Canada IRCC document upload size: 4 MB, 5 MB and one file per box
How big each file can be in your IRCC account, why a second file in the same box replaces the first, and how to turn a pile of papers into one file that fits.
Rules change — check the official page before you apply. Deftfile is not part of the Government of Canada and is not a visa consultant. We cannot tell you which documents to send or whether IRCC will accept them.
The exact rules
These come from three answers in the IRCC Help Centre: file size limit, multiple files in one field and reducing file size.
- IRCC secure account
- 4 MB per file.
- IRCC Portal, and IRCC Portal – New version
- 5 MB per file.
- Online citizenship application, Asylum portal, Permanent Residence Portal
- 4 MB per file.
- Files per upload field
- One. If you upload several files to the same field, only the last one is saved.
- What IRCC suggests instead
- Combine the documents into one file: one PDF, or one text document with the pictures inserted.
- Images saved as a PDF
- Choose a low resolution (150 DPI or less) or a “minimum size” setting.
Where the pages disagree
The size-limit table has no account below 4 MB. The page on reducing file size says that, depending on what you apply for, “the limit can be as low as 2 MB”. Neither page says which applications those are. If your upload screen or instructions give a lower number than the table, follow the lower number.
Why we use 4,000 KB
IRCC writes “4 MB” without saying whether that means 4,000,000 bytes or 4,194,304 bytes. Our tools count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes, so a 4,000 KB file is 4,000,000 bytes and is under 4 MB either way. It also fits the 5 MB Portal limit. This is our arithmetic, not an IRCC figure.
What “one file per field” means in practice
An upload box such as proof of funds often needs more than one paper: several bank statements, or a letter plus its translation. Uploading them one after another into the same box does not add them up; IRCC keeps only the last one. Everything for that box has to go in as a single file.
Merging adds the sizes together. For example, three statements of 1.8 MB each make a file of about 5.4 MB, over even the 5 MB limit, so combining and shrinking often have to happen in the same step.
From papers to one file under the limit
- You have several PDFs. Open merge PDFs under a KB limit and type 4000 in the Size limit box yourself (it starts at 500 KB). Add the files, including any JPG or PNG scans, put them in order, and merge. If the joined file is under the limit, its pages are kept as they are; if not, every page becomes an image, so text can no longer be selected.
- You have phone photos of paper documents. Use images to PDF under 4,000 KB. If your limit is 2 MB, use 2,000 KB instead. iPhone HEIC photos need converting first with HEIC to JPG.
- You have one PDF that is too big. Compress the PDF to 4,000 KB. It redraws each page as an image, so the same note about selectable text applies.
- Check the result. Open the file and read every page at normal zoom. A file that fits but cannot be read is not much use to an officer. If small print is blurry, use a higher limit when your account allows one (5 MB on the IRCC Portal), or leave out pages your document checklist does not ask for.
A note on third-party tools
IRCC's own answer on combining files mentions websites and apps for joining PDFs, and adds: “Make sure to read their terms of service and privacy policy before using these. We can't guarantee the security of these third-party tools. Use them at your own risk.” That applies to Deftfile too. Our tools run inside your browser and do not send your files to us; our privacy page has the details. IRCC has not reviewed or approved Deftfile.
Questions
Which file types does IRCC accept?
The three pages above do not give a list. The page on reducing file size has tips for PDF, JPG, TIFF, PNG and DOC/DOCX files, which suggests those appear in some applications, but each upload field can have its own instructions. Follow those.
Do I have to use 150 DPI?
IRCC suggests 150 DPI or less, and 96 DPI for scans, as a way to keep files small; the pages do not set a minimum. Our PDF tools do not let you pick a DPI. When they have to shrink a file, they pick the sharpest result they can find under your size limit.
Are my documents sent to Deftfile?
No. The files are read and processed inside your browser and stay on your device. Some tools load open-source code from cdnjs, but your files are not sent anywhere.
Limits of this guide
This page covers file sizes and the one-file rule as written on October 31, 2026, not which documents your application needs. The Help Centre pages were changed on October 30, 2026, so the limits may move again; check the size-limit page before you upload.