- Each file can be up to 5 MB.
- Only certain file types are accepted. HEIC, the format many iPhones save photos in, isn't one of them.
- Encrypted PDFs and compressed (zip) files aren't accepted.
- A document with more than one page goes in a single PDF.
- There's a limit on the number of files per applicant.
- A Department tip sheet says to use only letters, numbers, dashes and underscores in filenames.
For how evidence is grouped and where it goes on the attachment screen, see how to organise Australian partner visa evidence.
File size: up to 5 MB per file
Home Affairs allows attachments of up to 5 MB each. Resizing a photo, or scanning at a lower resolution, produces a smaller file.
Accepted file types
Home Affairs lists these extensions: bmp, dcm, doc, docx, dot, gif, jpg, pdf, png, ppt, pptx, rtf, txt, xls and xlsx.
HEIC isn't on the list. iPhones set to the High Efficiency camera format save photos as HEIC. Apple's instructions for taking new photos as JPG are Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. For photos already taken, Apple says you can open them in Photos or Preview on a Mac, choose File → Export, and pick JPEG.
PDFs and scans
- Encrypted PDFs aren't accepted. A password-protected PDF has to be saved as an unprotected copy before it can be attached.
- One document, one PDF. Home Affairs asks for the pages of a multi-page document to be provided in a single PDF.
- Scanning. Home Affairs asks for each document to be scanned separately, including both sides, and in colour if the original is in colour. It notes that low-quality scans may delay processing.
No compressed files
Home Affairs says compressed files can't be accepted. That includes zip files.
Filenames
The current Home Affairs help text doesn't mention filenames. A Department tip sheet from July 2017, published by the Australian Embassy in Beirut, says to avoid spaces, full stops, ampersands, hash signs, asterisks, exclamation marks, quotation marks, and any other character that isn't a letter, number, dash or underscore. For example, Joint_lease_2025.pdf rather than Joint lease (final!).pdf.
Migration agent and visa help sites still repeat this rule, and report that filenames with other characters can cause upload errors. Home Affairs hasn't confirmed this on its current site.
Source: Department tip sheet, July 2017 (PDF).
How many files you can attach
Home Affairs' current help text says there is a limit on the number of files that can be attached for each applicant, but doesn't give a number.
An archived Home Affairs page gave a maximum of 60 documents per applicant for most applications, and 100 per applicant for partner applications. Many migration sites repeat these figures. Other sources, including an older Home Affairs guide, give different numbers, so treat them as unconfirmed.
Source: archived Home Affairs page.
A quick check before you upload
- Is every file 5 MB or under?
- Is it one of the accepted types (for photos, not HEIC)?
- Are the PDFs unprotected?
- Is each multi-page document a single PDF?
- Is anything zipped?
- Do the filenames use only letters, numbers, dashes and underscores?
Almost Home handles these rules for you.
You and your partner add evidence as it happens. Photos are converted to JPG, PDFs are checked when you upload them, and each category exports as PDFs sized for ImmiAccount.
Start your recordThis guide covers the published rules for attaching files. It isn't migration advice and doesn't cover what or how much evidence to submit. For that, talk to a registered migration agent or lawyer. The instructions in your own ImmiAccount application are authoritative. See the Home Affairs attachment help page.