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Forms guide

US Diversity Visa photo: fit the 240 KB limit without losing the required pixels

For the online DV entry, a small file is only part of the job. Prepare the right crop first, then check the JPEG size and the photograph itself.

Requirements checked · Official sources and dates

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What the official DV entry instructions require

The State Department lists JPEG (.jpg), a maximum of 240 kB, a square aspect ratio and dimensions of 600 × 600 pixels for online Diversity Visa entries. This guide covers that digital entry file, not interview prints or a different US visa upload.

Its general photo rules also require a recent colour photograph taken within six months, a plain white or off-white background, a full-face view, a neutral expression and open eyes. Head height must occupy 50–69% of the image height. Review the complete official page, including clothing, head-covering and eyeglass exceptions, before preparing your file.

Sources for these requirements: US Department of State — Photo Requirements, including the Diversity Visa section.

Crop before you compress

Start with the original camera file or the digital copy from your photographer. Keep it separate from the submission copy. An image downloaded from a messaging app may already have lost fine facial detail; repeatedly saving that copy will not restore it.

Use an image editor to prepare a square crop while checking the official composition guidance. CompressImageTo currently offers manual resizing, not an interactive cropper or a biometric photo checker. Entering 600 in both dimension boxes cannot make a poorly framed portrait into a suitable DV photograph.

If the face is too close to an edge, return to the uncropped source. Do not squeeze a rectangular portrait into a square, add a synthetic background or retouch the face to make it fit. The State Department says photos must not be digitally altered to change appearance. A fresh photograph is a better starting point than a file that needs appearance repairs.

Use a conservative target in the compressor

Open the compressor linked below. Choose JPEG under Output format and enter 230 in Target size. This is our practical working target, not an additional government rule. The tool labels 1,024 bytes as one KB; 230 of those units is 235,520 bytes, below 240,000 even before the tool applies its safety margin.

For a square source that needs resizing, select Resize and compress, enter Target width 600 and Target height 600, and leave Keep aspect ratio selected. Check the planned output before processing. If the source is already 600 × 600, Compress only avoids an unnecessary resizing step.

Choose the prepared image, process it, then read Dimensions, Output format and Target status in the result. Download verified image creates a separate copy. Open that saved copy and check that it is still exactly 600 × 600; never trade mandatory pixels for a smaller byte count.

What to inspect at normal size

Look at the downloaded image at 100% zoom. Pay attention to the eyes, hairline and outline of the face. Blocky edges or smeared features are reasons to return to a better original, even if the file-size check passes. There is no benefit in pushing a satisfactory file down to a tiny fraction of the allowance.

A worked setup is not a measured result: entering 230 KB and 600 × 600 does not promise a particular output size or acceptance. If the tool cannot meet the settings, it reports a failure. Do not keep lowering the dimensions until a download appears.

If the entry page still rejects the file

Check that you selected the newly downloaded JPEG rather than the original, and inspect the actual pixel dimensions. Renaming .png to .jpg does not convert the image. Keep the browser error message so you can distinguish a file problem from a session or form problem.

Passing technical checks does not confirm photographic eligibility. CompressImageTo does not assess identity, photo age, composition or entry eligibility, and does not submit the entry. Check the official instructions for your year and the live portal before applying; this guide makes no claim about whether an entry window is open.

Official sources and dates

The requirements above were checked against these pages. Our preparation targets and worked settings are editorial suggestions, not additional service rules or tested acceptance results.

Requirements can change. Follow the current service instructions and the notice for your application before submitting.

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