US Visa & DV Lottery Photo Tool (600×600 px)

Pre-configured to U.S. Department of State digital photo rules for DS-160, DS-260, and Electronic Diversity Visa (EDV) submissions: exact 600×600 px square dimensions, 24-bit sRGB JPEG strictly under 240 KB, and 50%–69% head-height framing — processed entirely inside your browser.

Select or drop a JPEG, PNG, WebP, or HEIC photo. Processing runs 100% locally in your browser.

Target: 600×600px • ≤240 KB

Drop your portrait photo here, or click to browse

Accepts JPEG, PNG, WebP, or HEIC. Your image stays in browser memory and is never uploaded to any server.

Select Photo From Device

Compliance Checklist

Dimensions
Required: 600 × 600 px
pending
File size
Required: <= 240 KB
pending
Format
Required: JPEG
pending
Color space
Required: sRGB
pending
Metadata stripped
Required: EXIF & XMP removed
pending

Upload a portrait photo first to enable cropping and automatic binary-search JPEG compression under 240 KB.

Official U.S. Department of State Digital Photo Specifications

Single source of truth rendered directly from verified portal rules (US Visa & DV Lottery Photo).

Last verified: 2026-11-08

Parameter	Official Requirement	Compliance Notes
Target Output Dimensions	600 × 600 px	Accepted range: 600 × 600 px to 1200 × 1200 px
Aspect Ratio	1:1 (Square)	Width must equal height exactly
Maximum File Size	<= 240 KB (245,760 bytes)	Minimum floor: 10 KB (10,240 bytes) to prevent over-compression blur
File Format	JPEG (.jpg / image/jpeg)	Standard JFIF header with EXIF/XMP camera metadata stripped
Color Space	sRGB	24-bit full-color sRGB (CMYK and grayscale profiles rejected)
Head Height (Crown to Chin)	50% – 69% of image height	Between 300 px and 414 px at 600 px height
Eye Level (From Bottom Edge)	56% – 69% of image height	Eyes positioned 336 px – 414 px above bottom edge
Background	Plain white or off-white	Uniform lighting without harsh facial or wall shadows
Output Filename	us-visa-photo-600x600.jpg	Clean ASCII filename safe for government upload portals

Verified directly against the primary government specification bulletin. View official U.S. Department of State photo specification

How to Prepare Your Compliant US Visa Photo

1. Select your original portrait

Drop or pick a recent front-facing JPEG, PNG, WebP, or Safari-supported HEIC photo taken against a plain white or off-white wall.
2. Align the 50%–69% biometric frame

Drag inside the square preview and adjust zoom so the top of your head aligns with the crown marker, your chin rests in the 50%–69% zone, and your eyes sit inside the 56%–69% band.
3. Generate and verify 600×600 px output

Click Generate Compliant Photo. The local Web Worker crops to 600×600 px, binary-searches JPEG quality strictly below 240 KB, writes a 300 DPI JFIF header, and strips EXIF/XMP tags before download.

Why US Visa & DV Lottery Photos Fail Portal Validation

The Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) for forms DS-160 and DS-260 and the Electronic Diversity Visa (EDV) entry portal run automated geometric and byte-level checks before accepting an upload. While accepted digital dimensions span 600×600 pixels to 1200×1200 pixels at an exact 1:1 square aspect ratio, targeting 600×600 pixels gives reliable headroom inside the strict 240 KB (245,760-byte) ceiling without triggering heavy quantization artifacts.

Biometric Proportions: Crown-to-Chin and Eye Line

Even when pixel dimensions and byte size match, consular review rejects photos whose facial framing falls outside official tolerances. Measured from the bottom of the chin to the very top of the head (including hair), total head height must occupy 50% to 69% of image height — 300 px to 414 px in a 600-pixel frame. Simultaneously, your eyes must sit between 56% and 69% of total height measured upward from the bottom edge (336 px to 414 px from the bottom). Use the interactive biometric overlay above to pan and zoom until both markers align before generating your file.

Color Profile, Compression Ratio, and EXIF Orientation Traps

Modern phones frequently capture portraits in Display P3, HEIC, or high-resolution JPEG files exceeding 3 MB with EXIF rotation tags instead of physically rotated pixels. Uploading an unflattened file or saving with CMYK or grayscale channels causes immediate rejection because the portal requires 24-bit full-color sRGB JPEG data. Conversely, aggressive compression below roughly 10 KB blurs iris and facial-landmark edges, risking automated quality-ratio failure. Our client-side engine draws clean, upright sRGB pixels, runs a binary search over JPEG quality to maximize clarity just beneath 240 KB, writes a clean 300 DPI JFIF APP0 header, and strips all camera EXIF and XMP metadata segments.

Physical Capture Checklist Before Cropping

Taken within the last 6 months: Reusing an older visa or passport photo from a prior year can result in application delay or disqualification.
No eyeglasses: Remove all prescription glasses, tinted lenses, and frames before taking the photo.
Unedited plain white or off-white backdrop: Stand slightly forward of a bright white or off-white wall under balanced front light to avoid neck and wall shadows; do not digitally erase or replace the background.
Neutral expression, full-face view: Face the camera squarely with both eyes open and mouth closed.

US Visa & DV Lottery Photo FAQs

Answers to technical upload errors, framing rules, and local browser processing.

Does my photo leave my device when I resize it to 600×600 pixels?

No. Every step — image decoding, 1:1 square cropping, 600×600 pixel scaling, binary-search JPEG compression under 240 KB, and EXIF stripping — executes locally inside your browser using HTML5 Canvas and Web Workers. Zero bytes of your portrait are uploaded to any server.

Why did the CEAC (DS-160 / DS-260) or DV Lottery photo validator reject my JPEG?

Common automated validator rejections occur when width and height are not strictly equal (1:1 aspect ratio between 600×600 px and 1200×1200 px), the file exceeds 240 KB (245,760 bytes), the color profile is CMYK or Adobe RGB instead of 24-bit sRGB, or over-compression drops the image below a usable quality floor.

How do I position my head using the 50%–69% guide overlay?

Drag the photo inside the square preview and adjust the zoom slider until the top of your head (including hair, crown) sits near the upper dashed marker and the bottom of your chin rests inside the lower 50%–69% zone, while your eyes align within the 56%–69% eye-level band measured from the bottom edge.

Can I wear eyeglasses or use a background-removal filter for a US Visa photo?

No. U.S. Department of State rules prohibit eyeglasses in new visa and DV Lottery photos (except in rare documented medical cases) and forbid digitally altering or cutting out the background. Take the original portrait in front of a plain white or off-white wall with even front lighting.

Why does stripping EXIF and XMP metadata matter?

Smartphone photos embed GPS coordinates, device serial tags, editing software history, and orientation flags inside APP1 EXIF/XMP segments. Generating clean pixel output with a standard 300 DPI JFIF header removes embedded camera metadata, protects location privacy, and prevents portal parsers from misreading EXIF orientation.