IRCC file checker: test your files against upload rules
Add the files you plan to upload and choose your IRCC account. The IRCC file checker tests each one for the problems that cause a failed upload and links to a fix where one exists.
or drop them here. Up to 100 MB in total.
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and you don't need an account.
What file formats and sizes does IRCC accept?
It depends on the account you upload through. These are the per-file limits and formats IRCC's help centre lists for each one:
| Account | Limit per file | Accepted formats |
|---|---|---|
| IRCC secure account | 4 MB | JPG, PNG, DOC, TIFF, PDF |
| IRCC Portal | 5 MB | JPG, PNG, DOC, DOCX, TIFF, PDF |
| Online citizenship application | 4 MB | JPG, PNG, TIFF, PDF |
| Asylum Portal | 4 MB | JPG, PNG, TIFF, DOC, DOCX, PDF |
| Permanent Residence Portal | 4 MB | PDF, JPG, DOC, DOCX, PNG |
PDF, JPG and PNG work everywhere. Word files aren't on the online citizenship application's list, and TIFF isn't on the Permanent Residence Portal's list. Some application types also set a lower size limit, as low as 2 MB, so read your application's instructions as well as this table.
What does the checker test?
Choose your account and add the files you plan to upload. For each file, the checker compares its size with that account's limit and reads its real format from the file's contents rather than its name, so a PNG renamed to .jpg gets caught. It also flags iPhone HEIC photos, a format that isn't on any of IRCC's lists.
For PDFs it checks that the file opens, that it has no password and how many pages it has. It also looks for fillable IMM forms.
Turn on photo checks to test a picture against IRCC's digital photo rules. The checker confirms it's a JPEG, that it has at least 420 × 540 pixels, and that its shape is either 35:45, like a visa photo, or 5:7, like the 50 × 70 mm photo on IRCC's PR page. The online citizenship page lists a 50 × 70 mm photo but a 420 × 540 pixel minimum, so either shape can appear there. PR photos aren't meant to be 35:45.
The 420 × 540 figure is the online citizenship minimum. A 5:7 photo under 715 × 1000 pixels, the PR minimum, gets a warning. The visa page gives no pixel size, so compare against the rules for your own application on the Canada visa photo page. If a photo fails, ask your photographer for a new file. IRCC wants the original, unaltered file for online applications, so cropping or converting the one you have isn't the fix.
What does the IMM form warning mean?
The file contains an XFA form, the fillable format IMM forms use. That's expected, so it's a warning rather than a failure. Upload the form on its own, in the field meant for it, and don't merge it with other documents or compress it, because both usually break the form. The compressor refuses IMM forms for that reason.
What doesn't the checker test?
A pass means a file meets the technical rules for your account. It doesn't mean the document is the right one. The checker can't read what a document says, so it can't tell you whether it's the one your checklist asks for, whether every page is legible or whether anything is missing. It doesn't check the language of a document or its file name either. Read your application's document checklist for those, and ask your representative if you have one. Once your files pass, our guide on how to upload documents to IRCC covers the step after uploading: submitting.
How do I fix what it finds?
Where a tool here can fix a problem, the check links to it. A PDF over the limit links to Compress PDF. A photo or scan saved as a large image links to JPG to PDF, which turns it into a smaller PDF. Photo problems have no fix link on purpose: the fix is a new file from your photographer, not an edit.
Several files for the same field go through Merge PDF, since IRCC saves only the last file uploaded to a field. Run the checker again on the merged file: it can pass the limit even when every part was under it.
Frequently asked questions
Excel files aren't on any of IRCC's lists of accepted formats. Save the spreadsheet as a PDF from Excel, then check the PDF here.
English or French, unless IRCC tells you otherwise. For a document in another language, IRCC asks for the English or French translation, an affidavit from the person who translated it, and a certified photocopy of the original.
On its page about electronic copies of passports and status documents, IRCC says file names may use only English or French letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens and these characters: / & , . - : \ ( ) * # ; @. The checker doesn't test names, so keep yours plain, such as passport-pages.pdf.
IRCC's help centre says IMM forms validate only in Adobe Acrobat Reader 10 or higher with JavaScript turned on, and that mobile devices don't support these barcode forms. Open the form on a computer in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Special characters and spaces in some fields can also make validation fail.
The officer reviewing your file has to be able to open it. Remove the password in the program that created the file, or print it to a new PDF, then check it again.
No. In your secure account, a document you've uploaded shows the status Uploaded - not submitted to IRCC until you finish. You still need to add your signature and security answer and submit it.
No. The checks read the file's size and structure in your browser. The checker doesn't look at what the document says, and the file never leaves your device.
Not affiliated with IRCC or the Government of Canada. IRCC can change its rules, so check the instructions for your application before you upload.