USCIS online upload: getting each PDF under the 6 MB file limit
2026-10-06
The USCIS online account rejects evidence files above its per-file size cap, which at the time of writing is 6 MB. A colour scan of a passport or a multi-year tax return passes that easily. Preparing the files before you start the form saves a lot of back-and-forth. Always confirm the current limits on the USCIS site, since they change.
Before you upload
- Check the accepted formats on the form page — PDF, JPG and TIFF are typical
- Note which evidence categories want one combined file and which want separate files
- Keep originals untouched; compress copies
Getting under the cap
Run the file through Compress PDF at medium. Scanned documents usually drop by well over half. Check that stamps, signatures and MRZ lines on passports remain sharp — officers need to read them.
A long tax return that still exceeds the cap after compression is better split by year with Split PDF than compressed harder. Each part uploads separately under the same evidence category.
Phone photos of documents
Convert photos to PDF with Image to PDF rather than uploading JPGs one by one. Choose Letter paper so pages are a consistent size, and merge the result with any PDFs you already have for that category.
Nothing leaves your computer
Immigration evidence is about as sensitive as documents get. These tools process files in your browser and never upload them to a server, so there is no copy sitting anywhere else.