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๐บ๐ธ United States - Green Card / DV Lottery (51 ร 51 mm)
USCIS Diversity Visa Lottery & Permanent Resident Card photo format.
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United States Document Standards
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Official Biometric Requirements
- Official us green card photo size must be exactly 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm / 600x600 px up to 1200x1200 px at 300 DPI in 24-bit sRGB JPEG format).
- Digital image file size must be strictly 240 KB or less for electronic USCIS online portal forms and Diversity Visa E-DV entry submission.
- Head height (chin to top of hair) must occupy between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm / 50% to 69% of photo height).
- Plain white or off-white background with uniform lighting, zero patterns, zero textures, and no background shadows behind ears or shoulders.
- Eyeglasses are strictly forbidden according to official us green card photo requirements and dv lottery photo requirements.
- Natural facial expression or natural smile with both eyes open looking directly at the camera lens and face clear.
Common Rejection Reasons
- Submitting a digital file over 240 KB or with pixel dimensions under 600x600 px on the USCIS portal or E-DV lottery entry checker.
- Wearing optical prescription eyeglasses or tinted lenses (banned in all us green card photo and dv lottery photo guidelines since 2016).
- Incorrect us green card photo size or head ratio outside the mandatory 50% to 69% vertical boundary.
- Background shadow casts behind head or yellow interior lighting color casts on the plain white backdrop.
- Artificial AI skin smoothing or digital face filters altering natural facial geometry and skin features.
- Submitting a picture taken more than 6 months prior or re-using a photo from a previous year DV lottery entry.
Technical Specification Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to take a green card photo?
You can take a green card photo at home for free using your smartphone and our free online Green Card Photo Tool. Simply take a picture 4โ6 feet away in front of a white wall under natural daylight, then crop and align it using our editor. Alternatively, you can take green card photos at retail pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, or FedEx Office for $16.99โ$21.99.
Is a green card photo the same as a passport photo?
Yes, a US green card photo is identical to a US passport photo in size and biometric specifications. Both require a 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) physical print or 600 x 600 pixel digital JPEG image at 300 DPI, a plain white or off-white background, neutral facial expression, no eyeglasses, and head height occupying between 50% and 69% of the photo.
How to make a green card photo at home?
To make a green card photo at home, stand 4 to 6 feet away from a helper in front of a plain white wall facing a window for natural light. Maintain a neutral expression with mouth closed and remove all eyeglasses. Upload the photo to our free green card photo tool to automatically crop it to 2x2 inches (600x600 px), align your facial features to USCIS standards, and download your file or 4x6 print template.
What to wear for a green card photo?
Wear normal everyday clothing in dark or vibrant colors that contrast clearly against the plain white backdrop. Avoid white tops that blend into the wall, high-collared shirts obscuring your chin, uniforms, camouflage patterns, or headwear (unless worn daily for documented religious or medical reasons, provided your full face remains visible).
How to make a photo for the green card lottery?
To make a photo for the Diversity Visa (DV) Green Card Lottery, take a picture taken within the last 6 months using a smartphone against a white background. Upload it to our free DV lottery photo tool to crop it to 600 x 600 pixels (sRGB 24-bit JPEG, under 240 KB) with head height between 50% and 69%. Ensure no eyeglasses, no background shadows, and no AI skin retouching.
What is the official us green card photo size and DV lottery photo size?
The official us green card photo size and dv lottery photo size is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) physically, or between 600 x 600 pixels and 1200 x 1200 pixels digitally at 300 DPI. The file format must be JPEG (24-bit sRGB color depth) and file size strictly 240 KB or less. Head height must occupy between 50% and 69% (1 inch to 1 3/8 inches) of the total frame height.
How do I perform a green card photo check on my picture?
You can run an instant green card photo check using our free online green card photo tool. Upload your picture into the editor, align your facial features with our interactive 2x2 inch biometric grid, and confirm that your head occupies between 50% and 69% of the height against a solid white background without eyeglasses or shadows.