Check the total before changing files
The official Q&A specifies PDF supporting documents, up to 20 files, and a combined maximum of 25 MB including the photograph. Scans must be clear; the agency recommends the equivalent of at least 200 dpi. This is a total for each application, not a 25 MB allowance for every PDF.
The document list depends on your residence status and procedure. Follow the relevant official checklist for a certificate of eligibility, change, renewal or acquisition of status. This guide covers file preparation, not eligibility or which evidence you must submit.
Keep an inventory and preserve originals
Keep your originals and work on copies. Record the byte size of each intended PDF and the photograph, then add them together. Leave some room below the stated limit because the Q&A does not define the MB conversion. Check the file count separately.
Keep digitally signed, encrypted and interactive-form PDFs unchanged and ask the issuer or receiving office for an acceptable version. The agency warns that security settings or a nonconforming PDF can prevent staff from reading it without displaying an error to the applicant. PDFMinto does not remove protection or certify PDF compliance.
Assemble only pages that belong together
For ordinary JPG/PNG scans of one requested document, use Images to PDF, arrange every required page and correct rotation. For separate ordinary PDFs belonging together, use Merge PDF if the current field instructions allow it. Do not merge different evidence categories merely to reduce the count.
Assembly runs locally in the browser: up to 40 inputs, 30 MB total and 200 PDF pages; each image must be within 24 megapixels. PDF inputs with annotations, attachments, signatures, forms or encryption are unsupported. Image conversion can increase size, does not sharpen a blurred scan and does not certify its effective resolution.
Compress selectively, then review scan quality
If the combined total is too large, try compressing the largest ordinary scanned PDF first. Set a custom target based on the space left after the other files and photograph. PDFMinto processes one PDF at a time; it does not allocate the application’s total allowance automatically.
Compression accepts up to 30 MB and 200 pages and runs on the server with temporary private Vercel Blob storage. It can downsample embedded images, so a smaller result is not proof that the agency’s recommended resolution is preserved. Compare every page with the original; if you cannot establish adequate quality, keep the clearer version and consult the official alternative below.
Recount before submission; use the official alternative if needed
Check actual downloaded bytes, sum all attachments again, and check file count, page order, orientation, names, dates, numbers and stamps. Do not omit required pages or rasterise whole pages to manufacture a smaller PDF. A target selection or successful upload alone does not prove a usable submission.
For material exceeding the allowance, Q&A 4-3 describes submission with reference form 9 and further attachment after notification from the regional office. Read the exact current instructions on the official page rather than assuming you can upload unlimited batches or omit evidence. No application or document is submitted by PDFMinto.
Frequently asked questions
Is 25 MB the limit for each PDF? No, the verified Q&A gives a combined allowance including the photograph.
Should I convert the portrait photograph to PDF? Use the photograph field’s own specifications; this guide addresses supporting documents.
Does compression preserve 200 dpi? Not necessarily. It may reduce embedded image resolution. Check the result or use a clearer source and the agency’s alternative submission instructions.
Does this tool decide which documents are required? No. Use the checklist for your exact procedure and residence status.