US visa photo requirements for applicants from Pakistan

US visa applications from Pakistan 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. The Pakistani passport photo most applicants already have is 35 x 45 mm, a portrait rectangle rather than a square, so it cannot simply be reused. On the DV lottery: in recent years natives of Pakistan have been eligible to enter, though the eligible-country list is re-announced every year, so confirm the current official instructions before applying.

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

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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.

35 x 45 mm is the wrong shape for the US

Pakistani passport photos follow the 35 x 45 mm portrait format used across most of the world, on a white background. The background is already correct for the US, but the frame is not: the US wants a 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) square. Cropping the sides off a 35 x 45 mm photo leaves the head too large and sitting too high, which fails the head height and eye position checks.

Shoot fresh against a plain white wall, crop square, and confirm the head measures 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of hair, roughly 50 to 69 percent of the frame height.

Your CNIC photo will not work either

The photo on a NADRA identity card is captured at the registration centre for that document and is not supplied to you as a file you can submit elsewhere. Even a scan of the printed card is the wrong resolution and the wrong crop. Treat the US visa photo as its own session.

Ask for the raw file, not the retouched one

Studios commonly brighten skin and clean up the background as a matter of course. As of 2026 the US rejects digitally altered and AI-generated photos, and for a visa a deliberately manipulated photo is treated as misrepresentation. Ask for the original, unedited file. Our free checker measures that original against the official US visa spec, confirms head height, eye position, background and file size, and crops to 2 x 2 inches without changing a pixel.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reuse my Pakistani passport photo for a US visa?

No. It is 35 x 45 mm, a portrait rectangle, and the US requires a 2 x 2 inch square. The white background is right, but the crop and head sizing are not.

Can I use the photo from my NADRA CNIC?

No. That photo is captured at the registration centre for the identity card and is not released as a file you can submit. A scan of the printed card is the wrong resolution and crop.

Are Pakistani citizens eligible for the DV green card lottery?

In recent years natives of Pakistan have been eligible, but the eligible-country list is re-announced every year. Confirm Pakistan's current status in the official instructions before entering.

What are the DS-160 upload limits?

A square JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels and 240 KB or smaller. Anything larger is refused by the form.

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