US Visa Photo Size (2×2 Inch)

The spec

US visa photo requirements

The U.S. Department of State rules for a DS-160, DV Lottery, or immigrant visa — the print size and the digital-upload spec.

Two things to get right. First, check whether you need a visa at all: travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries (UK, most of the EU, Japan, Australia and others) visiting for tourism or business use an ESTA, which needs no photo — this page is for a DS-160 or immigrant-visa applicant. Second, don't edit your appearance. The State Department prohibits any digital alteration, and since 2024 it flags AI-generated or AI-retouched photos — submitting one can lead to a permanent visa denial for misrepresentation. Formatting (cropping, resizing, compressing) is fine; changing how you look is not. Routes differ: DS-160 and DV Lottery are digital uploads, while an immigrant-visa (DS-260) interview needs two printed 2 × 2 photos. Always follow travel.state.gov.

Photo size (print)

2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) — a square, same as a US passport photo

Digital upload

Square 1:1, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, JPEG only, sRGB colour

File size

54 KB to 240 KB — files outside this range are rejected by the upload tool

Head height

1 to 1⅜ in (22–35 mm) chin to crown, or 50–69% of the frame

Background

Plain white or off-white — no blue, grey, patterns, or shadows

Editing

Crop and resize only — no digital alteration of your appearance; AI-edited photos risk a permanent denial for misrepresentation

Glasses

Not allowed since November 2016 (medical exemption only, with documentation)

Expression

Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open, front-facing

Recency

Taken within the last 6 months — a new photo for each application, no reuse

How to

Make a US visa photo

For a DS-160 or DV Lottery upload, the job is a clean 2 × 2 square under 240 KB. Sukat does exactly that — crop and compress, no editing.

Upload your photo

Drop a JPG, PNG, HEIC, or WebP onto Sukat's drop zone. An iPhone HEIC works directly — the DS-160 upload needs JPEG, which Sukat outputs.

Crop to a 2 × 2 square

Crop at a 1:1 ratio with the head 22–35 mm (50–69% of the frame), and aim for 600–1200 px per side. Shoot against a real plain white wall — don't rely on editing the background, which the State Department may treat as alteration.

Compress under 240 KB and download

Choose JPEG and set Maximum File Size to 240 KB (stay above 54 KB). Sukat binary-searches for the highest quality that fits, avoiding the heavy artifacts that fail the check. Upload it to your DS-160 or DV entry.

Use cases

Which US application needs which file

The 2 × 2 square is constant; the submission is not. Here's where it applies — and where you need no photo at all.

Nonimmigrant visa (DS-160)

B1/B2 tourist, F-1 student, H-1B work and more — upload a 600–1200 px square JPEG under 240 KB. Some consulates also want one printed 2 × 2 at the interview.

DV Lottery (Diversity Visa)

A 600 × 600–1200 × 1200 px JPEG, 54–240 KB — with the strictest verification: reusing a prior entry's photo is automatic disqualification, so take a new one.

Immigrant visa (DS-260)

Bring two identical printed 2 × 2 photos to the consular interview, on photo paper, taken within the last 6 months.

Visa renewal

Each application needs a new photo — you can't reuse your previous visa photo, even if it's recent.

ESTA — no photo needed

Visa Waiver Program travellers apply for an ESTA, which requires no photo. Skip the photo step entirely.

Need a US passport photo instead? Same 2 × 2 size, different rules — see Passport Photo Size USA. Applying to Canada? Canada Visa Photo Size uses 35 × 45 mm.

Why Sukat

Why Sukat for a US visa photo

Five things this tool gets right that most "visa photo online" sites get wrong.

Hits the 240 KB cap exactly

DS-160 and DV uploads reject files over 240 KB (and under 54 KB), and file size is the single most common upload failure. Set 240 KB and Sukat finds the highest quality that fits.

The exact 2 × 2 square

Every US visa upload must be a perfect 1:1 square, 600–1200 px. Sukat crops to an exact square at the right pixel size, so the head sits in the 50–69% band.

