Get a US green card photo in the correct 2×2 inch format from a selfie. Our AI crops your green card photo, sets a plain white background and checks it against the official photo composition template.
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A green card photo is checked against the photo composition template the US State Department publishes. Our online AI check validates your photo against every size and quality parameter below.
The United States Green Card, officially the Permanent Resident Card, is the document that lets a person who is not a US citizen live and work permanently in the US. It is proof of lawful permanent resident status, and after a period of permanent residence a green card holder may apply for US citizenship. Photographs are collected at the biometrics step of the application, so a correct green card photo is a small but real part of a smooth application.
The green card photo is a square of 2×2 inches, about 51×51 mm. The photo composition template from the State Department shows where the head and eyes must sit inside that square. In our template the head is about 1.29 inches from the chin to the top of the head, and the eyes sit about 1.18 inches above the bottom edge of the photo. A print at 300 DPI keeps the card photo sharp, and a digital copy stays under 240 KB.
The 2×2 inch size is only half of the rule. Inside that square the head has to take up the right share of the photo, and the eyes have to sit at the right height. A photo can have the correct outer size and still fail because the face is too small, cropped too tightly or placed too low. That is why our tool does not just resize your picture: it finds your face, measures the head from chin to crown and places it so the head height and the eye line match the template. If your original photo is cropped too tightly to leave room above the head, the check tells you so and you can take a new photo in a few seconds.
Use a plain white background with no shadows, patterns or objects behind you. Face the camera straight on with a neutral expression, mouth closed and both eyes open. Take off your glasses and keep hair away from your eyes so your whole face is visible. Wear everyday clothes in a colour that stands out from the white background. The photo should be recent, in colour and not edited with filters or beauty effects. Our AI sets the white background for you and flags a photo with closed eyes, a tilted head or poor light.
The way to a green card has several steps, and USCIS describes them on its official pages:
Processing times vary by category, so prepare your green card photo early and keep a spare copy with your documents.
Where you are when you apply decides which form you file. Applicants who already live in the United States adjust status with Form I-485 and then attend a biometrics appointment. Applicants outside the US go through consular processing: they file Form DS-260, the Immigrant Visa Application, and may attend an interview at a US consulate. Either way, photographs are part of the process, so it pays to have a clear photo with a white background and a neutral face ready.
Most people get a green card in one of four ways. Family-based green cards start with a petition from a US relative who is a US citizen or permanent resident. Employment-based green cards start with a petition from a US employer. People with refugee or asylum status can also apply for permanent residence. Winners of the Diversity Visa Lottery can also apply for a green card through the Diversity Visa program. Each path has its own forms and documents, but all of them lead to the same Permanent Resident Card.
Our maker gives you both. The digital file is a 2×2 inch photo at 300 DPI, saved under 240 KB, which you can keep on your phone or send to a print shop. To print at home, use glossy or matte photo paper, print at 100% scale with no “fit to page” option, and cut along the edges of the square. Measure the print with a ruler: each side should be exactly 2 inches. A photo printed at the wrong scale is the most common reason a correct digital photo ends up too small or too large on paper.
Several US documents use the same 2×2 inch square, but the rules around them are different. For a Diversity Visa Lottery entry, see our green card lottery photo page. For a visitor visa, use the US visa photo page, and once you become a citizen, the US passport photo page. For other USCIS forms, see our USCIS photo page. Make one card photo per document so each one matches its own rules.
A few minutes of preparation saves a retake. Wipe the phone camera lens, since a smudge makes the whole photo look soft. Tie back long hair, take off hats, headphones and glasses, and choose a top that is not white so you do not blend into the background. If someone can help, ask them to take the photo for you from about four feet away: the angle is straighter than in a selfie and your shoulders stay level. Take several photos in a row and pick the one where your eyes are open and your face is relaxed. Whether you apply from inside the US or from abroad, the same simple routine gives you a photo that is ready for your US immigration paperwork.
Everything happens online in your browser, with no app to install. Stand about an arm's length from the camera, facing a window, with a plain wall behind you if you have one. Take a few photos and upload the best one. The online tool removes the original background, sets plain white, crops the picture to 2×2 inches and checks the head size, the eye line, your expression and the sharpness. You see the result in seconds, and if something is off, such as closed eyes or glasses, the check explains what to fix. When the photo passes, download it for free and print it or keep the file for your records.
If a child applies for a green card too, make a separate photo for the child with the same 2×2 inch size and white background. For a baby, lay the child on a plain white sheet and take the photo from above, or hold the baby so that your hands are not in the frame. Small children cannot always keep a neutral face, so take several photos and upload the one where the eyes are open and the head is straight. The online check works the same way for a child as for an adult.
A green card is typically valid for 10 years and must be renewed before it expires. If the card is lost, stolen or damaged, you replace it by filing Form I-90, the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. If you need photos for a renewal or a replacement, check that your green card photo still looks like you today, with the same head position and white background as the first time.
Save the digital file of your green card photo together with copies of your forms. A green card holder may need photos again: for a renewal, for a replacement after a lost or stolen green card, or for other immigration paperwork while the green card is valid. A saved file lets you print a new copy in minutes, but always check that the photo is still recent and still looks like you. Children change quickly, so a child's photo usually needs to be retaken sooner than an adult's.
A green card holder can live and work in the US, travel outside the country with some restrictions, and apply for US citizenship after meeting the residency requirements. Holders also have responsibilities: obeying US laws, filing US income tax returns and keeping permanent resident status by not abandoning their residence. For the full rules, always check the official USCIS website or talk to an immigration attorney.
Hold the phone at arm's length with the camera at eye level. The AI crops your green card photo to the 2×2 inch square and straightens it.
Look straight into the lens with a neutral face and your mouth closed. Take off glasses and keep hair off your face.
Face a window for soft daylight and avoid direct sun, which leaves hard shadows. The AI replaces the background in the photo with plain white.
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A 2×2 inch card photo with a white background, checked in seconds.
Our AI check catches these green card photo mistakes before you download the photo.
Approved
Don't smile
Mouth open
Approved
No fashion headwear
Head tilted
Shadow behind head
Large earrings
Approved
Use your phone camera or a photo you already have. Everything runs in your browser.
The tool crops your green card photo to 2×2 inches, sets a white background and checks head position, eyes, expression and sharpness.
Download the digital green card photo or print it at 300 DPI and cut it to the 2×2 inch square.
Get a green card photo that passes the check
Crop, head position and white background in one step.
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$5.99
A green card photo is a 2×2 inch square (51×51 mm). The head is about 1.29 inches tall, with the eyes about 1.18 inches above the bottom edge, as in the State Department photo composition template.
A plain white background with no shadows, patterns or objects. Our AI replaces the background in your green card photo with white automatically.
Yes. Take a selfie in daylight with a neutral face, then let the AI crop the card photo to 2×2 inches and check it.
Photographs are part of the green card process, for example at the biometrics appointment where you also give fingerprints and a signature. Keep a correct green card photo ready with your forms.
A green card is typically valid for 10 years. A lost, stolen or damaged card is replaced with Form I-90. If you need a photo for either step, make a recent one that looks like you today.
Yes. Upload a selfie and our online maker crops it, sets a white background and checks the photo in seconds. You can download the result online or print it at home.
Make a new one. A US passport is a separate application for US citizens, and a recent photo that looks like you is the safer choice. Use our US passport photo page at that point.
Yes. The digital green card photo and the AI check are free; only the optional retouch costs $5.99.
A 2×2 inch green card photo with a white background, checked in seconds.
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