That one sentence is all CEAC gives you when your DS-160 photo fails its checks; it never names the rule. These are the requirements it holds your photo against, in the order home photos actually break them — and how to fix yours.
Fix it automatically — see the result free Free compliance check · download for $16.99at CVS; ours is $9.99 if it passes · refunded if the government rejects it
Updated August 7, 2026
Why this happens
The fix
Or upload the photo you already have: we replace the background, crop your head to spec, export 600×600 JPEG · under 240 KB · pure white background, and measure the result against every rule on this page. You see the finished photo and its check report free before paying.
Fix it automatically →If it keeps failing
When the digital photo will not pass, the DS-160 can still be submitted: the confirmation page prints with a placeholder instead of your picture, and you bring one printed photo meeting the same published spec to the interview. That is the State Department’s own documented route, not a trick.
And a photo rejection here is an automated file check, not a judgment on your application — nothing about it is reviewed by an officer or held against your case.
The numbers
Every figure below is transcribed from the official source linked at the bottom of this page — the same numbers our checks measure against:
| Photo size | 600×600 to 1200×1200 pixels, square |
|---|---|
| File size | 240 KB or smaller |
| Format | JPEG |
| Head height | 50–69% of the photo's total height |
| Eye height | 56–69% up from the bottom of the photo |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
Rejected by the portal? We refund you.
Email us with your order id and the full amount goes back to your card. No screenshots, no proof — just tell us it was rejected.
30 DAYS FROM PURCHASE · NO PROOF UPLOADS · EVERY MEASUREMENT CHECKED AGAINST THE PUBLISHED GOVERNMENT SPEC BEFORE YOU PAY
Questions
CEAC does not say — the message is the same sentence whatever the cause. The spec it checks is public, though: head at 50–69% of the photo's total height, eyes 56–69% up from the bottom of the photo, background: Plain white or off-white, in a square JPEG at 240 KB or smaller. Our free check report measures your photo against each rule and names the ones that miss.
Usually one rule is still missed — most often head size at 50–69% of the photo's total height, or the background rule: Plain white or off-white. Our free check report measures each rule separately and names the ones that still fail, which beats guessing one export at a time.
Not remotely. It is an automated file check that runs before any human sees your application. Fix the photo — or use the printed-photo fallback — and nothing about the rejection follows your case.
If the photo is sharp, straight-on, and shows your full head with room around it, the framing, background, and file can all be fixed after the fact. Blur, heavy shadows, a covered hairline, or glasses need a retake — no tool can honestly fix those.
No — the free official photo tool is no longer available. The requirements are still published, but the government no longer offers a tool to meet them with.
If you made it with us and the government rejects it, open the refund link in your receipt and tell us — the money goes back to your card on the spot. No screenshots, no forms. Covers thirty days from purchase.