or smooth off-white wall with even lighting and no shadows. Textured walls, doors, wallpaper, colored backdrops, and shadows cast by your head or shoulders will all fail the check. Our tool scans the entire background perimeter for uniform brightness before passing your photo.

Yes, any modern phone camera exceeds the 600×600 px requirement easily. Stand 4 to 6 feet from a plain white wall in bright daylight, hand the phone to someone else so it sits at eye level, keep your expression neutral, and upload the shot here to confirm proportions and lighting before you submit anything.

Most USCIS forms ask for two identical passport-style photos. Write your name and A-Number (if you have one) lightly in pencil or felt pen on the back of each photo, and put them in a small envelope or plastic bag stapled to the form so they don't get lost.

Yes, daily religious or medical head coverings are fine. Your full face still needs to show clearly from chin to hairline, both cheeks included, with no shadow falling across any part of it.

Keep a neutral expression with both eyes open and your mouth closed, facing the camera directly. A small, closed-mouth smile usually passes, but an open mouth, visible teeth, raised eyebrows, a squint, or a tilted head will trigger a rejection from automated facial recognition.

No older than 6 months, since it needs to reflect how you look right now. Don't reuse a photo from an old passport or visa application — take a fresh one for each filing.

Don't use beautifying filters, skin smoothing, AI retouching, or any edit that changes your facial features, scars, or tattoos. Skip digital red-eye removal too — retake the shot instead. Background cleanup is fine only if it leaves your face and edges untouched.

Every child, infants included, needs their own 2×2 inch photo with no hands or other people in frame. For a baby who can't sit up, lay them on a plain white sheet or strap them into a car seat draped in white fabric. Closed eyes or an open mouth are tolerated for infants, but the face must stay visible and centered.

Completely free, with no sign-up, no payment, and no watermark, and you can re-check as many times as you need. Your photo is sent over an encrypted connection to run the check and is never sold or shared with government agencies or advertisers.