US visa photo under 240KB
Make a DS-160 photo under 240KB without over-compressing it.
The safe path is simple: crop first, export JPEG once, then compress only as much as needed.
Do not compress the original full-size phone photo first. Crop the final image to 600 x 600, export as JPEG, and then reduce quality until the estimate is under 240KB.
Safe compression workflow
- Start with the clearest original photo you have.
- Crop the face into a square 600 x 600 output.
- Export one JPEG copy from the final crop.
- Lower JPEG quality gradually until it is under 240KB.
- Zoom in on the face before upload; retake if it looks soft or blocky.
Compression signs to watch
Looks okay
Eyes, skin texture, and hairline still look natural. Background stays plain.
Borderline
Small blocks appear near the face or background. Use a sharper source if possible.
Retake
The face becomes blurry, noisy, dark, or flattened by compression.
When under 240KB is not enough
A file can be under 240KB and still be risky. Shadows, glare, background texture, head tilt, or visible editing can still cause problems. Compression only solves file weight.
Use the free browser checker
VisaPacket estimates the final file weight in your browser and helps separate compression from retake risks.
Official-source notes
U.S. digital image guidance includes JPEG format and a file-size limit. VisaPacket uses those limits for the DS-160 helper and links back to official sources.
Source: U.S. Department of State digital image requirements.