Compress PDF
Compress PDF for Upload — USCIS, Job Portals, Visa Forms
Government forms and job portals are notorious for tight upload limits — often half what email allows. USCIS caps document uploads at 6 MB. Most ATS (applicant tracking systems) cap resumes at 5 MB. Visa application portals frequently cap at 2 MB per document. If your PDF exceeds the cap, the form rejects the upload silently or with a useless error like 'file format not supported.' This page is for getting under those caps fast.
- Works in your browser — no install
- Files private and isolated to your workspace
- Free tier covers most everyday use
What you should know
Common upload caps by destination
USCIS / myUSCIS: 6 MB per file · Most U.S. job ATS portals (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever): 5 MB resume, 5 MB cover letter · Indian visa portals (BLS, VFS): often 1–2 MB · UK Visas & Immigration: 6 MB · LinkedIn Easy Apply: 5 MB · Common Application: 500 KB.
USCIS document specs
USCIS requires PDFs (not images), under 6 MB, color or black-and-white. They reject password-protected PDFs and forms that include attached files. We also recommend OCR if you're submitting scans — it makes the document searchable and accepted faster.
ATS-friendly compression
Job application systems parse text from PDFs to populate fields. Aggressive compression can rasterize text into images, which breaks ATS parsing. Our default keeps text as text — the resume still ranks correctly in keyword screens.
Visa portal caps are tighter than you think
Many visa application portals (especially BLS, VFS, and country-specific portals) cap at 2 MB per document and reject anything over. They also often require resolution under 300 DPI and may require black-and-white. Compress aggressively and convert color to grayscale if needed.
Tips that actually help
- Remove password protection before uploading — most government portals reject password-protected PDFs.
- Run OCR on scanned documents before submitting to USCIS or visa portals — they process text-readable PDFs faster.
- For visa portals with 2 MB caps, also reduce color depth: scan or save in black-and-white if the form allows.
- If your portal requires a specific filename format (e.g., 'I-130_Smith_John.pdf'), rename after compressing.
Compress your PDF for upload.
No install, no signup wall, no watermark on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is the USCIS file size limit?
6 MB per document for most uploads via myUSCIS. Form-specific limits may apply — always check the form's upload page.
Why does my PDF upload keep failing?
Common causes: file too large (most common), password-protected, wrong format (must be PDF not Word), or contains attached files. Compress, remove password, and re-save.
Will compression break my resume's ATS parsing?
Not with our default compression — text stays as text and is still searchable. Avoid 'image-only' compression for resumes.
How do I get under a 2 MB visa portal limit?
Compress twice if needed, convert color images to grayscale, and remove unnecessary pages. If it's a scan, lower the scan resolution to 200 DPI before compressing.
Can I batch-compress multiple PDFs at once?
Pro and Business plans include batch processing. Free and Plus plans process one file at a time.
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