Bindery sizes the photo; the rest of the State Department’s photo rules — a recent photo, a plain white or off-white background, the head’s size and position, no glasses — are about the picture you take, so check them before you frame it. The photo is cropped and compressed in your browser tab and never uploaded.
How it works
- Choose the photo — the US visa rule, 600 × 600 pixels and at most 240 KB, is already chosen
- Frame your head in the square
- Make the JPG and download it for the DS-160 upload
Questions people ask
Does this check the rest of the photo rules?
No. It makes the file square, 600 × 600 pixels and under 240 KB. Background, head size, expression and how recent the photo is are up to the photo you take — the State Department’s photo requirements page describes them.
Can I make it larger than 600 × 600?
Yes — square photos up to 1200 × 1200 pixels are accepted. Type the size in Width and Height; the frame stays square as long as both numbers match.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The crop, resize and size search run in your browser tab, and the photo never leaves your device.