Why Green Card lottery photos get rejected — 12 common mistakes

A wrong photo is one of the most frequent reasons a Diversity Visa entry is disqualified — sometimes only after the entrant is selected. The good news: almost every mistake is easy to spot before you submit.

Framing and file

1. The head is too small or too large. From the top of the hair to the chin, the head must take 50–69% of the photo height. Full-body or waist-up photos and very tight close-ups both fail.

2. The eyes are in the wrong place. The eye line must be 56–69% of the height from the bottom of the photo. If there is too much space above the head, the eyes drop too low.

3. The file doesn't match the format. For the DV entry: JPEG, square, 600×600 pixels, no more than 240 KB. PNG, HEIC from an iPhone, rectangular photos and 3 MB originals are not accepted as they are.

4. The head is tilted or not centered. The head must be straight and in the middle of the frame.

Face

5. Glasses. Not allowed since 2016, including prescription glasses and sunglasses.

6. Not looking at the camera. The face must be turned directly to the camera, not in three-quarter view.

7. Closed eyes or a wide smile. Both eyes open, mouth closed, neutral expression.

8. Hair, a hand or a hat covering the face. The whole face, including the eyebrows, must be visible. Head coverings are allowed only for daily religious wear.

Light and background

9. Shadows on the face. One side darker than the other, often from a lamp at the side. Face a window instead.

10. A background that isn't plain white. Grey, colored, patterned backgrounds or visible objects behind you are a problem — and so is a strong shadow of your head on the wall.

11. Blur, filters or retouching. The photo must be sharp and natural: no beauty filters, no edits to the face.

Rules people forget

12. An old or reused photo. The photo must be taken within the last 6 months and must not be the same photo you submitted in a previous year.

Also remember: every family member listed in the entry needs their own photo that meets the same rules.

Check before you submit

Our free photo checker tests all of the measurable points above in a few seconds: head size, eye line, tilt, background, glasses, lighting, sharpness and the file parameters. Problems with framing, size or background can be fixed automatically.