Crop and compress, no editing

Sukat resizes and compresses but never alters your face — which matters, because the State Department can treat AI-edited photos as misrepresentation. Shoot on a real white wall and let Sukat handle size and file weight.

iPhone HEIC to JPEG

The DS-160 upload needs JPEG. Drop an iPhone HEIC in and Sukat exports a clean, valid JPEG in standard sRGB.

Private, in-browser

The photo never leaves your device — no account, nothing uploaded to a third-party server. Fitting for a visa application.

Before you submit

Common reasons for rejection

The DS-160 upload runs automated checks against all 12 requirements and returns error codes; the DV Lottery is stricter still. These are the faults that trip applicants up.

Incorrect dimensions

Not an exact 2 × 2 square, a digital file outside 600–1200 px, or a head outside the 22–35 mm (50–69%) band. Incorrect head size and positioning are the single largest rejection category.

Improper background

Anything but plain white or off-white. Blue, grey, patterned, or textured backgrounds all fail.

Shadows

Shadows behind the head or on the face, usually from standing too close to the wall or from side lighting. Stand back and light evenly from the front.

Low image quality

A file over 240 KB or under 54 KB, heavy JPEG artifacts from over-compression, a screenshot, or a scan with bars. Any AI enhancement or retouching can also trigger a misrepresentation denial.

Incorrect facial expression

A smile (especially with teeth), an open mouth, glasses (banned since 2016), or a head tilt. Keep a neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight ahead.

Questions

FAQ

What size is a US visa photo?

2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) — a square. For a digital upload (DS-160 or DV Lottery), it must be a 600–1200 px square JPEG, 54–240 KB, on a plain white or off-white background, with the head 22–35 mm (50–69% of the frame).

Is it the same as a US passport photo?

Same 2 × 2 square and composition. The difference is submission: DS-160 visa applications are digital uploads (600–1200 px, under 240 KB), while an in-person passport application needs a printed 2 × 2. See the US passport page for the online-renewal rules.

Do I upload a digital photo or bring prints?

DS-160 (nonimmigrant) and DV Lottery are digital uploads. An immigrant visa (DS-260) interview needs two printed 2 × 2 photos. Some consulates also want one print at a DS-160 interview — check the instructions where you apply.

Do I need a visa, or an ESTA?

Travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries (UK, most of the EU, Japan, Australia and others) visiting for tourism or business use an ESTA, which requires no photo. A DS-160 visa applicant does need a photo.

Can I edit the photo or remove the background?

No — don't alter your appearance. The State Department prohibits digital enhancement, and since 2024 it flags AI-edited photos, which can lead to a permanent denial for misrepresentation. Cropping, resizing, and compressing are fine; shoot on a real white wall rather than replacing the background.

Can I reuse an old photo for the DV Lottery?

No. The DV Lottery uses facial recognition to detect duplicates, and reusing a prior entry's photo is automatic disqualification. Take a new photo for each entry.

Can I take the photo myself?

Yes — the State Department allows a self-taken photo that meets the specs. Have someone else take it (not a selfie), stand about 2 feet from a white wall in even light, and use Sukat to crop to 2 × 2 and compress under 240 KB.

Does Sukat upload my photo anywhere?

No. Cropping, resizing, and compression all run in your browser. The photo never reaches a server, and there's no account or email — switch to airplane mode after the page loads and it still works.

Related tools

Keep going

Passport Photo Size USA — The same 2×2 square, with the passport routes and online-renewal rules.Passport Photo 2×2 Inch — The square-format math and pixel conversions.Canada Visa Photo Size — The other visa page — Canada uses 35 × 45 mm, not 2 × 2.Convert HEIC to JPG — Turn an iPhone HEIC into a JPEG for the DS-160 upload.Crop and Compress — Crop to an exact square and hit a file-size target in one pass.Image Size Guide — Full passport / ID / visa file-size reference.

US visa photo size