PassportCrop
USCIS photo checker

USCIS Photo Checker & Cropper

USCIS wants two 2x2in prints with your head 1 to 1⅜in chin-to-crown and your eyes 1⅛ to 1⅜in up from the bottom edge. Align your photo to the guide and download a print-ready file — nothing is ever uploaded to a server.

Who's the photo for?

Same size and background rules — infant mode swaps the crop guide for a lay-flat framing box. See our infant photo guide.

Drop a photo here, or click to upload

JPEG, PNG, or HEIC · nothing is uploaded, it stays on your device

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USCIS photo specification

Print size
51×51mm (2×2 in)
Digital output
600×600px
Head height (chin to crown)
25–35mm (49–69% of frame)
Background
Plain white or off-white, no patterns or shadows
  • ·Two identical colour prints, 2x2 inches (51x51mm), full face, frontal view
  • ·Head height 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35mm) measured from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin
  • ·Eye height 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches measured from the top of your eyes to the bottom of the photo — this rule is specific to USCIS and is not part of the Department of State visa spec
  • ·White to off-white background, printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched
  • ·Taken recently. Your head must be bare unless you wear headwear required by your religious denomination
  • ·Lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back of each photo in pencil or felt pen

Source: USCIS Form I-485 Instructions, "What Evidence Must You Submit", item 1 (Photographs), verified against the official PDF on uscis.gov on 21 October 2026. The eye-height rule and the glossy-paper and A-Number instructions are quoted from that document. Always check the instructions for the specific form you are filing, since the photo requirement differs between forms.

The eye-height rule most tools ignore

Nearly every "2x2 photo" tool checks one thing: that your head measures 1 to 1⅜ inches from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin. USCIS checks that too, but its form instructions add a second measurement that the Department of State's visa spec does not mention at all:

"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."— USCIS, Form I-485 Instructions

The two rules interact. A head at the correct size can still sit too low or too high in the square, which pushes your eyes outside the 1⅛–1⅜ inch band even though the head height passes. That is why a photo accepted for a DS-160 visa upload is not automatically positioned correctly for an I-485 package.

The crop guide above keeps your head centred vertically in the 2x2 frame, which puts the eye line inside the required band for a normally proportioned adult face. If you want to confirm it by hand: print the photo, measure from the bottom edge up to the centre of your eyes, and check that it lands between 1⅛ and 1⅜ inches.

Which USCIS forms actually need photos?

This is the part people get wrong, because it is not consistent across forms and the biometrics appointment muddies it further.

  • Form I-485 (adjustment of status): two identical colour passport-style photographs are listed as required evidence, with no residence exception.
  • Form N-400 (naturalization): two passport-style photographsif you reside outside the United States. If you live in the US, USCIS uses the photograph taken at your Application Support Center appointment, and says it may use that same photograph on your Certificate of Naturalization.
  • Any form, after filing: USCIS states that "based on processing needs, you may need to submit physical passport photographs after you have already filed", and that it will send a request with instructions. Keeping a correctly cropped file saved means you can print a fresh pair without redoing the photo.

Form instructions change. Before you post anything, open the instructions PDF for your specific form on uscis.gov and read its own evidence list — this page summarises the I-485 and N-400 rules as published on 21 October 2026, and it is not legal advice.

Printing USCIS photos correctly

USCIS is unusually specific about the physical print: thin paper, glossy finish, unmounted, and unretouched. "Unmounted" means not stuck to card or backing board. "Unretouched" rules out beauty filters, skin smoothing, and AI enhancement — this tool only crops, resizes, and compresses, so it cannot put you on the wrong side of that rule.

Export the 2x2in file above, then print it at any pharmacy or photo counter that offers 4x6 photo prints: a 4x6 sheet holds six 2x2 photos, so one print gives you three spare pairs. Ask for glossy rather than matte. Once printed, lightly write your name and your A-Number, if you have one, on the back of each photo with a pencil or felt pen — pressing hard with a ballpoint can emboss the front of the image.

If you also need a digital copy for a DS-160 visa application, the same crop works: re-export it there to meet the 240KB upload cap. For the passport itself, see the US passport photo size page.

Common rejection reasons

Background isn’t plain or uniform

Shadows, patterns, furniture, or other people in frame are among the most common reasons photos get bounced back. Use a plain wall and even, shadow-free lighting.

Head size or position is off

Too zoomed in, too zoomed out, or off-center. Each country specifies an exact head-height range and crown position, and that's exactly what the crop guide in this tool aligns to.

Glasses, glare, or head coverings

Most countries now disallow glasses entirely (or require them glare-free with no frame over the eyes), and disallow non-religious head coverings that hide the hairline or face.

Photo is filtered, retouched, or AI-enhanced

Beauty filters, background blur, skin smoothing, and AI-generated backgrounds are explicitly rejected by several passport authorities, including the UK’s HM Passport Office.

Photo is outdated

Most countries require a photo taken within the last 6 months (the UK requires within the last month). An old photo, even a good one, can be rejected on this basis alone.

Expression or eye contact issues

Closed eyes, mouth open, smiling with teeth showing, or not looking straight at the camera are all common rejection triggers. A neutral, closed-mouth expression is the safe default.

Want the full picture across every country? See all passport photo requirements for 2026, read how to take a passport photo at home, or check what to wear and expression rules.

USCIS photo questions

What are the USCIS photo requirements?

Two identical colour passport-style prints, taken recently, 2x2 inches with a full face, frontal view, on a white to off-white background. The prints must be on thin paper with a glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched. Head height must be 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin, and your eye height must fall between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches measured from the top of your eyes to the bottom of the photo.

What is the USCIS photo size?

2 by 2 inches, which is 51x51mm, the same square format as a US passport photo. The tool on this page crops to exactly that, at 600x600px, so it prints at the right physical size.

What is the USCIS eye-height rule?

USCIS asks that your eyes sit between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches up from the bottom edge of the 2x2 photo. It is an extra check on top of the chin-to-crown head height, and the Department of State visa spec does not include it, so a photo that passes for a DS-160 visa upload is not automatically positioned correctly for USCIS. In practice, centring your head in the guide above and keeping your chin off the bottom edge puts your eyes inside that band.

Do I need to send photos with Form N-400?

Only if you reside outside the United States. USCIS lists two passport-style photographs among the required evidence for applicants living abroad, and otherwise uses the photograph taken at your Application Support Center biometrics appointment. USCIS also notes that, based on processing needs, it may ask you for physical photographs after you have already filed, and it will send instructions if so.

Do I need photos for Form I-485?

Yes. The I-485 instructions list two identical colour passport-style photographs as required evidence, with no residence exception, so budget for prints when you assemble the package.

Is a USCIS photo the same as a US passport photo?

The size and head height are identical: 2x2 inches with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches chin-to-crown. Three things differ. USCIS adds the eye-height rule, it specifies thin glossy photo paper that is unmounted and unretouched, and it asks you to write your name and A-Number lightly on the back of each print. A passport photo has no equivalent of any of those.

Is a USCIS photo the same as a DS-160 visa photo?

They share the 2x2in size but they are submitted completely differently. A DS-160 visa photo is uploaded as a square JPEG of 600x600 to 1200x1200px, under 240KB. A USCIS photo is a pair of physical prints you put in an envelope. If you need both, crop once here and then export for the upload and print the same crop.

Can I check my USCIS photo online for free?

Yes. Upload a clear, front-facing photo to the tool above and line your head up with the guide. It checks the 2x2in framing and the 1 to 1 3/8 inch head height against the USCIS spec and exports a print-ready file, entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server, which matters more than usual for an immigration file.

Does USCIS take my photo at the biometrics appointment?

For many domestic filings USCIS captures your photograph at the Application Support Center appointment, and for naturalization it says it may use that photograph on your Certificate of Naturalization. That does not remove the printed-photo requirement from forms that list one, such as the I-485. Follow the evidence list in the instructions for your specific form rather than assuming biometrics covers it.

Why was my USCIS photo rejected?

The most common causes are a background that is not plain white to off-white, a head that is too large or too small for the 1 to 1 3/8 inch band, eyes sitting outside the 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inch range, glasses, a photo that has been retouched or filtered, and prints on the wrong paper. Cropping to the exact spec first removes most of them.