Illumination error
Retake in softer light or use the studio to detect background shadow, face shadow, and uneven exposure before exporting.
US Visa Portal Guide
DS-160 Photo Requirements and Upload Guide
Prepare a US visa photo for the DS-160 and CEAC upload flow, including pixels, JPEG size, background, face coverage, and common upload errors.
Prepare This PhotoCEAC DS-160 - 7 min read
Upload Checklist
Use a recent color photo taken within the last 6 months.
Keep a plain white or off-white background with no shadows.
Face the camera directly with both eyes open and a neutral expression.
Keep the head between 50% and 69% of the image height.
Remove glasses unless a medical exception applies.
Common Errors and Fixes
Invalid image dimensions
Export a square JPEG at 600 x 600 px or larger, then let the tool crop to the exact required frame.
File larger than 240 KB
Compress the JPEG after the crop is final. Do not compress first, because that can soften eyes and facial edges.
Head too large or too small
Use biometric crop guidance instead of manual zooming. The chin-to-crown height must stay inside the official range.
Step-by-Step Workflow
1
Start with the original phone photo
Use the highest-quality file from your phone or camera. Avoid screenshots, social media downloads, and heavily compressed messaging-app files.
2
Check the face and background
Validate shadows, background color, face height, eye level, tilt, and eyewear before you compress the final JPEG.
3
Export for CEAC
Download a square JPEG under the DS-160 size limit, then upload it to CEAC. If CEAC still fails, keep a printed 2 x 2 inch copy for interview instructions.
Final Safety Check
Do not alter your facial features
Government photo rules commonly reject altered, filtered, or beautified images. Use the studio for compliance checks, crop, export, and background preparation only. Follow the official source for your final application route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a square JPEG image. The US Department of State lists 600 x 600 pixels as the minimum accepted digital size and 1200 x 1200 pixels as the maximum.
CEAC can reject photos for technical issues that are hard to see manually, including uneven background illumination, the wrong pixel dimensions, file size, compression artifacts, or head placement outside the accepted range.
Yes, a phone photo can work if the image is sharp, evenly lit, front-facing, and exported to the correct JPEG dimensions and file size.