Article Overview：
- Visa-Free Countries Or Regions for US
- Detailed Explanation of US Visa Photo Official Requirements:Official US Visa Photo Requirements Announcement
- How to make US visa photo online for free
- Photo Taking Tips
Part1. Visa-Free Countries Or Regions for US
Do you need a visa for US?Do Australia citizens need a visa for US?How to get US visa?If you plan to go to US, these issues might be of concern to you.
- According to the Visa Waiver Program,a visa-free announcement issued by the ‘Travel.State.Gov’ of US, the citizens of the following countries or regions can enter US without visa but a ESTA(Your travel is for 90 days or less): Andorra;Australia;Austria;Belgium;Brunei;Chile;Croatia;Czech Republic;Denmark;Estonia;Finland;France;Germany;Greece;Hungary;Iceland;Ireland ;Israel;Italy;Japan;Latvia;Liechtenstein;Lithuania;Luxembourg;Malta;Monaco;Netherlands;New Zealand;Norway;Poland;Portugal;Qatar;Romania;San Marino;Singapore;Slovakia;Slovenia;South Korea;Spain;Sweden;Switzerland;Taiwan*;United Kingdom**
- If you are a citizen or eligible national of a Visa Waiver Program country and your travel is for 90 days or less,you can make an application for ESTA in ESTA System
Part2. US Visa Photo Official Requirements
If you are not from one of the countries or regions that are exempt from visa requirements for US, then you will need a US visa. It is worth noting that when you apply for a US visa, you need to submit a photo for the US visa. According to the official announcement requirements of US, there are strict specifications for the visa photo.Official US Visa Photo Requirements Announcement
- The standard specifications for US visa photos The U.S. government has strict requirements for visa photos. The following is a summary of the photo specifications required.
| Background color | plain white or off-white background |
| picture size | 1. Paper Photo: width: 2in, height: 2in 2. Digital Image: 2.1 Minimum acceptable dimensions : 600 pixels (width) x 600 pixels (height). 2.2 Maximum acceptable dimensions: 1200 pixels (width) x 1200 pixels (height). |
| Head size | 1. Paper Photo 1.1 top of hair to bottom of chin should measure :25 mm - 35 mm 1.2 eye height from the bottom of the photo:28 mm – 35 mm) 2. Digital Image 2.1 The top of the head, including the hair, to the bottom of the chin:between 50% and 69% of the image’s total height. 2.2 from the bottom of the image to the level of the eyes:between 56% and 69% of the image’s height. |
| Size in Kilobytes | Less than or equal to 240 kB (kilobytes) |
| Format | JEPG |
| Resolution (dpi) | 300 |
- Choose according to your application scenario The photo requirements differ for various types of visa applications. Some situations call for digital photos, whereas others necessitate printed photographs. Below is a list detailing the specific photo requirements for each visa type.
| Applying for a nonimmigrant visa by filling out the DS-160 or DS-1648 online form | submit a digital image using the online application |
| Applying for an immigrant visa using Form DS-260 | provide two (2) identical photos at your immigrant visa interview |
| Entering the Diversity Visa Program | submit a digital image as part of your entry |
| Applying for an immigrant visa as a Diversity Visa Selectee | provide two (2) identical photos at your immigrant visa interview |
| PS: Photos must be printed on photo quality paper. The photo quality paper can be either matte or glossy photo paper. |
- More requirements Photos not only have requirements for size, format, etc., but also strict standards for the posture, expression, clothing, and accessories worn by the person in the photo. For details on this aspect, please refer to the “Photo Taking Tips” section of this article.
Part3.Tutorial for Free Online US Visa Photo Creation
Three steps to create a standard visa photo.
- Step one: Take a selfie.
- Step two: select the US visa photo template, and upload your selfie.
- Step three: save your standard visa photo.
The following is a schematic diagram for creating a standard U.S. visa photo using the xpassportphoto tool.
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It is worth noting that the official requirement does not allow for the background of the photo to be altered, as changing the background often results in modifications to the portrait area. Although the principle of the tool is to remove the original photo background and fill it with pure white, it does not make any changes to the portrait part, so it is also officially accepted. The following is an example created with this tool that successfully passed the official photo verification tool. If you are unable to confirm whether your visa photo meets the requirements, you can also try using this official verification tool for testing first. US visa digital photo checker
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Part4. Photo Taking Tips
Although there are many requirements, you only need to focus on the attire and light; the rest can be handled by “xpassport”. Here are some specific examples of qualified and unqualified attire.
- Portrait shadows and light
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Acceptable - The image is clear, reproduces skin tones accurately, and does not have shadows. |
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Unacceptable - Photo is underexposed Photo Tip : Change your camera exposure or use extra lighting. |
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Unacceptable - The color is not accurate Photo Tip : You may need to change your camera’s white balance setting depending on the lighting. |
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Unacceptable - The photo includes shadows on the customer’s face and background. |
- Portrait size and position
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Acceptable - The head is centered and the correct size. |
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Unacceptable - The customer’s head is not centered properly in the photo. PhotoTip-: Your photo should be 2 inches by 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) with the head centered horizontally and sized between 1 inch and 1.4 inches (25 and 35 mm). |
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Unacceptable - The customer’s head size is too small in photo. Photo tip-: Your head size should be between 1 inch and 1.4 inches (25 and 35 mm). |
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Unacceptable - The customer’s full head is not in the photo. Photo tip-: Your hair may extend past the boundaries of the photo, as long as your entire head is shown and is the appropriate size. |
- Character posture and expression
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Acceptable - The customer is directly facing the camera with a neutral expression. Eyes are clearly visible. |
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Unacceptable - The customer is looking down, and the head is tilted forward. |
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Unacceptable - The customer’s facial expression is not neutral. |
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Unacceptable - The customer’s head is rotated, and the shoulders are not square to the camera. |
- Children
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Acceptable - No other person is in the photo, and the child is facing the camera with eyes open. Photo tip: It is acceptable if your infant’s eyes are not entirely open. |
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Acceptable - The photo is clear and the child is facing forward. |
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Unacceptable - The child’s pacifier blocks a portion of the face. Photo tip: The child’s full face must be visible. |
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Unacceptable -The background is not plain, another person is in the photo, and part of the child’s face is blocked. Photo tip: Place the child in a car seat with a white or off-white blanket. |
- Attire, Hats, and Glasses
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Acceptable - The customer’s full face is visible, and no shadows or clothing block the face. Photo tip: You may not wear hats or head coverings, except for religious or medical purposes.Submit a signed statement with your application if you are applying in person or by mail. |
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Unacceptable - Take off your sunglasses before you get a photo. |
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Unacceptable - Take off your hat before you get a photo. |
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Unacceptable -The customer’s hair blocks a portion of the face. |