Work permit (EAD) photo: do you still need one?
Check your instructions, and include photos if they list them. Since December 12, 2025, USCIS doesn’t use photos you send in yourself to make your work permit (EAD). It takes your photo at a biometrics appointment, or reuses one it took in the last 36 months. But the Form I-765 instructions have still listed two passport-style photos, so international student offices advise sending them until USCIS updates the form.
What changed
On December 12, 2025, USCIS said it will no longer accept self-submitted photos: only photos taken by USCIS or other authorized entities will be used. Photos are taken at a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center.
What it means for Form I-765
- Expect a biometrics appointment where USCIS takes your photo
- USCIS may reuse a photo it took within the last 36 months for some forms, but can ask for a new one
- If your form’s instructions still list photos, include them: two identical 2 × 2 inch colour photos. USCIS won’t put them on your card
Other USCIS forms
The same policy covers green card and citizenship applications, and for those USCIS always takes a new photo. See green card photo and citizenship photo.
Why USCIS takes the photo itself
Your work permit (Form I-766) carries your photo as a security feature. USCIS embeds it when it makes the card.
DHS says most of these cards are made from the digital photo taken at an Application Support Center. They are not made from a paper photo you mail in.
If a form does require a photo and you leave it out, USCIS may send a Request for Evidence.
What to bring to your biometrics appointment
- Your appointment notice (Form I-797C). If you have more than one notice, bring them all.
- A valid photo ID, such as your green card, passport or driver’s license
What happens at the appointment
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Check in
Arrive at the Application Support Center on the date and time on your notice.
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Give your biometrics
Staff take your fingerprints, photo and, in some cases, signature on collection machines.
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Sign digitally
If you give a digital signature, you attest under penalty of perjury. Children under 14 don’t have to sign.
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Wait for your card
USCIS uses these biometrics to confirm your identity and run background and security checks.
If you can’t make the appointment
Ask to reschedule before the original date and time. You must show good cause, such as illness, travel you had already planned, or a major life event.
Call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833). The USCIS Policy Manual also lists your online USCIS account as a way to ask.
Missed it with no timely request or change of address? USCIS can treat the application as abandoned and deny it.
Have a serious medical condition that keeps you at home? You can ask USCIS for a mobile or homebound appointment.
Filing Form I-765 online
USCIS lists Form I-765 among the forms you can file online, for certain eligibility categories. Check the USCIS list for yours before you start.
A rule change that may come later
On November 3, 2025, DHS proposed a rule to drop “outdated requirements for submitting photographs.” The comment period closed on January 2, 2026.
It is a proposed rule, not a final one. Until a final rule is published, follow your form’s current instructions.
Already have a photo? Check it free with the passport photo checker. Every rule in one place: passport photo requirements.
Questions
Do I need to send photos with Form I-765?
If the instructions list two photos, yes, send them. Since December 12, 2025, USCIS uses only the photo it takes at your biometrics appointment (or one it took in the last 36 months) to make your card.
Does PassportOwl make EAD photos?
Not as a separate product. If your form asks for two 2 × 2 inch photos, our <a href="/us/2x2-photo/">2x2 photo</a> meets the same size rules.
What do I bring to my EAD biometrics appointment?
Bring your appointment notice (Form I-797C) and a valid photo ID, such as a green card, passport or driver’s license. You don’t need to bring photos.
Can I reschedule my USCIS biometrics appointment?
Yes, if you ask before the appointment and show good cause. Call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283.
What happens if I miss my biometrics appointment for I-765?
USCIS can treat your application as abandoned and deny it. That is unless it received a change of address or a valid reschedule request in time.
Sources: USCIS: new photo policy (Dec 12, 2025) , NAFSA: USCIS will no longer accept self-submitted photos , Preparing for your biometric services appointment - USCIS , Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part C, Chapter 2: Biometrics collection - USCIS , Collection and use of biometrics by USCIS (proposed rule) - Federal Register , 8 CFR 103.2 - eCFR , Forms available to file online - USCIS . Checked Oct 18, 2026. How we keep rules accurate
