PDF tools for USCIS, visa, and immigration applications
USCIS uploads cap at 6 MB per file and 50 MB total. PDFShed compresses, merges, and trims your evidence packet to fit — without uploading your green-card documents to a third-party server.
Browse all toolsImmigration applications mean uploading evidence — birth certificates, marriage certificates, financial records, employment letters — through USCIS's strict file-size limits (6 MB per file, often 50 MB total). PDFShed gets you under those limits, merges related evidence into single PDFs, and keeps your most sensitive personal documents on your own computer where they belong.
Why this matters for uscis / immigration applicants
A green-card application packet contains your full identity history — birth certificates, foreign passports, marriage certificates, tax returns, bank statements, employment letters. Uploading any of those to a free online PDF tool sends a copy of your private life to a server you don't control. PDFShed processes everything client-side. Your evidence packet stays on your computer until you upload to USCIS directly.
Top tasks
Compress a 50 MB scan to under 6 MB
USCIS rejects per-file uploads over 6 MB. High Compression typically achieves 80%+ size reduction with full legibility preserved for I-485 / I-130 / I-129 evidence.
Open toolMerge supporting evidence into one PDF
Combine birth certificate + translation + apostille into a single labeled PDF for upload. Keeps related docs grouped.
Open toolConvert phone photos to a single PDF
Lease agreements, utility bills, and joint photos as evidence of a bona fide marriage — all into one PDF.
Open toolRotate sideways scans before upload
Phone scans often come in rotated. USCIS officers won't flip your evidence — fix it before upload.
Open toolExtract specific pages from a long document
Pull just the relevant pages from a 100-page bank statement to evidence I-864 financial support.
Open toolAdd page numbers across the evidence packet
Easier for the immigration officer to reference. Some attorneys recommend it for I-751 (removal of conditions) packets.
Open toolOCR a scanned passport/visa for searchability
Makes evidence packets searchable for the officer — small but appreciated detail.
Open toolEncrypt the final packet for backup
Password-protect your local copy before backing up to cloud storage.
Open toolUSCIS file-size limits explained
As of 2025, USCIS Online Account portal: 6 MB per file, ~25 files per submission, common total ~50 MB. The portal silently rejects files over 6 MB — you upload, see a "successful" message, then realize on review that the file isn't there. Compress every PDF to under 5 MB to be safe.
How to organize a green-card evidence packet
Common practice (consult your attorney for your specific filing): one PDF per evidence category. "Marriage Certificate + Translation + Apostille" = one PDF. "Joint Bank Statements (last 12 months)" = one PDF. "Joint Lease + Mortgage Docs" = one PDF. Cover sheet at the start of each PDF labeling the contents helps the officer process faster.
Why local processing matters for immigration docs
A delayed visa hearing because a free online tool retained your passport scan in a leaked database is the kind of cascading nightmare that takes years to recover from. Browser-based processing has no server-side copy to leak. Belt-and-suspenders: also encrypt your local backup of the packet.
FAQ
How much can PDFShed compress my green-card evidence?
Scanned PDFs typically drop 70–85% with no readability loss. A 30 MB scan becomes a 4–6 MB scan. Text-heavy PDFs compress less because text is already small.
Is PDFShed safe for sensitive documents like passports and birth certificates?
Yes — files never leave your browser. There's no server-side copy because there's no server. This is meaningfully different from "we delete files after 2 hours" promises.
Will USCIS accept PDFs compressed by PDFShed?
Yes — PDFShed produces standard PDFs that open identically in any reader. USCIS officers cannot tell which tool compressed your file. They just need it to be readable and under the size limit.
Should I keep originals before compressing?
Always. The compressed PDF is for upload; the original full-resolution scan is your record. PDFShed never modifies your original — it produces a new file.
What about adjusting orientation on a scanned passport?
Use the Rotate PDF tool. Single-click 90/180/270 rotations, save the rotated version. Fixes phone-scanner sideways scans in 5 seconds.
Built for confidential work
Every PDFShed tool runs in your browser via WebAssembly. Your files never upload, never log, never leak.
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