For A Document To Be Accepted By IRCC, What Format And File Size The Documents Have?

You will be asked to upload supporting documents as a part of your application when preparing an online application for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In this article, we will explain all you need to know about the right file format that will be accepted, what limits the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has on file size, and the necessary actions to take if your files are too big.

The guidelines we are about to give you apply to all applications on Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), including temporary permit applications such as International Experience Canada (IEC), or study permits, and also permanent resident applications such as Express Entry.

For my IRCC application, what file formats can I upload? 

Here are the file formats that are acceptable to the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): pdf, .tiff, .jpg, .png, .doc, and .docx. Any other document format aside from the ones listed, the system will not permit you to upload it.

Though there is no preferred file format, if there is a need to join numerous files together, or combine Word documents and images into a single file, you can convert your files to PDFs and stitch them together in that format, it is the easiest way to go about it. We will discuss more on stitching PDFs later.

What is the size limit (if any) of the files I can upload to my Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online application?

Of course, there is a size limit the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) expects from you in your online application. All the uploaded files must not exceed 4MB in size, but if you have high-resolution images, you will likely face some problems. 

You are expected to stitch a bundle of numerous documents together into a single file. If you are applying through Express Entry for instance, and you are required to present proof of work experience for one of your previous periods of employment, you are expected to provide all the documents on that period of employment as a single file. What this means is that everything on that one period such as job reference letters, pay stubs, tax forms, and so on, will all have to be combined into a single file. 

In addition, ensure that you get your application ready before time because you might be surprised at the file requirements when you get to the stage of uploading. The main reason for this is to give you enough time to take care of any issues and still submit your application before your deadline.

What happens if the size of my file is above the stated limit for my IRCC online application? 

Remember that the size limit imposed by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is 4MB, so if your file exceeds this, you have to find a way to reduce the size of the file, because the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) do not permit any alternatives, therefore, you have to find a solution. 

Depending on the type of file you are working with, there are a few ways you can reduce your file sizes.

A PDF format

• You have to create your PDF with the use of the “lowest file size” option available.
• If you have images in your application, do save them with a resolution of 96 DPI (dots per inch).
• Try to remove images that are not necessary.

A JPG format

• You should scan at a lower resolution (96 DPI).
• You should expel space around images.
• You should compress the image.
• You should minimize the JPG image quality.

The TIFF and PNG format

• Try saving your image as a JPG because JPG files are often smaller file sizes than TIFF and PNG
• You should use a lower resolution (96 DPI) to scan your document.
• You should crop the image to expel any space around it.
• You should compress the image.

The DOC and DOCX format

• You should dismiss images, formatting, and macros that are unnecessary.
• You should minimize the file size of any images before they are included in the document.
• Save the file as a PDF if it is still too large.

For my IRCC online application, what software/programs can assist me to minimize the file size. 

You can reduce the size of your file, and the software that can help you achieve this is called PDF24. The PDF24 does not just permit you to minimize the file size but also convert other file formats to PDF, stitch documents together. Furthermore, the tool has an online version, as well as free software that is free and can be downloaded by Windows users. 

Another program that will be useful is the Adobe Creative Cloud, a suite of editing programs, nevertheless, the program is not free, you will need a membership to access these programs. 

• Adobe Acrobat permits you to edit PDFs, modify individual pages, join documents together, and change the size of the file.
• Adobe Photoshop will permit you to save and resave images (TIFF, PNG, JPG) in various file formats with various sizes, so this can be employed in minimizing the size of your images. 

As part of my Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online application, can I upload an excel file (Xls, Xlsx)? 

The answer is no because this is not the time to upload excel documents as a part of your Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online application.

Also, you should consider reaching out to a professional for advice, if at any time you are concerned about your application, especially if you’re at the last stages of your application. We recommend that you reach out to a professional generally, just to avoid mistakes or get your application rejected. 

Finally, you should know by now the correct file size and file format your document needs to be in for it to be accepted by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online application.