Photo requirements for a US visa in 2021

General image requirements

There are special requirements for photographs for an American visa in 2021. Be sure to complete them all:

• the image must be in color;
• filmed no later than six months ago;
• background – white or light gray;
• the face is straight, the eyes look into the camera;

• the facial expression is calm, the eyes are always open;
• It is important to set the light correctly. It should fall straight, leaving no shadows on the face or background;
• You cannot be photographed in uniform, except for religious ones;
• caps, hats and other headwear that hide the hairline are prohibited. The only exception is the covered head for religious reasons, for example, Muslim women are allowed to be photographed wearing a headscarf;
• It is better to remove headphones and other similar devices;
• hearing aids and other assistive devices that you wear regularly can be left in place;
• Those who constantly wear glasses need not take them off. There should be no glare on the glass; this can be achieved by tilting the head a certain way or by shooting without flash.
• Sunglasses with tinted lenses will have to be removed - the eyes must be clearly visible.

You cannot use copies or scans of photos from other documents. Full-length photographs taken on a mobile phone, cut from magazines, or low quality photographs cannot be used.

Photo requirements for the Green Card lottery application form

In order not to “mess up” when taking a photograph for the DV application form (or for a US visa), you just need to go to the official lottery website and look at the requirements for photographs. Unfortunately, photo instructions are only available during the application period.

If you look at the Green Card lottery website at other times (not from October to November), then there is a high probability that you will not see a link to the instructions.

By clicking on the link, we look at the detailed instructions. And I will comment on each point for you.

Shadows and lighting

The instructions for the photo on DV say that you need to take a photo without shadows and with “normal” color rendition of the face. It seems like nothing complicated. However, in fact, this point is one of the most difficult. Why is this so? Yes, because it is very difficult for a non-professional photographer to take a photo without, for example, shadows.

Pay attention to the shadows under the ears. They shouldn't exist! Well, other shadows too! No shadows! At all!

Making a “healthy” and “natural” complexion is a little easier. Still, most modern cameras and smartphones have color adjustments. But the matter is also not so simple.

Glasses

Everything is simple here. Even if you wear glasses, take your Green Card photo without them. And you will be happy!

Head size and position

This example Green Card photo shows that you need to keep your head straight. Shoulders should also be visible a little. The head should occupy approximately 50%-70% of the screen. And the photo size is 51*51 cm. But from all this I want to note only the important details. This is the position of the head. This is really important!

But the size of the photo and the “head size” in the Green Card photo are not critical. Why? Yes, because you yourself can, using the program that I will talk about further, center and make the desired size for almost any photo.

Requirements for scanned and digital photos

If you want to scan a photo and upload it to the application form, then follow the following requirements. You need to scan a photo for a Green Card with a resolution of at least 300 dpi, and better yet 600.

But. I would advise not to mess with scanning. It is better to process a good digital photo for your Green Card online. And then all the requirements for the technical parameters of the photograph will be satisfied automatically.

By the way, I will give the same advice about digital photography. I will not present here the requirements for a digital Green Card photo. Of course, you can memorize and write everything down. But it’s much easier to immediately do everything as needed in the program, which I’ll talk about later.

Digital photo retouching

Remember. This is a very important point! You cannot edit, crop, edit, retouch, lighten, change color, etc. in the photo for the Green Card lottery. You can't fix ANYTHING at all! The program will automatically find errors and punish you!

Photographers in photo studios especially like to “dabble” in this! I myself have encountered this many times! They like to insert a white background when cropping the photo! You can't do that!

Head position and facial expression

Everything is simple here. You need to look straight into the camera. And don't smile. In general, facial expression should be neutral. Then there are two comments. If you take pictures of yourself, for example, with a smartphone, then photographing your head “straight” will be difficult. And one more thing - photographers in a photo studio often ask you to smile! Don't do this!

Digital Photography Requirements

You can take a photo yourself; to do this, study the requirements in detail. If you upload an inappropriate photo when filling out a visa application, the system will automatically reject it. It’s better to do everything right right away and not waste extra time on reshoots.

• The photo size must be from 600x600 to 1200x1200 pixels. The shape must be square.
• Only color images with a resolution of 24 bits per pixel are accepted.
• Use JPEG format only.
• The file should not weigh more than 240 kilobytes.
• A picture from a digital camera will most likely have to be compressed. The compression ratio should not exceed 20:1, otherwise the image will be blurred and will not be accepted.

If you have a photo card that meets the requirements, you can use a scan of it. The source must have dimensions of 51x51 mm. The scanner needs to be set to a resolution of 300 pixels per inch.

