Photo Requirements for U.S. Visa and Green Card Applications

Every U.S. visa or green card application requires a photo of the applicant that meets the U.S. government's quality control requirements. However, the manner in which that photo is to be taken and submitted depends on the type of application and where you will be applying, as described below.

Photo Requirements at U.S. Embassies and Consulates

No matter what, if you are applying via a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country, you will need to take the following steps to comply with the immigration photo requirements.

Determine Whether You Need to Upload a Photo With Your Visa Application

Every U.S. visa or green card applicant processing through a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, regardless of their age or the visa type, is required to complete an online application prior to their consular interview.

All applicants will use the CEAC system to complete either Form DS-160 (nonimmigrants) or DS-260 (immigrants doing consular processing.)

Within this application, there is a page where the applicant is asked to upload a photo. If this page says "Photo will be taken at ASC" in the box where you would normally upload a photo, you do not need to submit a photo at this time. Before your visa appointment, you will have another appointment at an Application Support Center, where your photo and fingerprints will be taken. Embassies and consulates that process a high volume of applications are more likely to use this process. Sometimes, applicants are permitted to make an appointment at any ASC in the country, and there might be one that is located closer to you than the embassy or consulate where your interview is scheduled.

Avoid Common Reasons for Digital Photo Rejection

If a photo upload is required for your visa application, it is best to have your photo taken by a facility that routinely takes passport and visa photos and that will also provide you with a digital file of your photo. Digital photos must be in JPEG file format and meet other size and formatting requirements. If you, for example, use your phone to snap an image of your physical photo and then try to use this for the upload, it might not meet the photo quality requirements.

Some professional photographers offer retouching services, but don't be tempted to use these for visa and green card photos. This kind of alteration could cause the photo to be rejected. Even if the photo is accepted for upload, it will be inspected at the consulate prior to your visa interview. If the officer or intake staff person can see that the photo does not clearly represent you, they will require you to obtain another photo.

You must also remove glasses and hats for the photo. A religious head covering may be worn, if you typically wear one, but your entire face needs to be visible and the head covering cannot cast a shadow on your face. Some photographers will instruct you to maintain a totally neutral expression, but you are permitted to smile very slightly, if you prefer. There are other requirements for spacing, size, head positioning, and attire, which can be found on the Department of State website.

It can be difficult to obtain compliant pictures of babies and children. The child should have their eyes open, and be facing the front, towards the camera, with no shadows obscuring their face. Small babies can be photographed in a car seat that is covered in a white sheet.

What to Do If Your Photo Upload Gets Rejected

If your photo upload is rejected, you have some options. Ideally, you should carefully review the photo requirements, try to figure out the problem, and get a new photo taken. The Department of State web page of "Photo Examples" shows several instances of reasons for photo rejection. If you can't determine why yours was rejected, the most likely reason is insufficient quality. As advised above, it is best to submit an actual digital file of your photo, rather than taking a photo of the physical photo and using that for an upload. Also, photos taken on your phone might not be of high enough quality.

If you urgently need to submit the application soon, you can choose the option to submit it without the photo and take a new compliant photo with you to the visa interview. However, this could lead to a longer wait time at the consulate on the day of your interview.

You Might Need Physical Photos for Other Parts of the Process

Even if your photo will be taken at the ASC or you are using a digital photo file for your uploaded photo, you might still need anywhere from 1 to 10 physical photos for other parts of the process, especially if you are applying for an immigrant visa. For immigrant visas (green cards), it is almost always a requirement to bring 2 physical photos that are 2x2 inches in size and printed on photo quality paper. Photos are typically required for your medical exam as well, and might be required for your police certificate in some countries.

You will need to check the consulate's website for specific instructions applicable to applicants in your country. Do so before having your photos taken so you can request an adequate number of them.

For all visa types, it is best to bring two physical photos with you to the visa interview, in case the digital upload does not meet specifications. Some consulates do not take photos of children under 14 at the ASC, so you might need to bring physical photos of your children to the visa interview, even if the children are not required to attend the interview.

Some consulates do have photo booths in the waiting area, and most have photo vendors within walking distance that provide photo services. Note: Some of these vendors might also offer you "advice" or other unnecessary services, so be aware that they are not affiliated with the U.S. consulate and are probably not attorneys or qualified experts.

Photo Requirements for Green Card Applications to Be Sent to USCIS

If you are adjusting your status in the United States using Form I-485, you will need to submit two physical passport-style photos with the application. These can be taken anywhere that offers photo services for U.S. passports, although technically, you can take them yourself. The photo requirements, also found in the instructions for Form I-485, include:

• white to off-white background
• printed on thin paper with glossy finish
• unmounted and unretouched
• 2 x 2 inches in size
• frontal view of your full face with head height measuring 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chins and eye height 1 1/8 to 1/3/8 inches from the top of your eyes to the bottom of the photo, and
• no headwear, unless required by your religious denomination.

The applicant's name should be written on the back of each photo lightly with a pencil or felt pen. Be sure the writing does not cause indentations in the photo or leak through and that the ink is totally dry. Then, you can put both photos in a standard size envelope, with the applicant's name written on it, and attach the envelope to the application.

If you are sending multiple applications together, each applicant's photos need to be in a separate envelope and attached to their corresponding application.

Get Professional Help

Since the photo requirements for each type of immigration benefit or application might be slightly different, it is always best to carefully review the photo instructions prior to submitting your application and to take a copy of the instructions with you to the photographer. And if you have more questions about this or any part of the immigration application, consult an experienced immigration attorney.