Compress a PDF to 4 MB for IRCC
Pick a target size and get a copy of your PDF that fits under it. Most IRCC accounts take files up to 4 MB, the IRCC Portal takes 5 MB, and some application types allow only 2 MB.
or drop it here. Up to 100 MB and 300 pages.
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and you don't need an account.
What is the IRCC file size limit?
It depends on the account you upload through. IRCC's help centre gives 4 MB per file for the IRCC secure account, the online citizenship application, the Asylum Portal and the Permanent Residence Portal. The IRCC Portal allows 5 MB. A PDF under 4 MB fits all five.
Some applications go lower. IRCC says the limit can be as low as 2 MB depending on the application type, so read the instructions for your upload before you choose a target. If they say 2 MB, pick the 2 MB preset. The 1 MB preset leaves extra room when you want it.
Why is a scanned PDF so large?
A scanner or phone app stores each page as a photo, even when the page is only black text on white paper. At a high resolution, a few pages of bank statements can pass the limit on their own. A PDF exported from a word processor is usually much smaller, because its text is stored as text rather than as a picture of text.
How do I reduce a PDF's size for IRCC?
IRCC's own advice is to save the PDF with a "lowest file size" option, or to bring image resolution down to between 96 and 150 DPI. For a scanned document, this tool does the second part for you.
It redraws each page as a JPEG image at about 150 DPI and builds a new PDF from those images. If the result is still over your target, it lowers image quality first, then resolution, one step at a time, and keeps the first version that fits. It won't go below 100 DPI, the point where small print on a statement stops being legible. If your file is already under the target, the tool tells you so and leaves it alone.
If you're combining several statements into one upload with Merge PDF, do that first and compress the combined file last. Our guide on how to upload documents to IRCC covers what to do once the file fits.
Is the compressed copy still readable?
Usually, yes, for normal printed documents. Check it anyway. Open the result and zoom in on the smallest print, such as account numbers, dates and stamps. If something is hard to read, choose a larger target, such as 4 MB instead of 2 MB, or rescan the original in good light and try again.
Handwriting and faint stamps suffer first. If one of those pages is hard to read after compressing, rescan just that page at a higher quality and rebuild the file around it.
Can I compress an IMM form?
No. The tool checks for fillable IMM forms and won't compress them. These forms are filled in and validated in Adobe Acrobat Reader, which adds barcodes, and turning the pages into images would break the form. Upload each IMM form as IRCC gives it to you, filled in and validated, in the field meant for it. If you aren't sure which of your PDFs are IMM forms, the IRCC file checker will tell you.
What if the PDF still won't fit?
Long scans can stay over the target even at the lowest setting. Cut the pages you don't need with Split PDF: blank backs, duplicate scans and cover sheets cost megabytes and prove nothing. Then compress what's left. If every page is needed and the file still won't fit, rescan at a lower resolution and start again.
Frequently asked questions
No. Two applicants on the same account can face different limits, because some application types set a lower one. Go by the figure in your own application's instructions, not by what a friend's application allowed.
You need to make it smaller before you upload it. IRCC's help centre doesn't describe what the upload field does with an oversized file. It lists ways to reduce the size instead, such as saving with the lowest-file-size option or lowering the image resolution. Our own advice is to cut any pages you don't need as well.
The tool saves each page as an image, which is how the file gets smaller. The pages look the same, but text can no longer be selected, searched or copied. Keep your original file for your own records.
Most PDF editors have a reduced-size or optimized save option. IRCC notes that it can't guarantee the security of third-party tools, so read a tool's privacy terms before you give it a passport or bank record. This one runs on your device and doesn't send the file anywhere.
No, this tool takes PDFs only. For phone photos of documents, JPG to PDF builds a PDF and can keep it under 4 MB. For a Word file, IRCC suggests removing images or formatting, or saving it as a PDF with an optimized setting. If that PDF is still too big, compress it here.
No. The compression happens inside your browser tab, using your device's memory. Close the tab and nothing of the file remains with us, because it never reached us.
Not affiliated with IRCC or the Government of Canada. IRCC can change its rules, so check the instructions for your application before you upload.