US visa photo (DS-160) refused? Find out why

Free check for a refused US visa photo (DS-160) (US visa (DS-160 and DV lottery)): it reads the file and names the cause, such as a renamed iPhone photo, a progressive JPG, two file endings or the wrong KB, then saves a fixed copy as a JPG under 240 KB. Nothing is uploaded.

Loading Picproved…

US visa photo (DS-160) refused? Find out why

Choose the file the portal refused. The upload doctor reads it and names each problem, then saves a fixed copy that meets the US visa (DS-160 and DV lottery) rule. Free, and nothing is uploaded.

PortalUS visa (DS-160 and DV lottery)
FileJPG, under 240 KB
RuleSquare JPEG, 600×600 to 1200×1200 pixels, up to 240 KB, in colour. The upload is refused if it isn't square or is over 240 KB.
StatusOfficial

Sources, checked 24 Oct 2026: U.S. Department of State: digital image requirements; U.S. Department of State: visa photo requirements (DS-160 and Diversity Visa).

Common causes

An iPhone photo renamed to .jpg
iPhones save HEIC files. Renaming one to .jpg doesn't change what's inside, and portals read the inside.
A progressive JPG
Some portals read only plain (baseline) JPGs and call anything else a format error, even when size and KB are right.
Two file endings
Names like photo.jpg.jpg or scan.pdf.pdf are refused as "more than one extension".
Print colours (CMYK)
Scanners and design apps sometimes save CMYK; portals expect ordinary RGB.
A turn flag instead of a real turn
Phones often mark a photo to be turned rather than turning it; portals that ignore the mark see it sideways.
Wrong pixels, shape or KB
Over the maximum, under a minimum, or the wrong shape for the form.

Want one that passes first time? Make your United States Visa (DS-160) photo with live camera checks: Picproved fits it to the rules, fixes the background and checks everything before you save. Free while we launch. No ads, no subscription.

More portals14

Questions

Why was my US visa photo (DS-160) refused?
Usually the file, not what's in it. US visa (DS-160 and DV lottery) wants: Square JPEG, 600×600 to 1200×1200 pixels, up to 240 KB, in colour. The upload is refused if it isn't square or is over 240 KB. The doctor reads your file and names the cause.
Can it fix the file?
Yes, when the photo already has the right shape: it saves a plain JPG at the right pixels and KB with one file ending. A photo with the wrong shape goes to the editor, which crops it around the face.
Is my file uploaded?
No. It is read in your browser and never leaves your device.