Prepare US visa documents for CEAC upload, under 2 MB
Photograph your birth certificate, marriage certificate and other documents, and get one tidy PDF per document under 2 MB.
On your device
This tool runs in your browser. Your file is not uploaded to any server.
Passport bio page
No files added yet
Birth certificate
No files added yet
Police certificate
No files added yet
Marriage certificate
No files added yet
Divorce decree
No files added yet
Education certificate
No files added yet
Military records
No files added yet
Translation
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Other document
No files added yet
After DV selection, or when applying for an immigrant visa, you're asked to upload your civil documents to CEAC. That's where many people get stuck: pages of one certificate uploaded as separate files, a file over the limit, or a color document turned black and white until it's unreadable.
This page opens the tool with the CEAC rules preset: one document per PDF, 2 MB or less. Processing runs in your browser, and you download the files to upload yourself.
What CEAC says about files
According to the CEAC document upload tips (checked on 2026-10-30):
- One file per document, with all of that document's pages in it.
- Accepted formats: PDF, JPG and JPEG. ZIP files are not accepted.
- Each file 2 MB or less. Compress larger files, and split a document into several files only if it's still over 4 MB after compression.
- Keep color documents in color.
The source is listed at the bottom of the page. Check it before you upload, as instructions can change.
One document means one file
A two-sided birth certificate? One file with both sides. A three-page marriage certificate? One file with all three pages in order. The birth certificate and the marriage certificate each get their own file.
Which documents you need, and whether they need translating, is set by the instructions in your account and the State Department's guidance for the country that issued the document. The tool doesn't decide that for you; it prepares the files in the required shape.
Smaller files, readable text
A single phone photo can come close to the whole limit, so a few pages easily go over it. The tool crops each page to the paper edges, straightens it and compresses the images only as far as text and stamps stay readable.
If 2 MB can't be reached without making the text unreadable, the tool tells you. Remove blank pages or reshoot in better light; a clear photo compresses better than a dark one.
What we never do
- We never upload files for you; you upload them to CEAC yourself.
- We never ask for your case number, username or password.
- We never send your documents to our servers; everything runs on your device.
This tool is made independently by akkadX and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the US government. Be wary of anyone who asks for your account details to “prepare your file”.
How to use it
- 1
Choose the document type
For example a birth certificate, marriage certificate, police certificate or passport bio page.
- 2
Photograph or add its pages
Photograph every page with your phone on a dark, flat surface, or add existing scans or PDFs.
- 3
Check cropping and order
Make sure each page is cropped to the paper edges, readable, and in the right order.
- 4
Get a file under 2 MB
The document becomes one PDF compressed to 2 MB or less, named like Surname_GivenName_Birth-Certificate.pdf.
- 5
Repeat, then download all
Prepare your other documents the same way, then download all the files and upload them yourself on CEAC.
Frequently asked questions
What's the file size limit on CEAC?
2 MB or less per file, according to the CEAC file tips page. The tool is set to that limit on this page.
Should I put all my documents in one PDF?
No. CEAC wants one file per document, not one file for everything. The tool creates a separate file for each document and downloads them all together.
Can I upload JPG photos instead of a PDF?
CEAC accepts PDF, JPG and JPEG. But a multi-page document must be in one file, and a PDF is the practical way to keep the pages together.
My file is still over 2 MB. What now?
Remove blank pages and reshoot dark pages in better light. CEAC advises splitting a document into several files only if it's still over 4 MB after compression.
Do you need my case number or account?
No, never. The tool doesn't connect to CEAC and doesn't ask for any login details. If someone asks for them to “help”, don't share them.
Are my documents sent to your servers?
No. Capturing, cropping, combining and compressing all run in your browser on your device, and your documents aren't sent to any server.