How to Get a Green Card

When I submitted my initial application for the 2008 DV Lottery I followed the Instructions from the DV Lottery website to take my head shot photograph with a digital camera.

Here is an excerpt from the official instructions:

Instructions for Submitting a Digital Photograph

The image file must adhere to the following compositional specifications and technical specifications and can be produced in one of the following ways:

• Taking a new digital image.
• Using a digital scanner to scan a submitted photograph.

Compositional Specifications: The submitted digital image must conform to the following compositional specifications or the entry will be disqualified.

Head Position

• Person being photographed must directly face the camera.
• Head of the person should not be tilted up, down, or to the side.
• Head of the person should cover about 50% of the area of the photograph.

Background

• Person being photographed should be in front of a neutral, light-colored background.
• Dark or patterned backgrounds are not acceptable.

Focus

• Photograph must be in focus.

Decorative Items

• Photographs in which the person being photographed is wearing sunglasses or other items that detract from the face will not be accepted.

Head Coverings and Hats

• Photographs of individuals wearing head coverings or hats are only acceptable if related to his/her religious beliefs, and even then, may not obscure any portion of the face of the applicant.
• Photographs of individuals with tribal or other headgear not specifically religious in nature will not be accepted.
• Photographs of military, airline or other personnel wearing hats will not be accepted.

Photograph Composition

• Colored photographs in 24-bit color depth are preferred to black and white or gray scale pictures in 24-bit color depth. Photographs may be down loaded from a camera into a file in the computer or they may be scanned into a file in the computer. If you are using a scanner, the settings must be for True Color or 24-bit color mode. Colored photographs or black and white (or gray scale) must be scanned at this setting for the requirements of the DV program. For black and white or grey scale photographs scanned in 24-bit color mode, only three colors or image bands are used, and the results will still be black, white, and gray.

Technical Specifications: The submitted digital photograph must conform to the following specifications or the system will automatically reject the E-DV Entry Form and notify the sender.

Taking a New Digital Image

If a new digital image is taken, it must meet the following specifications:

• Image File Format: The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
• Image File Size: The maximum image file size will be sixty-two thousand five hundred (62,500) bytes.
• Image Resolution: 320 pixels high by 240 pixels wide.
• Image Color Depth: 24-bit color [Note: Colored photographs are preferred, but black and white or grayscale photographs, if used, must be scanned in 24-bit color mode. Monochrome images (2-bit color depth), 8-bit color or 8-bit grayscale will not be accepted.]

Scanning a Submitted Photograph

Before a photographic print is scanned, it must meet the following specifications:

• Print Size: 2 inches by 2 inches (50mm x 50mm) square.
• Print Color: A color image is preferable for the DV program. However a black and white or grayscale image may be used only with the 24-bit setting mode.

The photographic print must also meet the Compositional Specifications. If the photographic print meets the Print Size, Print Color, and Compositional Specifications, scan the print using the following scanner specifications:

• Scanner Resolution: Scanned at a resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi).
• Image File Format: The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
• Image File Size: The maximum image file size will be sixty-two thousand five hundred (62,500) bytes.
• Image Resolution: 300 by 300 pixels.
• Image Color Depth: 24-bit color [Note: Black and white or grayscale images must be used with 24-bit color depth. Monochrome images (2-bit color depth), 8-bit color or 8-bit grayscale will not be accepted.]