Canada visa photo requirements
IRCC's rules for a visitor visa, study permit, or work permit — the print size and the digital-upload spec, aligned with ICAO 9303.
Make a Canada visa photo
Crop to the 35 × 45 mm frame, set a plain white background, and land on IRCC's ~240 KB digital target — one workflow.
Upload your photo
Drop a JPG, PNG, HEIC, or WebP onto Sukat's drop zone. An iPhone HEIC works directly, with no conversion first.
Crop to 35 × 45 mm
Crop to the frame with the head 31–36 mm chin to crown and the shoulders in view, then set a plain white background. Keep the face unedited — IRCC rejects filters, smoothing, and AI face changes.
Compress for the upload
Choose JPEG and set Maximum File Size to around 240 KB — IRCC's target, and no less than 60 KB. Sukat binary-searches for the highest quality that fits, keeping the image at least 420 × 540 px. Download and upload it with your application.
Which Canadian application needs this photo
The 35 × 45 mm size covers temporary-resident visas and permits. Here's where it applies — and where it doesn't.
Visitor visa (TRV)
A 35 × 45 mm digital photo, uploaded with your online Temporary Resident Visa application.
Study permit
The same 35 × 45 mm spec — upload the digital file with the study-permit application.
Work permit
Same 35 × 45 mm size. Note that one work-permit portal specifically requires colour, so always upload a colour photo.
Super visa & family class
The same 35 × 45 mm digital spec applies to super visa and most family-class applications.
Express Entry (PR application)
The PR application photo also uses the 35 × 45 mm / 420 × 540 px digital spec — but the PR card you receive uses 50 × 70 mm. Check the specific step.
eTA — no photo needed
Visa-exempt travellers apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization, which requires no photo. Skip the photo step entirely.
Applying for a passport or PR card instead? Those use 50 × 70 mm — see Passport Photo Size Canada. Same 35 × 45 size for a UK, Schengen, or other visa? Passport Photo 35×45mm covers the format.
Why Sukat for a Canada visa photo
Five things this tool gets right that most "visa photo online" sites get wrong.
The right size, not the passport size
Crop to exactly 35 × 45 mm (at least 420 × 540 px), so you don't submit the 50 × 70 mm passport size by mistake — that swap is the most common IRCC photo rejection.
Hits IRCC's file target
The digital photo should be about 240 KB, and at least 60 KB. Set the target and Sukat's algorithm finds the highest quality that fits — no bouncing off the upload.
White background, resize only
Sukat crops, resizes, and sets a plain white background, but never touches your face — no filters, smoothing, or AI changes, which IRCC rejects outright.
iPhone HEIC handled
Drop an iPhone HEIC straight in — Sukat decodes it and exports a clean JPEG at the right size and weight for the IRCC portal.
Private, in-browser
The photo never leaves your device — no account, nothing uploaded to a third-party server. Fitting for an immigration document.
Common reasons for rejection
IRCC returns applications with non-compliant photos before processing. These are the usual photo faults for a visa or permit.
Incorrect dimensions
Submitting the 50 × 70 mm passport / PR size instead of the 35 × 45 mm visa size — the most common IRCC photo error — or a digital file under 420 × 540 px, or a head outside 31–36 mm chin to crown.
Improper background
A patterned, coloured, or textured background, or visible wall texture behind the head. Use plain white or light grey, uniform edge to edge.
Shadows
Shadows on the face or the wall behind you. Move away from the wall and light your face evenly from the front.
Low image quality
A blurry, heavily compressed, or filtered photo. IRCC rejects beauty filters, skin smoothing, and AI face changes — the face must be unedited.
Incorrect facial expression
A smile, an open mouth, hair over the eyes, or glasses with glare. Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible.