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I can’t open my application form in PDF format. What can I do?

We’re experiencing issues with some of our forms with 2D barcodes:

If you’re submitting one of these forms, you need to use version 11.0.09 of Acrobat Reader to fill it out.

If you’re applying at a visa application centre (VAC), they may ask you to re-fill out the form at their internet kiosks.

IRCC forms that need to be validated using the “validate” button at the bottom of the form use special encoding. You need a computer with Adobe Reader 10 or higher to use them.

If you have problems opening a PDF on our website, try the following:

For PC users

  • Find the link of the file you want to save (you may need to go back to the previous page to find it).
  • Right-click the link.
  • Select “Save target as” or “Save link as”.
  • Choose the location on your computer where you would like to save the file.
  • Select “Save”.
  • Use Windows Explorer to get to the location where you saved the file.
  • Right click on the PDF file.
  • Select “Open with”.
  • Select “Choose program”.
  • Select “Adobe Acrobat Reader”.
  • Make sure to check the box that says, “Always use this program to open these files”.
  • Select “OK”.

For Mac users

  • Find the link of the file you want to save (you may need to go back to the previous page to find it).
  • Press the Control (Ctrl) key and click on the link
  • When the option menu appears, choose “Download link to disk” or “Download linked file”.
  • Choose the location on your computer where you would like to store the file. Your computer will start the download once you have selected a location.
  • Use Spotlight or Finder to look for the downloaded file.

You can get a free copy of Adobe Reader from the Adobe website. It is available for Windows, Mac and Android devices.

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