Taking a US Visa Photo at Home: Tips & Tools

How to create your photo

1. Take a recent, clear photo. Stand 1.2 m (4 ft) from a plain wall in soft, even daylight. Face the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open, and remove glasses, hats, or filters.
2. Open the US Visa Photo Maker - 2x2" Online tool. Open the upload form on this page and select your photo from your phone or computer. Our tool measures face geometry against the official US Visa Photo Maker - 2x2" Online template.
3. Auto-crop and clean the background. We crop the head to 51 mm × 51 mm with biometric framing and replace the background with a white fill if required.
4. Download the print-ready file or 4×6 sheet. Download a 1200 × 1200 px JPEG for online submissions, or a 4x6 sheet with 6 photos to print at home or a pharmacy.

Automatically crop your photo to the official 2x2 inch US visa size.

Common reasons US Visa Photo Maker - 2x2" Online photos are rejected

Issuing authorities reject submissions that miss any of the items below. Our tool automatically corrects crop, background, and dimensions, but you still control the original capture — review this list before you upload.

• wrong_size
• background_not_plain
• shadows_or_texture
• file_too_large
• glasses_visible
• head_covered

Where we sourced these United States specifications

Dimensions, background colour, and biometric framing on this page are compiled from the references below. Always reconfirm the latest guidance directly with the issuing authority before submitting an application.

• travel.state.gov

Last reviewed: 2026-05-01