IRCC photo requirements, explained without the jargon

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada publishes two separate photo specifications, and confusing them is one of the easiest ways to delay an application. One governs printed photos you mail with a paper form. The other governs the digital file you upload through the online portal. They share the same face geometry but nothing else.

This guide covers what is actually measured, in the order an officer looks at it.

The measurement that matters most: 31 to 36 mm

IRCC requires the face to measure between 31 mm and 36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. Critically, the top of the head means the crown including hair, not your hairline. Applicants with volume in their hair routinely overshoot the 36 mm limit without realising it, because they measure to the forehead.

There is no way to eyeball this. A photo that looks perfectly normal can be 4 mm out, and 4 mm is the difference between accepted and returned. This is the single strongest argument for using a tool that reports the measurement in millimetres rather than trusting a studio to have done it right.

Printed photos: 50 mm by 70 mm, uncut

Printed immigration photos must be 50 mm wide by 70 mm tall. You need two identical copies, and one of them must have the photographer's or studio's name, the full address and the date the photo was taken written on the back.

That last requirement surprises people who print at home. If you print your own photos, write the date and the name and address of whoever took the photo. A photo with a blank back can be refused as unverifiable.

Digital photos: at least 420 by 540 pixels

For the online portal the file must be at least 420 pixels wide by 540 pixels tall and no larger than 4 MB. Note that 420 by 540 is exactly the 7:9 ratio of a 35 by 45 mm photo, which is why the digital preset in our tool uses that frame rather than the 50 by 70 print frame.

420 by 540 is a floor, not a target. Upload something substantially larger within the 4 MB ceiling; a file at the bare minimum resolution will look soft when IRCC prints it onto a document.

Glasses are allowed, but be careful

Unlike the United States, Canada permits eyeglasses in immigration and passport photos, provided your eyes are clearly visible. In practice that means no glare on the lenses, no tinted or transition lenses that have darkened, and no heavy frames sitting across your eyes.

If there is any doubt, take the glasses off. There is no benefit to wearing them and a real risk of a glare rejection.

What will get your photo refused

• Any retouching, filter or beautification. IRCC treats an altered photo as a misrepresentation concern, which is far more serious than a simple rejection.
• A smile. The expression must be neutral with the mouth closed.
• A shadow behind the head, usually caused by standing too close to the wall.
• A background that is not plain white or plain light-coloured.
• A photo older than six months for a PR card application.

A practical sequence

1. Stand about half a metre in front of a plain, evenly lit wall, facing a window.
2. Have someone photograph you from roughly two metres away, at eye level. Do not use a selfie at arm's length, which distorts your nose and forehead.
3. Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes on the lens, head level.
4. Check the head height measurement before you print or upload anything.
5. Export the print version and the digital version separately, because the pixel and DPI requirements differ.