US Green Card Photo
51×51mm photo for green card and DV lottery applications. Must meet both pixel and file size requirements.
Size & specifications
US Green Card Photo — requirements
| Printed size | 51 × 51 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 602 × 602 px |
| Head height | 25-35mm |
| Background | White |
| Resolution | ≥ 300 DPI |
| Recency | — |
| Glasses / expression | — · — |
| Digital format | — |
One upload, two deliveries: the pixel-exact digital file and a 300 dpi print-ready sheet.
What each line means
Printed size — print at exactly 51 × 51 mm. A few millimetres off and most offices hand the form back before anything else is checked.
Digital size — the digital file must measure 602 × 602 px. Anything smaller gets refused by many online systems before a person sees it.
Head height — your head, crown to chin, should span 25-35mm. Too small reads distant; too large and the crop will not fit.
Background — a plain White background, with no shadows or gradients. A wall lit unevenly is the fastest route to a refusal.
Resolution — 300 dpi keeps a face sharp in print. Below that, features soften and agencies ask for a retake.
Photo examples
What passes — and what gets rejected.
How to take a US Green Card Photo with your phone
Green Card and DV lottery photo routes
Green Card and DV lottery photos follow the US 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) standard: plain white background, head between 25-35 mm, eyes open on the lens. The lottery requires a digital file uploaded at entry; an I-485 adjustment application requires printed copies. The photo is the same for both routes.
DV lottery digital file requirements
For the DV entry the upload is a JPEG of at least 600×600 px, under 240 KB, a true square. Compressing hard to fit the cap reduces the detail reviewers expect to see, so start from a sharp original and let the export do the sizing.
Photo capture and retouching
Plain white wall, half a metre back, phone at eye level. Front daylight, neutral expression, glasses off. Editing is not allowed for this document: retouching is forbidden outright, and smoothing apps are a way to lose an entry.
Tool output and checks
The tool crops to 51×51 mm at 300 dpi on pure white and checks size, head position and background before download. The print route gets the finished photo; the 600×600 px digital file covers the lottery entry.
Why US Green Card Photo gets rejected
File format failures
Lottery entries fail on the wrapper: a JPEG over 240 KB, a resolution below 600×600 px, a non-square crop. These do not look like photo problems, and all of them stop the entry before the face is reviewed.
Geometry and background
Off 2×2 inches, a head outside 25-35 mm, an off-white or shadowed wall: the measured faults carry over from the passport standard unchanged, and reviewers measure them the same way.
Retouching
Smoothed skin and reshaped features are disqualifying for this document class. Upload the original frame with the skin texture intact.
How it works
Photo tips
Frequently asked questions
What size is a US Green Card Photo?
The standard size is 51 × 51 mm (602 × 602 px at 300 DPI). The tool crops and scales your photo to exact requirements automatically.
Can I smile in the photo?
Requirements call for: a natural expression. When in doubt, keep a neutral face with both eyes open.
How recent must the photo be?
Old photos are a common rejection reason.
Is my photo private?
Yes. Uploaded photos are encrypted in transit and automatically deleted within 24 hours. We never share or resell uploads.
What file does the DV lottery accept?
A JPEG between 600×600 and 1200×1200 pixels, no larger than 240 KB. The download from this page stays inside those limits.
Can I reuse my passport photo for the lottery entry?
Format-wise yes: both use the 51×51 mm white square. Re-shoot only if your existing photo is damaged, shadowed or on an off-white background.