Fill out the visa application form

On the ConsularElectronicApplicationCenter website, you need to fill out an immigrant visa application form - Form DS-260. It is filled out in English. In the questionnaire you need to indicate personal data, marital status, provide information about your place of work, study, and criminal record.

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If, since registering to participate in the lottery, your family composition has changed (got married, had a child), then you must indicate the new family members in your DS-260 form, otherwise you may be disqualified.

For each family member - a separate DS-260 form. This is an important nuance, and if you fill out one form for the whole family, then you will immediately drop out of the “get a green card” marathon.

Once Form DS-260 is completed, the confirmation page must be saved to your computer and then printed. This, among other documents, must be taken with you to the interview. Your interview date will be emailed to you after you complete Form DS-260.

Wait for an answer

First, you will receive a letter with the following text: Your inquiry or message has been received and routed to the appropriate group. This is a standard letter indicating that your visa application has been received. And after 7-10 days another letter will be sent to your email, this time addressed to you personally.

Here are the options for what it might say:

Your forms have been received and are currently processing. If you received such a letter, it means that your profiles are in the processing stage, which can take up to 4 months.

The omission of your case number on the forms will not affect the processing of your case. This means that when filling out the form, you did not indicate your case number, but your form is still accepted for processing.

The following should be sent to KCC to begin the processing of your case. This means that KentuckyConsularCenter is waiting for your forms, but has not yet received them.

The information you have provided does not match the case. This means that you provided information in your request that differs from what you provided when filling out the lottery application form.

The DS 230 Part 1 you submitted for the principal applicant was incomplete. This means that there are inaccuracies in your questionnaires that need to be corrected.

Due to the large volume of mail processed at KCC on a daily basis, confirmation of receiving your correspondence may not be feasible at this time or Your forms have been received and are acceptable for the continuation of your visa processing. If you receive a letter containing one of these phrases, your application has already been received, processed, and an interview date will be announced within a few weeks.

Your case number is now current for interview processing. This letter arrives to those who find out the interview date in a few days.

An interview for this case has been scheduled at... In a letter with this text, you will see the date of the interview itself.

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If you would like to contact the Kentucky Consular Center yourself, where all forms are processed, and find out what stage your case is currently at, you can send a request by email or call: 1-606-526-7500 7:30 to 16:00. At the beginning of the conversation, you must immediately state the case number (CaseNumber), the country in which the form was filled out, the surname, first name and date of birth of the lottery winner.

Collect documents

While the Kentucky Consular Center reviews your application and schedules an interview date, don't waste your time. Collect and translate into English the documents you need. All documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Neither notarization nor apostille is required.

You need to prepare originals and translations of the following documents:

Passport

Birth certificate

Diplomas confirming education

Employment history

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A certificate stating that you have no criminal record. If you lived in several countries, then similar certificates are needed from each country. If you have a criminal record, you can still apply for a green card, but you must provide a certificate stating that you have already been punished.

Marriage/divorce certificates

For those who served in the army - military ID

Statement of account

Real estate valuation documents

Certificate from work stating that you are an employee/owner of the company.

Check your health

When you have been given an interview date, it’s time to undergo a medical examination. This can only be done in special certified centers. The cost of this procedure is on average $215 for each family member planning to immigrate (the price may vary by $10-15 in different countries), and vaccination is paid separately.

Passing a medical examination is necessary in order to determine whether you or any of your family members have diseases on the list that restricts entry into the United States. It includes, in particular, mental illnesses, active tuberculosis, leprosy and others. Until 2010, HIV was also included in the list, but now this virus is not an obstacle to obtaining a visa.

Pass the interview

The medical examination is over, the envelope for the consul is in hand, the interview date has been set. At the interview, you will be required to provide originals and English translations of all documents, the results of the medical examination and the invitation to the interview itself. On site, at the embassy, ​​you need to pay a visa fee - $330 for each family member. But this is not a guarantee that the coveted US visa is in your hands. An interview is no less important a stage than the preparation of documents or a medical examination. However, there is no need to specially prepare for it or read any scientific treatises or everyday advice on the Internet. You will be asked standard everyday questions.

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The main goals of the interview are to make sure that the people who applied were the ones who came for the interview, to take fingerprints and check them with the database, to look at the results of the medical examination and to check the presence of all documents.

Cost of obtaining a Green Card based on winnings

Approximate costs will be $700-800 per adult.

Visa fee - $330

Medical examination - $190

Obtaining certificates and translating documents into English - from $50/per adult.

Obtaining a Schengen visa – 60 euro

Trip to the US Embassy in Warsaw and return home - from $50

Accommodation in Warsaw - from 40 euros/day. Up to 3 days

Composition template

The correct composition of the photo will help you get a visa without any problems. Match your image to the standard:

• The head should be completely included in the frame - from the hair on the top of the head to the chin.
• There should be some empty space between the head and the edge of the photo.
• The size of the face oval occupies 2/3 of the height, approximately 25–35 mm.
• The eyes are located 28–35 mm from the bottom edge of the image.

