USCIS Immigration Photo Requirements — 2 × 2 in, Name and A-Number on the Back
When you file an immigration form such as I-485 by mail, the photos are physical and come with rules you will not find on a visa-upload page: two identical colour photos, 2 × 2 inches, a measured head and eye height, a white to off-white background, thin glossy paper, unmounted and unretouched — and your name and A-Number lightly printed on the back. Verified against the USCIS I-485 instructions and filing guidance, September 2026.
The 15-second answer
- Two identical colour passport-style photos, taken recently.
- 2 × 2 inches, full face, frontal view.
- Head height: 1 to 1 3/8 in (top of hair to bottom of chin).
- Eye height: 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 in (top of eyes to bottom of photo).
- Back: lightly print your name and A-Number in pencil or felt pen.
- White to off-white background; thin paper, glossy, unmounted, unretouched.
Size and measurements, straight from the I-485 instructions
The instructions are unusually precise, so take the numbers literally: “You must submit two identical color passport-style photographs of yourself taken recently.” They must be “2 by 2 inches with a full face, frontal view”. Two measurements then apply — “Head height should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin, and eye height should measure between 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of your eyes to the bottom of the photo.” The head must be bare unless headwear is required by your religious denomination. Frame the photo with the photo print sheet and check the crop against the US visa photo page.
The back of the photo: name and A-Number
This is the step that separates a USCIS mailing from a visa upload. The instructions say: “Use a pencil or felt pen to lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back of the photos.” The filing guidance repeats the principle for mailed documents — “please provide your name at the top of the page or on the back of any photos” — and adds a warning worth heeding: “If you send original photos with your form, they may become part of the record or be destroyed.” Keep your own copy, and mark the back lightly so it does not show through the front. The general techniques are in the image metadata guide.
Paper, finish and background
The physical qualities are specified too: the photos “must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched”. In plain terms: no mounting on card, no retouching, a glossy finish, and a background that is white or near-white. If you print at home, use the printing guide, and calibrate the printer with the print calibration sheet so the tones come out neutral.
Which forms, and mail versus online
The 2 × 2 in, back-annotated photo is the standard for the immigration forms that call for photos — among them I-485 (adjustment of status), I-90 (replace your Green Card), I-765, I-130, N-400 and I-751. Some of these are available online as well as by mail: for I-485, USCIS lists two filing options, “By mail (paper); or Online”. When you file on paper, the photo rules above apply; when you file online, you follow the on-screen upload requirements instead. If a form’s pages are missing or you use a different edition, USCIS may reject the application — so match the edition and mark the photos as instructed. The document side of a US visa filing is covered in the US visa documents checklist.
USCIS vs passport vs visa photo — do not mix them up
The 2 × 2 in size is shared with US passport and visa photos, but USCIS adds the paper detour and the back annotation. The differences across US channels are set out in the green card vs DV photo guide. For the file-side rules of a digital submission, see the digital file requirements guide, and read what else gets photos refused in rejection reasons.
60-second USCIS check
- ☐ Two identical colour passport-style photos
- ☐ 2 × 2 in, full face, frontal view
- ☐ Head height 1–1 3/8 in; eye height 1 1/8–1 3/8 in
- ☐ Head bare (unless religious headwear)
- ☐ Name + A-Number lightly printed on the back
- ☐ White to off-white background; thin, glossy, unmounted, unretouched
Frequently asked questions
What size photo does USCIS require?
Two identical colour passport-style photographs, 2 by 2 inches with a full face, frontal view. Head height should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin.
Do I write on the back of USCIS photos?
Yes. Use a pencil or felt pen to lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back of the photos.
What background and paper must the photo have?
A white to off-white background, printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and unmounted and unretouched.
Can I wear a hat or headwear in a USCIS photo?
Your head must be bare unless you are wearing headwear as required by your religious denomination.
What is the eye-height requirement?
Eye height should measure between 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of your eyes to the bottom of the photo.
What happens to the photos I mail to USCIS?
USCIS advises that if you send original photos with your form, they may become part of the record or be destroyed, so keep your own copy.
Official source: USCIS — Form I-485 instructions (Photographs section, official PDF), and “Tips for Filing Forms by Mail” (both retrieved 2026-09-27); form pages I-485, I-90, I-765, I-130, N-400, I-751 for which applications call for photos. Confidence A (official text, quoted verbatim).
Related: compare the US channels in green card vs DV photo, print correctly with the printing guide, gather the paperwork with the US visa documents checklist, and check a finished image with the passport photo checker.