1. Check the document category before choosing a target
Home Affairs lists PDF among the accepted formats and allows other documents up to 5 MB each. Digital photographs have a separate range of 70 KB to 3.5 MB. This guide covers ordinary supporting-document PDFs; do not convert a required portrait photograph into PDF or apply the document limit to it.
Your application tells you what to attach and when. Use the checklist for the particular person and document category. For example, prepare the requested pages of a passport, academic record or financial evidence only when your checklist asks for them. This guide does not determine which evidence your visa requires.
2. Assemble the pages belonging to one record
Keep untouched originals. Check that the scan shows complete edges, names, dates, document numbers and any relevant stamps. Include both sides and translations when your application requires them. Do not combine unrelated categories into one application-wide file.
If the required pages are JPG or PNG scans, use Images to PDF, arrange them in reading order and download the PDF. If they are separate ordinary PDFs, use Merge PDF. Both tools process these files in your browser. Conversion and merging can increase the file size; measure the output before deciding whether to compress it.
3. Compress an oversized ordinary PDF
Open Compress PDF and select the assembled file. Try a custom target of 4.8 MB to leave a small margin below 5 MB. This is a PDFMinto suggestion, not a Home Affairs requirement. PDFMinto uses decimal MB, so 4.8 MB means 4,800,000 bytes. Follow an explicit byte limit in your application if one is shown.
Clicking Compress uploads the PDF directly to the server. Temporary processing files are deleted when the task ends. The input limit is 30 MB and 200 pages. Compression is not a browser-only operation; read the tool’s privacy notice before uploading.
Download the result and inspect its actual byte count. A selected target is not proof of success. If the output remains too large or small print is blurred, return to the original and improve the source scan. Do not remove required pages or rasterize the whole document to force a smaller file.
4. Compare the result and attach it to the correct application
Compare every page with the original. Check page count and order, text, figures, stamps and complete margins. Try selecting text when the original has a text layer. Zoom in on small print; a readable first page does not establish that every page is usable.
Return to the matching person and document category in ImmiAccount. Follow the attachment and submission steps shown there and retain your own copy. File preparation does not submit the application or prove acceptance. If a file below the limit is rejected, inspect the portal error rather than repeatedly degrading the scan.
Document limits and protected files
Home Affairs does not accept encrypted or secured PDFs in ImmiAccount. PDFMinto also excludes digitally signed PDFs and interactive forms. Its browser PDF tools reject annotations, including links, and embedded attachments. Keep those originals and follow the institution’s instructions for the particular document; this workflow does not unlock, fill or sign them.
Images to PDF and Merge PDF accept up to 40 inputs and 30 MB total, with a 200-page PDF limit and 24 megapixels per image. These are product limits, not the number of attachments allowed by ImmiAccount. If your application has a separate resolution requirement, a smaller file alone does not prove compliance.
ImmiCard is a separate application with its own scan and photograph requirements. Do not apply this guide’s 5 MB document rule to ImmiCard.
Frequently asked questions
Does 5 MB cover my whole application? The cited attachment guidance specifies the limit for each ordinary document. Follow the attachment count and other conditions shown for your application.
Should I merge everything to solve an attachment-count problem? No. Keep the required categories distinct and consult the official guidance for the document limit. Compression changes bytes, not the permitted number of attachments.
Can I compress a digitally signed bank record? This workflow does not support digitally signed PDFs. Preserve the original and obtain instructions for an acceptable supporting copy.
Will meeting the size limit guarantee acceptance? No. The format, required evidence and readability still matter, and the institution decides whether the material is acceptable.