For the electronic version, the same proportions apply. You can check compliance with specified standards using a special tool on the US State Department website.

How to photograph a child

The basic requirements for a child's image are the same. There should be no parents in the frame. The child should look straight with open eyes. Children often blink at the flash; to get the right picture, try turning it off.

Some tips on how to take a baby photo:

• The baby can be photographed horizontally, placing him on a white diaper as a background. Adjust the light so that there are no shadows.
• In a car seat or carrier, it will be easier to fix the head in a straight position. Don't forget to lay down a white background fabric.
• To ensure that the baby looks directly into the camera as expected, the mother can stand behind the photographer and attract his attention.
• It's better to avoid using flash. Small children sometimes react very violently to her, and it will take a long time to calm the baby down.

Change in appearance

It is better not to use an old image for an American visa. If it is very different from what you looked like when you applied for your visa, you will be asked to replace it.

US visa example

Candidates will be asked for a new photograph if:

• plastic surgery was performed that greatly changed the face;
• received facial injuries that distorted appearance;
• there is a piercing or tattoo (if you decide to remove all the piercing, or vice versa, later decorated your face, it is better to take a new photo);
• you have lost a lot of weight or gained weight, as the oval of your face changes noticeably.

A new haircut, change of hair color, beard or mustache are not considered significant changes. The main thing is that you look like yourself.

For children, especially small ones, it is better to use a recent photo. Children change very quickly beyond recognition, you shouldn’t take risks, and it’s better to photograph him specifically for a visa.

Electronic photo and uploading it to the application form

Submitting a photo for an American visa requires different requirements from the Embassy.

electronic photograph must be attached to the DS-160 application form.

The conditions for creating this version of the image are standard - the resolution should be from 600 to 1200 pixels. Size – up to 240 kb.

If everything is in order and the size of the photo for the American visa is met, then the applicant must fill out the form and attach the image.

To do this you need:

• find the Photo section in the document;
• then click Upload Your Photo;
• the system will prompt the user to select the desired photo from the images available on the device;
• you should upload the selected image using the Upload selected photo button;
• the system will check the photo.

If the photo meets the US visa photo requirements, a green mark will appear .

If the image is not suitable, the applicant will be informed of the reason (size, background, presence of a shadow on the face).

Additional requirements

Different categories of visas have their own specific requirements.

For non-immigrant visas

Example of filling out Form DS-160

If you fill out Form DS-160 when applying, your photo must be uploaded electronically. The form contains detailed instructions on how to do this. If you still fail, you can bring a printed copy with you along with confirmation of filling out the form. Some consular offices require an additional photo card.

For immigrant visas

Form DS-260 is completed. For the interview, you need to take with you two identical printed cards measuring 51x51 mm. In addition, they can only be printed on photo paper; whether it is glossy or matte does not matter.

You can take a high-quality photograph in accordance with all requirements both at home and in the salon. Don't forget to check it beforehand to make sure it matches the template. In addition, careful preparation will help you avoid wasting time and money.

Photo check

You can pass the verification on the official website dvlottery.state.gov. When registering, you can use the Green Card photo validator. This allows you to perform verification on site rather than relying on outside resources.

The program allows you to upload an image and tests it for compliance with technical specifications. The following parameters are checked:

1. Jpeg format.
2. Color depth 24 bits.
3. Weight no more than 240 kb.
4. Sizes vary from 600*600 to 1200*1200 pixels.

You can also check it yourself. The image should be clear, sharp and free of adjustments. The gaze directed at the camera should be direct. The head should not bow. There should be no foreign objects in the picture.

If you have glasses, the frames should be thin and not cover your eyes. Glass should not cast glare. It is recommended to use lenses. The ears should also be visible.

There should be no hats. The exception is clothing used for religious reasons. But the face should not be covered.

US Embassy and Consulates

Moscow

• The embassy is located on Novinsky Boulevard, 21.
• Information is provided 8 - 20 on weekdays.
• Telephone Tel. Russia (toll-free): 8-800-100-25-54 Tel. USA: 1.

Saint Petersburg

• The Consulate General is located on Furshtatskaya Street, 15.
• Opening hours are from 9 to 17.30 on weekdays.
• Phone: +7 812 331‑26-00, +7 812 331‑28-88.

Vladivostok

• The Consulate General is located on Pushkinskaya Street, 32.
• Opening hours from 9 to 18 on weekdays.
• Phone: +7 423 230‑00-70.