What are the key tips and tricks to application success for a DV Lottery Visa? Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities don’t come often.
Scroll down to find out how to increase your chances of success in the DV Visa Lottery.
Where Do I Take My DV Lottery Visa Photo?
It may seem complicated to work out what to do for a DV Lottery Visa application in regard to your photo. In reality, all you need for a compliant DV Lottery Visa photo is just an ID photo (Passport photo) that is compliant with the United States government’s requirements.
There are loads of ways to get a fully compliant ID photo, but let’s narrow it down a bit.
Across the United States, there are quite a few stores and pharmacies that offer a Passport photo service. They usually include printing as well.
- Walmart Photo Center: $7.44 USD, upload a compliant photo and pick up two copies in-store
- UPS: $11.99 USD, in participating stores, make an appointment, get a photo taken in-store, including two photos printed
- Bartell’s: $14.99 USD, in participating locations, find a store online and book a slot for a photo session, taken in-store
- Staples: $14.99 USD, only in select stores, you will have your picture taken in-store, and you’ll receive two copies
- Walgreens Photo: $16.99 USD, find a participating branch, get your photo taken in the store with a one-hour appointment, service includes two photos
- CVS Photo: $16.99 USD, in selected locations your photo can be taken in-store, including two photos
Want a cheaper, quicker, less time-consuming option?
Try out the ‘Smartphone iD’ app. For a small fee of $5.90 USD, you can get expert-approved digital document photos from your home. If you like, we can send your professionally printed DV Lottery Visa photos to you in the mail!
How to Get a Proper DV Lottery Visa Photo?
It’s recommended that when you apply for documents such as a DV Lottery Visa, you should make sure to get a professional photography service. In doing this, you’ll give yourself the greatest chance of being a successful DV Lottery candidate.
However, hiring a professional photographer can be expensive. Equally, attending an appointment with a photographer can take up quite a bit of time.
We’ve realised that most people today have little time to spare and that you want to save your hard-earned cash! So, that’s where ‘Smartphone iD’ comes in.
- Smartphone iD: With the app, you can create fully certified document photos for any country from home.
- Expert check: Your photos will be validated by professionals from The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, an international biometrics regulator)
- Service provided: ‘Smartphone iD’ straightens the photo, corrects the photo scale and can remove the background.
- Optional Printing: We offer high-grade photographic paper using the latest printing technology.
- Refund Guarantee: Government approval or your money back.
We can offer you the quality required by governments for a fraction of the cost of a professional photographer. Why not download ‘Smartphone iD’ today?
How to Use the DV Lottery Visa Photo Checker?
If you’re not sure whether your DV Lottery Visa photo is compliant with the United States government’s Visa requirements, you can use the DV Lottery Photo Checker.
It’s quite simple to use and doesn’t take long either:
- Upload the DV Lottery Visa photo you want to check
- Check or uncheck the additional options, whether you need head tilt, background or contrast fixed
- Click ‘Upload photo & Continue’
- Get a formatted photo with the specifications listed
- Click ‘Continue to Download’
- It costs $7.89 USD to download your photos without watermarks
Remember, you don’t have to worry about whether your photo is compliant if you use ‘Smartphone iD’. Our in-house experts will certify your photo. Get digital copies for only $5.90 USD.
What Are the US Visa Photo Requirements?
If you like doing things yourself, you can always take your own DV Lottery Visa photo. Sometimes it can be a good solution. Just remember that there are strict requirements to follow.
The requirements are as follows:
Photo Quality:
- If you take your own photo, the photo must be sharp with no visible pixels or printing errors.
Your Appearance:
- Ensure your face is entirely visible in the photo
- No deep shadows or glaring lights should obscure your face
- Head coverings and hats are forbidden except for medical or religious reasons
Your Posture:
- Keep a neutral expression for the photo
- Face the camera directly on and center yourself in the frame
- Make sure your eyes are clearly visible
DV Lottery Visa Photo Size
For a United States DV Lottery Visa photo, there are a few size requirements:
- Your DV Lottery Visa photo must be 2 inches x 2 inches in size
- In the photo, your head must be centred and between 1 inch and 1.4 inches in size
If you’re using the online application upload service:
- Your photo must be in JPEG (.jpg) format
- File size must be equal to or less than 240 kilobytes
- Your photo must be in a square aspect ratio, so the height and width are the same
- Your photo must be 600×600 pixels in dimension
If you scan a physical photo for online upload:
- Your photo must be 2 inches x 2 inches
- Make sure the scan resolution is 300 pixels per inch or 12 pixels per millimeter
This seems like a lot to handle, and it is! If you want to apply for your DV Lottery Visa with ease, try ‘Smartphone iD’.
