How to upload documents for unemployment verification on my.ny.gov - system keeps rejecting files
I've been trying to upload documents for my unemployment claim verification for the past two days and the my.ny.gov system keeps giving me error messages. I need to submit my separation notice and ID verification but every time I select the files and hit upload, it either says 'file format not supported' or just times out. I've tried JPEGs, PDFs, even took photos with my phone - nothing works. Has anyone else had this problem with uploading documents to NYS Department of Labor? I'm worried my claim is going to get delayed because of this technical issue.
11 comments


StarSurfer
I had the same problem last week! The file size limit is really small - like 2MB or something. Try compressing your PDFs or making sure your photos are under that limit. Also make sure the file names don't have any special characters or spaces in them. The system is really picky about that stuff.
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Yuki Nakamura
•Oh wow I didn't know about the file size thing! My separation notice PDF was probably way bigger than that. Let me try shrinking it down and see if that works.
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Carmen Reyes
The my.ny.gov upload system is notorious for being glitchy. Here's what worked for me: 1) Use Chrome browser only, 2) Clear your cache and cookies first, 3) Make sure files are under 2MB, 4) Use PDF format for documents, JPEG for photos, 5) Try uploading during off-peak hours like early morning. The system gets overloaded during business hours and weekends.
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Andre Moreau
•This is super helpful! I was using Safari and having the same issues. Switching to Chrome fixed it for me too.
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Zoe Christodoulou
ugh this system is so frustrating!! ive been trying for WEEKS to upload my stuff and it never works. why cant they just let us email documents like normal people???
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Carmen Reyes
•I know it's annoying but they have to use the secure portal for privacy reasons. If you're still having trouble after trying the file size/browser fixes, you might need to call NYS Department of Labor directly.
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Jamal Thompson
I was stuck on this for days until I found out about Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to actual NYS Department of Labor agents on the phone - they can sometimes accept documents through alternative methods or walk you through the upload process step by step. Check out claimyr.com, they even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration with the online system.
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Yuki Nakamura
•Interesting, I've never heard of that service before. Is it legit? I'm desperate at this point so anything that might help would be great.
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Jamal Thompson
•Yeah it's totally legitimate. They basically help you skip the hold times and get connected to real people at NYS Department of Labor who can actually solve problems. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Mei Chen
Just wanted to say thanks for posting this! I was having the exact same problem and the file size tip worked perfectly. Sometimes the obvious solutions are the ones we miss lol
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Mateo Martinez
Another thing that helped me was making sure I was logged out and back into my.ny.gov completely before trying to upload. Sometimes the session gets corrupted and you think you're logged in but the upload function doesn't work properly. Also, if you're scanning documents, try scanning at 150 DPI instead of higher resolution - it keeps the file size down but still maintains readability for the reviewers.
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