CEAC portal

CEAC is one specific upload destination with stricter constraints around file size and compatibility. It is an important case, but it is not the definition of the whole app.

What this profile is for

• Best for supporting documents such as scans, statements, and letters prepared for CEAC upload.
• Not for dynamic XFA forms or PDFs whose digital signature must remain valid.

Common problems

• The upload step often works with a strict 2 MB per-file limit.
• Some supporting documents need to stay in color even when size is tight.
• The document opens correctly but the portal still rejects it because of portal constraints, not because the PDF is necessarily broken.
• You need a simpler, portal-ready copy before submitting supporting documents.

How PDF Ready helps

• Targets common CEAC-style size and compatibility constraints.
• Helps you prepare a simpler upload-ready copy on-device before submission.
• If the portal only shows a vague error, start with the target-size guide, then use the 2 MB guide if CEAC still pushes you into a tighter limit.

Typical rejection patterns

• Password-protected or encrypted PDFs.
• PDFs that still look modifiable or restricted to the portal.
• ZIP uploads instead of a plain PDF file.
• Dynamic forms that do not flatten well for upload.
• Active or interactive content that survives from the original file.

Protected PDFs are not always a dead end: if the file asks for a password and you know it, enter it first so PDF Ready can process it. If it opens without asking for one, try Unlock before generating a simpler upload-ready copy. If it asks for a password you do not know, PDF Ready cannot process that file. See Help for the protected-PDF flow.

If CEAC shows vague upload errors such as Invalid Image Detected, save the file as PDF again, try Print to PDF, or regenerate a cleaner copy in PDF Ready before reuploading.

Portal behavior can vary; always verify the actual instructions shown in CEAC.

Recommended guides

• CEAC upload requirements
• CEAC upload errors and Invalid Image Detected
• No-upload PDF prep for sensitive documents
• Choose the right target size
• 2 MB limit strategy
• Common rejection reasons
• PDF/A guidance
• OCR for scanned PDFs in portal uploads

Related portal guides: GENERAL for other portals, IRCC.