Why portals reject PDFs

A PDF can open fine and still get rejected by the destination system. Diagnose the likely portal reason first, then enable only what the upload flow actually needs.

Common reasons

• The file exceeds the maximum size.
• The PDF has password protection, restrictions, or encryption.
• The portal treats the file as still modifiable, interactive, or otherwise not final enough for upload.
• The document was placed inside a ZIP instead of being uploaded as a plain PDF.
• The document contains forms or active content the portal does not handle well.
• The PDF is technically valid but still too complex for that destination system: encryption, dynamic forms, active content, or a structure the portal does not process well can all trigger that outcome.
• The portal expects color to stay intact, but the uploaded version became grayscale or lost too much detail.
• A scan became unreadable after aggressive compression.

What to check first

• The final file size.
• Whether the PDF has password protection or restrictions.
• Whether you are uploading a plain PDF instead of a ZIP package.
• Whether the portal requires PDF/A-2b.
• Whether the destination needs images to remain in color.
• Whether the document is still readable at normal zoom.

What to try next

• Start with the profile that best matches your destination portal.
• If the file is not going to CEAC or IRCC, start with GENERAL.
• Go back to the original if the generated copy ended up worse.

What not to enable by default

• OCR if you do not need it.
• PDF/A-2b if the portal does not require it.
• Extra processing that the portal does not actually need.

Related guides and help: Choose the right target size, 2 MB limits, CEAC upload requirements, CEAC upload errors, PDF/A-2b, Help with protected PDFs.

Related trust: Privacy, Prepare a sensitive PDF on-device.

Related portals: GENERAL for other portals, CEAC, IRCC.