Tips for uploading good images with machine readable text

High-quality images that will be accepted by USCIS should be in-focus, straight, and use good lighting. Some documents will be scanned and need to be sized correctly.

If you see a red rectangle after selecting an image: there is some important text that needs to appear within it. This is known as machine-readable text.

Example: Good Image Of A Green Card Back With Proper Placement Of The Machine-Readable Area

The image is taken from straight ahead and it is clear and readable. The machine readable zone (MRZ) is within the red rectangle.

Examples: Bad Images Of A Green Card Back

The image is blurry and the machine readable text is not clear

The image is taken at a bad angle and the machine readable text is outside the red rectangle

The image is tilted and the machine readable text does not fit within the red rectangle

Cropping Images To The Correct Size

After selecting an image, you should adjust the size and positioning of the document so it fits the frame and the machine readable text is within the red rectangle.