Check your photograph before you enter
The photograph is the single most common reason entries are thrown out. Crop yours here, and every measurable requirement is checked against the specification.
What this checks
Dimensions, file size, colour, background evenness, exposure and focus, measured on the cropped result. Head position is set by you against the guides, because that is the measurement the State Department applies most strictly.
Your photograph is processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded by this tool.
Six things that decide whether it passes
Most rejected photographs fail on one of these, and all of them are easier to fix before the photo is taken than after.
Stand away from the wall
A metre or so of gap stops your own shadow landing on the background, which is the most common reason a background fails.
Face a window
Soft daylight from the front beats a ceiling light, which casts shadows into the eye sockets and under the chin.
No glasses
Eyeglasses are not permitted. This changed some years ago and still catches people reusing an older photo.
Neutral expression
Both eyes open, looking straight at the camera, mouth closed, head straight rather than tilted.
Have someone else take it
An arm's length selfie distorts the face. A phone on a shelf a couple of metres away is better.
A new photo every year
Reusing a photograph from a previous entry invalidates it, and so does using one person's photo for another family member.
What this tool does not decide
Head height and eye position are set by you against the guides. Those two measurements are applied strictly and are judged on the finished image, so on a paid entry a consultant confirms them by eye before anything is submitted. Everything this page reports is measured, not estimated, but passing here is not a guarantee that the State Department will accept the entry.
Have your photograph and your eligibility checked together
The eligibility check is free and takes about ten minutes. Send your photograph with it and we will confirm the head position.