RapidIRCC and USCIS PDF File Size Limits — Canada and US Uploads
Upload limits for Canadian and US immigration documents, checked against the official IRCC and USCIS pages, and how to get your PDFs under them.
IRCC and USCIS PDF file size limits are smaller than most people expect, and they depend on the system you use. In Canada, IRCC accepts files of up to 5 MB each in the IRCC Portal and up to 4 MB each in the IRCC secure account, and some applications allow as little as 2 MB. In the United States, the USCIS online account accepts files of up to 12 MB each. Both accept PDF and JPG files. A page scanned in color at 300 DPI is about 0.5 MB, so a handful of color scanned pages can already be too big for IRCC. Scanning in black and white at a lower resolution and compressing the PDF usually fixes it.
This page is about file sizes only. For questions about your application, check the official website or speak with a licensed immigration professional.
IRCC and USCIS Upload Limits
Last reviewed: October 2026
| System | Limit per file and file types |
|---|---|
| IRCC secure account (Canada) | Up to 4 MB. PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF or DOC. |
| IRCC Portal (Canada) | Up to 5 MB. PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, DOC or DOCX. |
| IRCC Portal – new version (Canada) | Up to 5 MB. File types are shown on the upload page. |
| Online citizenship application (Canada) | Up to 4 MB. File types are shown on the upload page. |
| Asylum portal (Canada) | Up to 4 MB. File types are shown on the upload page. |
| Permanent Residence Portal (Canada) | Up to 4 MB. File types are shown on the upload page. |
| Some IRCC applications | Depending on what you are applying for, the limit can be as low as 2 MB. The limit is shown on the upload page. |
| USCIS online account (US) | Up to 12 MB. PDF, JPG or JPEG, and TIF or TIFF for some forms. Files must not be encrypted or password-protected. |
Always check the official upload page. IRCC and USCIS change their systems and rules over time, and the limit shown when you upload is the one that counts. How many files you can add to each upload field is also shown on the upload page.
The limits are per file. IRCC says that if a field takes only one file, you must combine your pages into one file, because only the last file you upload to a field is saved. USCIS asks that each image is clear and all text is readable — so a smaller file is only good if every page can still be read.
How Many Scanned Pages Fit Under Each Limit?
Not many. These figures use the same typical sizes per page as how many pages is 1MB PDF and the PDF File Size Calculator: about 0.5 MB for a page scanned in color at 300 DPI, 0.2 MB for a page of text with images, and 0.05 MB for a page of plain text, at medium quality.
| Limit | Scanned pages (300 DPI, color) | Text with images | Plain text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 MB | About 4 | About 10 | About 40 |
| 4 MB | About 8 | About 20 | About 80 |
| 5 MB | About 10 | About 25 | About 100 |
| 12 MB | About 24 | About 60 | About 240 |
These are typical estimates, and your files will be different. Black and white scans are much smaller, about 30 to 150 KB per page at 300 DPI, so many more pages fit: often 25 or more in 4 MB. Scanning in color at 150 to 200 DPI makes pages about half the size of a 300 DPI color scan, so about twice as many fit. For sizes by resolution and color mode, see the scan size table. To estimate your own document, enter its page count in the PDF File Size Calculator.
Why Immigration PDFs Get Too Big — and How to Fix Each Cause
- Scanned passports and certificates. A scanner saves each page as a picture, and a high resolution in full colour makes it very large. Fix: IRCC suggests scanning at a lower resolution, such as 96 DPI, in black and white, and cropping the empty space around the page. Grayscale is a good middle ground for photo pages that must stay clear. Then check that every line is still easy to read.
- Photos of documents taken with a phone. A phone photo is often several MB on its own. Fix: put the photos into one PDF with Image to PDF, which lets you lower the quality, or compress the finished PDF.
- Many pages in one file. Bank statements, employment records and relationship evidence can run to dozens of pages. Fix: compress the PDF with Compress PDF. If the file is still too big and the upload page lets you add more than one file, split it into parts with Split PDF, which makes one new file from the pages you choose each time you click.
- Several separate files for one document. Some fields take only one file. Fix: combine the pages into one PDF with Merge PDF or the immigration document merger, then check that the combined file is still under the limit.
How to Get Your PDF Under the Limit
- Find the limit on the upload page. Use the table above as a guide, but go by the limit the system shows you.
- Scan smarter. Scan in black and white at a lower resolution, and crop empty space. Black and white is the biggest saving: about 90 percent smaller than color in our tests, while grayscale saves only about 10 percent. Save as a PDF with the smallest file size option your scanner or app offers.
- Compress the PDF. Open Compress PDF, choose High Quality first and compress. The tool only shrinks images, so text stays sharp. If the file is still too big, try Medium. For an exact target such as 4 MB or 2 MB, see how to compress a PDF to a specific size.
- Split or combine to match the upload field. Split a large document with Split PDF only if the system accepts several files; combine pages with Merge PDF when it wants one file per document.
- Remove any password. USCIS asks that files are not encrypted or password-protected. If you know a file’s password, remove it with Remove PDF Password.
- Check before you upload. Open the final PDF and read every page. On Windows, right-click the file and choose Properties to see its size; on a Mac, select it and press Command+I.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the file size limit for IRCC uploads?
It depends on the system: up to 5 MB per file in the IRCC Portal, and up to 4 MB per file in the IRCC secure account, the Permanent Residence Portal and the online citizenship application. Some applications allow as little as 2 MB, so always check the limit on the upload page.
What is the file size limit for USCIS online uploads?
Up to 12 MB per file in the USCIS online account. Files must be PDF, JPG or JPEG, and some forms also accept TIF or TIFF files. Do not encrypt or password-protect your files.
How many scanned pages fit in a 4 MB PDF?
About 8 pages scanned in color at 300 DPI, because such a page is about 0.5 MB. Scanning in black and white at a lower resolution, or compressing the PDF, lets many more pages fit.
How do I make my immigration PDF smaller?
Scan the document again in black and white at a lower resolution (use grayscale only for photo pages that must stay clear) and crop the empty space, then compress the PDF with a free tool such as Compress PDF, starting with High Quality. Check that every page is still easy to read before you upload it.
Can I upload several pages as one file?
Yes. IRCC says that when a field takes only one file, you should combine your pages into one file, because only the last file you upload to a field is saved. Merge the pages into one PDF with a free tool such as Merge PDF, then check that it is still under the limit.