Photo Requirement

Photos submitted with nonimmigrant visa applications must be in a specific format, or they will not be accepted.  To ensure that you get the proper type of photo, you must clearly explain the following specifications to your photographer:

• Photographs must show the subject’s full face, from the crown of the head to the tip of the chin, and from ear to ear. The applicant cannot be looking down or to the side.

• The photo must have been taken in the last six months.

• The size of the photo should be 2” x 2” square.  The face should cover approximately 50% of the photo area.

• Photos should be in color and must be taken against a white or off-white background.  Photos taken in front of busy, patterned or dark backgrounds will not be accepted.  Photos should be printed without borders.

• Applicants should not be wearing hats, except when required by specific religious beliefs.  Photos of military or airline personnel wearing hats as part of their uniform will not be accepted.  Hats worn for religious purposes may not obscure any portion of the face of the applicant.

• Photos of applicants for A or G visas wearing head coverings as part of a national costume may be accepted at the discretion of the consular officer, provided the face is clearly visible.