What the DS-160 photo needs
US visa applications are filled in online, and the photo is uploaded as a digital file. The State Department's rules for that file are strict:
- Square, from 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels, in color, as a JPG of 240 KB or less.
- Head size: from the chin to the top of the hair, 50% to 69% of the image height. Eyes between 56% and 69% of the height, measured from the bottom.
- Taken in the last six months, against a plain white or off-white background, facing the camera with both eyes open.
- No glasses. Head coverings only for religious or medical reasons.
- Not edited: no filters, retouching or replaced backgrounds.
The guides in the tool follow those percentages: put the top of your head on the blue line, your chin in the green band and your eyes in the pink band. The Download digital photo button then saves a 600 × 600 pixel JPG and lowers the quality just enough to stay under 240 KB.
If the upload fails
The DS-160 checks every photo when you upload it. The most common reasons it refuses one are shadows on the face or the background, a tilted head, glasses, a background that is not plain, or a head that is too small or too big. Retake the photo with the light in front of you and try again. If the upload still fails, the application lets you continue, and you will usually be asked to bring a printed 2 × 2 inch photo to your interview: use the 4 × 6 print or the PDF sheet for that.
Same photo for other US documents
A 2 × 2 inch photo with the same rules is used for US passports and for most immigration forms. If you need printed photos, see the passport photo maker for how to print them on a 4 × 6 for a few cents.
Take a photo that gets accepted
Face a window in daylight, stand about 2 feet in front of a plain light wall and have someone take the photo from about 4 feet away, at eye level. The full checklist is in how to take a passport photo at home.