Canada Visa
Canada Visa Photo Requirements: 35x45mm for IRCC
Canada visa photo requirements for IRCC applications: 35x45mm for a TRV, study permit or work permit, head 31-36mm, plain light background. IRCC does not accept altered digital photos, so we explain the rules and do not make this photo.
Last updated Oct 9, 2026
Verified against the official source · Oct 8, 2026Official Canada Visa Photo Dimensions & Requirements (35x45mm)
Most Canadian visa applications, including visitor visa/TRV, study permit, and work permit flows, use a 35x45mm IRCC-style photo. This is different from the larger 50x70mm Canadian passport photo.
- Dimensions: 35mm wide x 45mm high.
- Head Size: Chin to crown between 31mm and 36mm.
- Background: Plain white or light-colored.
- Expression: Neutral.
Common IRCC Photo Rejection Risks
A photo can look professional and still fail if it uses the wrong Canada document size, if the head is too small, or if the background and face lighting are not clean enough for upload.
- Wrong size: using a 50x70mm passport photo for a 35x45mm visa upload.
- Head height outside the 31-36mm requirement.
- Glasses, glare, dark shadows, or a textured background.
- Low-resolution screenshots or messaging-app copies.
Why We Do Not Make This Photo
IRCC's photograph specifications say that if the photographs are digital, they must not be altered in any way. Cropping a photo and replacing its background is how an online photo maker works, so we do not offer one for Canadian visas. Have the photo taken at the right size against a plain white or light-coloured background.
Photo Examples
Pass example
Correct photo
Common rejection risk
Incorrect photo
Real Canada Visa Rejection Data
31.5% of Canada Visa photos were rejected on first submission, based on 165 checks run through VisaPhotoCheck.
Most common reasons a rejected photo failed
- Crop or framing40%
- Accessories (glasses, hats, headphones)29%
- Lighting or shadows10%
- Resolution10%
- Expression6%
- Photo authenticity6%
- sharpness6%
- Head pose or angle4%
Each figure is the share of rejected Canada Visa photos that failed that specific check. A single rejection often fails more than one check, so these do not add up to 100%.
Based on VisaPhotoCheck's own Canada Visa submissions — this reflects our users, not an official or industry-wide rejection rate.
How Canada Visa compares to similar documents
Every figure below is read from the same rule profiles this checker validates against, so it says what actually differs rather than what sounds different.
What changes for nearby documents
- Mexico Visa wants 31×39mm, not 35×45mm; head fills 50–70% of the frame, not 69–80%; file limit 300 KB, not 240 KB.
- Canada PR Portal Digital Photo wants 1430×2000px, not 35×45mm; head fills 44–52% of the frame, not 69–80%; file limit 4096 KB, not 240 KB.
- Canada Passport wants 50×70mm, not 35×45mm; head fills 44–51% of the frame, not 69–80%.
- Brazil Visa wants head fills 64–76% of the frame, not 69–80%; file limit 300 KB, not 240 KB.
Frequently Asked Questions
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