For Optional Practical Training, USCIS requires two identical passport-style photographs submitted with your Form I-765. The OPT photo requirements match the U.S. passport standard: 2 by 2 inches, full color, printed on thin glossy paper, with a plain white or off-white background, taken recently and never digitally edited.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization Get any of these wrong and USCIS can flag your case, require an in-person identity check at an Application Support Center, and push you past a filing deadline that has very little slack in it.
Size, Background, and Composition
The photo must measure exactly 2 by 2 inches, printed in full color on thin paper with a glossy finish. It has to be unmounted, meaning not glued to any backing, and unretouched, meaning no filters, no smoothing, no background replacement, no edits of any kind.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization USCIS states directly that retouched images will delay your case and may trigger an in-person identity verification.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
Face the camera squarely for a full-frontal view against a plain white or off-white background. Two internal measurements matter because automated systems use them to crop and scale the image for your EAD card:
- Head height, top of hair to bottom of chin: between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches.
- Eye height from the bottom of the photo: between 1 1/8 inches and 1 3/8 inches.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
Lighting should be even across your face, with no shadows on your features or the background behind you. Red-eye is not acceptable, and you cannot fix it in editing software because that counts as retouching. If the flash caused red-eye, retake the shot with better light.3U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
Your Appearance in the Photo
Keep a neutral expression with both eyes open and your mouth closed. A slight smile is fine as long as your mouth stays shut. Exaggerated expressions will get the photo rejected.3U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos Use a current image that reflects how you look now.
Glasses must come off. If a medical condition prevents that, include a signed note from your doctor with the application.3U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos Sunglasses and tinted lenses are never allowed, not even pushed up on your head.
Hats and head coverings are not permitted unless worn for religious reasons. If you wear one for religion, include a signed statement saying you wear it daily in public. Even then, the covering must leave your full face visible from hairline to chin, cast no shadows on your face or the background, and be a solid color without patterns or holes.3U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
Uniforms, clothing that resembles a uniform, and camouflage patterns are prohibited. Everyday clothing is what you want.
Submitting Photos Online
If you file the I-765 through the USCIS online portal, you can either scan your printed passport photos or take a picture of them with your phone.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Tips for Filing Forms Online Uploads must be JPG or JPEG and cannot exceed 12 megabytes. The image needs to be sharp; a blurry scan will not pass review.
Do not encrypt or password-protect any uploaded file, and keep file names free of special characters, which can cause upload errors.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Tips for Filing Forms Online
Submitting Photos by Mail
Paper filers include two identical color prints in the mailing envelope. On the back of each photo, lightly write your name and your A-Number if you have one, using a pencil or a felt-tip pen. Press gently so the writing doesn’t leave an indentation on the front.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
Do not staple, paperclip, or hole-punch the photos, and do not attach them to the form or to each other. USCIS scans everything into electronic systems, and any fastener slows that process and can damage the images. Place both photos loose in a small envelope labeled with your name, and include that envelope inside your mailing package.
Mistakes That Delay OPT Photos
Retouching is the most common reason USCIS flags a photo.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students Phone cameras with built-in beauty modes are a frequent culprit, because they smooth skin automatically without asking. Turn off portrait enhancement, beauty filters, and any auto-editing before you take the shot.
Other rejections come from these problems:
- A colored wall, patterned curtain, or cluttered room instead of a plain white or off-white background.
- Overhead or side lighting that throws visible shadows on the face or behind the head.
- Glasses left on, which glare and obscure the eyes even when the lenses are clear.
- A head that falls outside the 1-inch to 1 3/8-inch measurement window, which fails the automated checks.
- Prints glued to cardboard or any other backing, which are rejected outright.
If you are shooting at home, stand facing a window for natural daylight, tape a sheet of plain white paper to the wall behind you, and put the camera at eye level about four feet away. Check the print against the measurement rules before you finalize anything. Reprinting is far cheaper than waiting weeks for USCIS to send back a request for a replacement.
Why Photo Problems Hit OPT Applicants Hard
OPT has narrow filing windows. You can submit the I-765 up to 90 days before your program end date and no later than 60 days after it, and you must file within 30 days of the date your Designated School Official enters the OPT recommendation in SEVIS.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-765, Application for Employment Authorization A photo issue that seems minor can push you past one of those deadlines. The usual pattern: a student files on time with an edited photo, USCIS flags the image, and the fix takes long enough that the 30-day SEVIS window closes.
The New USCIS Photo Policy and What It Means for Your Filing
In December 2025, USCIS announced it will no longer use self-submitted photographs on immigration documents. Only photos taken by USCIS at a Biometric Services Appointment or by another authorized entity will appear on your EAD card going forward.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. New Photo Policy Helps Prevent Immigration Fraud Through Enhanced Identity Verification
The I-765 form instructions have not yet been updated, and they still require two passport-style photos with your application.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization Include compliant photos with your filing to avoid rejection, while understanding that USCIS will likely use a photo captured at an Application Support Center for the actual card. Check the I-765 page on uscis.gov for the current guidance before you file, because this transition is still moving.