USCIS's online filing system, myUSCIS, has historically published a per-file upload cap around 6MB for supporting PDF, JPEG, or PNG documents. That figure applies to e-filing specifically — mail-in paper filings aren't subject to it — and USCIS updates its requirements periodically, so it's worth confirming the current limit for your specific form before you rely on it.
Compress a PDF nowThe roughly 6MB per-file cap commonly cited for myUSCIS e-filing has been a stable reference point, but USCIS periodically revises its online filing requirements, and the exact figure can differ depending on the form and the year you are filing. Treat 6MB as a helpful starting point rather than a permanent guarantee, and check the current instructions for your specific form on the myUSCIS site before you finalize a document. If you are filing on paper by mail instead of through myUSCIS, this cap does not apply at all.
Check the instructions for the specific USCIS form you are filing online, since the historical ~6MB figure can change and may differ by form type.
Add the PDF in your browser — compression runs locally, which matters for sensitive immigration paperwork since nothing is sent to a third-party server.
Recommended quality typically brings a multi-page supporting document comfortably under a 6MB-class limit while keeping scanned text and photos legible for review.
Submit the compressed PDF through your myUSCIS account as usual, confirming the file size against the current per-file limit for your form first.
No — the per-file upload cap is specific to USCIS's online myUSCIS e-filing system. If you are filing on paper by mail, this limit does not apply, since there is no file upload involved.
USCIS updates its online filing requirements periodically, so treat 6MB as a historical reference rather than a permanent number — check the instructions for your specific form on myUSCIS for the limit that applies right now.
Yes, and it often helps — compressing one combined file is usually more efficient than compressing several small ones separately, as long as the combined file still meets the per-file cap for your form.