White background and shadows in US photos
The background must be plain white or off-white. Shadows, on your face or behind you, are a common reason for rejection.
What counts as a good background
Plain white or off-white, with no patterns, objects, borders or shadows. Cream and very light gray may pass as off-white, but pure white is the safest.
Why shadows cause rejections
- A shadow behind your head makes the background gray, not white.
- A shadow on your face hides features and makes the photo look low quality.
How to avoid shadows
- Stand about a foot (30 cm) from the wall so your shadow falls away from you.
- Use soft light from the front, from a window or a lamp with a diffuser, not from above.
- Do not use the camera flash.
If your background is not white
For a US passport photo, fix the background in real life: hang a white sheet or stand by a white wall. The State Department says passport photos must not be digitally changed, so our passport photo maker only crops and checks your original. For visa photos, the visa photo maker can remove your old background and replace it with plain white or off-white. It does not change your face, so shadows on the face still need to be fixed by retaking the photo.
Check the edges
Because the tool works on the edges of hair and clothing, you can use the Touch up brush to erase any leftover bits of the old background.
Sources: U.S. Department of State: visa photos and passport photos. Always confirm on the official site before you submit.