US visa photo requirements for applicants from Mexico

US visa applications from Mexico use the standard US photo spec with the DS-160 digital limits: a square JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, under 240 KB, unedited, on a plain white background, taken within the last 6 months. Mexican document photos are not the square US format, so a reused local photo is the wrong shape. On the DV lottery: in recent years natives of Mexico have not been eligible to enter due to immigration volume, though eligibility resets each year and cross-chargeability through a spouse or parent born in an eligible country still applies.

Check your United States visa photo against the official spec → Free check, accepted-or-money-back.

Check your photo right here, free

Measured against the official United States visa spec: head size, eye line, background, brightness and file limits. We never edit your photo.

Upload a photo

Click anywhere here, or drag and drop your photo. Use a clear, front-facing photo against a plain white wall in even light. We measure and crop it. We never edit the pixels you submit.

Crop square for the DS-160 upload

The DS-160 needs a 2 x 2 inch square uploaded as a JPEG. A photo taken for a Mexican document is likely the wrong shape. Shoot fresh against a plain white wall, crop square, and confirm the head fills 50 to 69 percent of the frame.

Skip the paid 'photo fixing' services

Services that promise to make any photo pass usually do it by editing, and edited photos are rejected by US authorities as of 2026. A free check that tells you honestly to retake is safer than a paid edit that gets flagged at the consulate.

Frequently asked questions

Can Mexicans enter the DV green card lottery?

In recent years natives of Mexico have not been eligible due to immigration volume thresholds, but the eligible-country list is re-announced every year, and eligibility through a spouse's or parent's country of birth is possible. Check the current official instructions.

What printed photo do I bring to the interview?

If asked for prints, the US standard 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), from the same session as your DS-160 upload, taken within the last six months and unedited.