F-1 OPT Summer 2026: You Can No Longer Submit Your Own Photo (Biometrics Guide)

What changed on December 12, 2025

Effective December 12, 2025, USCIS stopped accepting self-submitted photos for Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), the form used for OPT and EAD cards. Before this date, you attached two passport photos to your paper application. That step is now removed entirely. Instead, USCIS photographs you directly at a scheduled biometrics appointment.

Multiple university international student offices, including Northeastern, University of Washington, and Ohio State, issued advisories in January and February 2026 confirming the change and telling students to expect a biometrics notice after filing.

What the process looks like now

1. Your Designated School Official (DSO) recommends OPT in SEVIS as normal.
2. You file Form I-765 with USCIS. Do not include a photo with your application.
3. USCIS sends you a biometrics notice by mail, typically within 4-8 weeks of accepting your application.
4. You attend your biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center (ASC). Bring the notice and a valid photo ID.
5. USCIS captures your fingerprints, signature, and photograph. The appointment takes about 15-30 minutes.
6. USCIS processes your EAD and mails it to you after the biometrics step clears.

What is NOT affected

This rule only covers USCIS forms. If you need to apply for a US visa, renew your F-1 stamp, or fill out the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application, you still submit your own digital photo. The DS-160 is processed by the US State Department, which has not changed its photo submission rules. You still need a compliant digital photo for that form. IDPhotoSnap can prepare a DS-160 compliant photo at no cost, sized exactly to the 600x600 pixel square format the portal requires.

Planning your timeline

The biometrics step adds time to the OPT process. After USCIS accepts your I-765, you are waiting for a biometrics notice before the case can move forward. File your OPT application as early as 90 days before your program end date (as your DSO advises) and do not plan any travel that conflicts with the ASC appointment window. Rescheduling a biometrics appointment can add weeks to your wait.

Frequently asked questions