Scroll to the bottom to find out more!
DV Lottery Visa Photo Cost
It pays to know that your DV Lottery Visa photo will get approved when you apply. This is because the fees for applying are quite high.
Diversity Lottery Visa Costs:
- A fee of $330 USD is payable by you for your application if you’re selected for an interview
- Whether you receive a visa or not at the end of the process, you won’t receive a refund
This information means that you need to use the right methods to ensure that you’ll have the best chance of success. With ‘Smartphone iD’ you can rest easy knowing we guarantee government approval or your money back.
How does the Visa Lottery Work?
According to statistics, 1 in 25 applicants is approved for a DV Lottery Visa. So your chances are not too bad, as long as your application and photos are compliant with the United States government’s requirements.
You may have heard of the United States green card, this is what you’ll receive provided you make a success with your application. The green card allows you to:
- Live and work in the United States as long as you want
- Sponsor family members to come and live in the United States
With a green card in your possession, you gain ‘Lawful Permanent residence’. Because of this, you can live in the United States indefinitely.
Want to apply for a United States DV Lottery Visa? Don’t leave your application to chance. Use our app, ‘Smartphone iD’ to increase your chance of success.
Your DV Lottery Visa photo will be pre-approved by experts, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Diversity Visa Lottery Photo Requirements
In short, the DV Lottery photo requirements are the same as the United States Visa photo requirements. This is because the United States has adopted a one size fits all approach, as all major photo IDs are:
- 2 inch x 2 inch
So for the full details scroll up to ‘What Are the US Visa Photo Requirements?‘.
How to Use the DV Lottery Visa Photo Tool?
If you need help with getting the perfect DV Lottery Visa photo, you can give the Department of State’s online photo tool a go. Using it you can get an idea of how your photo should look, and the tool can automatically crop your photo too.
Department of State photo tool steps:
- Upload a photo by clicking the ‘Choose New Photo’ button at the bottom of the page
- Click through the headings (Size and Position, Pose and Expression etc.) to learn what your photo should look like
- The photo tool will automatically crop your Diversity Visa photo
- Click ‘Accept & Proceed’ when you’re ready to continue
- Click ‘Download image to your device’ to get a digital copy of your cropped photo
This is a great tool to give you pointers in your DV Lottery Visa photo journey. However, the tool can’t check your photo to see if it’s compliant.
Our app ‘Smartphone iD’ can provide you with a full compliancy check, as our experts follow all national regulations. Through our app, you can fix your DV Lottery Visa photos and send them off to experts for pre-approval. Job done.
How to Make Your DV Lottery Visa Photo With Your Phone?
Not only can you make DV Lottery Visa photos with ‘Smartphone iD’, but you can also get them pre-approved by biometrics experts. Use the steps below to get started:
- Download ‘Smartphone iD’ on compatible phones, available on iOS and Android
- Take a photo using the app, ‘Smartphone iD’ will guide you through the process
- Select which country you want to produce a photo for
- Select which document type you want the photo for (Passport, driving license, visa etc.)
- Receive photos digitally via email, as soon as our experts approve them
- Use these digital copies to print them yourself. Or, you can use our printing service, to make it even easier
Apply for a DV Lottery Visa photo the simple way, with ‘Smartphone iD’
Summary
It has never been easier to take approved document photos using a smartphone. This is because of the advances in AI technology. You no longer need to book an appointment for a photography session when you can get all you need in an app.
So give ‘Smartphone iD‘ a shot, government approval is guaranteed, or we’ll refund you.
FAQ
Can I apply for a green card using my phone?
You can apply online for the DV Lottery to get a green card. Using ‘Smartphone iD’ to take DV Lottery photos, is a great way to improve your success rate, as our experts pre-approve your ID photos before sending them back to you.
Are the DV 2023 results out?
Yes. The time to register for the DV-2023 was between October 6 2021 and November 9, 2021.
The results are available to view until September 30. 2023.
Can I change the background of a photo for the DV Lottery?
You can do this, however, you cannot visibly alter the edges of your portrait which some editing tools will do when you remove the background.
If you use our app, ‘Smartphone iD’, to edit your DV Lottery photo, you can be sure your photo will comply with all national standards.
Can you edit DV lottery photos?
You can edit DV Lottery photos, however, you still have to comply with the United States government’s DV Lottery photo requirements.
How can I increase my chances of winning the DV Lottery?
There are many ways to do this, though chance plays a big role in your success. However, you need to make sure your application is compliant.
Taking a professional Diversity Lottery photo is a great way to improve your overall chances of success. ‘Smartphone iD’ is specifically designed to provide you with high-quality photos. Our experts pre-approve each and every photo we receive.