--- title: Reusing a document description: A file you have already provided can be attached to another requirement from the Saved files tab, instead of being uploaded again — with limits worth knowing. product: Lexpoint — Individuals audience: People managing their own Canadian immigration doc_type: concept canonical_url: https://docs.lexpoint.io/individuals/documents/reuse/ app_routes: https://my.lexpoint.io/app/documents last_verified: 2026-09-03 keywords: reuse document, saved files, attach existing document, upload once, same passport twice license: Documentation © Lexpoint. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. --- # Reusing a document The same passport supports a work permit application, a spouse's sponsorship, and a permanent residence application. Providing it three times is work with no purpose, so Lexpoint keeps a file once and lets it be attached wherever it is needed. ## Where reuse happens Reuse is offered at the moment a document is being added to a requirement. The **Add** dialog has two tabs: **Upload new**, and **Saved files**. The Saved files tab lists documents already held for that applicant, each with a coloured dot for its review state, when it was added, and its size. **Preview** opens the file so you can check it is the right one. **Use this file** attaches it to the requirement you are on. ```media id: documents-saved-files-tab type: screenshot caption: The Saved files tab of the add-document dialog, listing files already held for this applicant. shot: /app/cases//…/applications/ — open the add-document dialog on a requirement, switch to the "Saved files" tab, with at least three saved files listed. Demo account, light mode, 1440×900. Redact file names containing a person's name and the applicant name in the dialog heading. src: /media/individuals/documents-saved-files-tab.webp ``` When a document type is on Lexpoint's reuse list and matching files exist, the list splits in two: **Best match**, which is that type only, and **All saved files**, which is everything held for the person. A search box filters the full list. The dialog opens on All saved files. ## What a file is matched against Saved files follow **the person the document is about**, not the case it was first uploaded to. A passport uploaded for one application is offered on the next one because it belongs to the same person — even if the two applications are on different cases. That match needs a stable identity to work from: the applicant has to be connected to a Lexpoint account or to a family member record. Where that connection does not exist yet, the tab reports no saved files. Nothing is broken — uploading a new file works as usual. ## Attaching a file to a different kind of requirement The full list is not filtered by type, so you can attach a file to a requirement it was not originally labelled for. Doing that asks you to confirm first, and tells you what happens: > The file keeps its original type on record. Lexpoint does not relabel the document because you attached it somewhere new. Whether the file is right for that requirement is a judgement, and it stays a human one. ## Reuse does not skip review Attaching a saved file starts a fresh review on the requirement you attached it to. A file that was accepted on one application is not automatically accepted on another, because the question being asked is not the same question. The picker shows a file's current review state so the choice is informed — a red or amber dot means that file already has a problem or has not been looked at yet. ## What is not built yet This is worth stating plainly, because the design intends more than currently runs. **No expiry checking.** The reuse ranking is written to warn you that a document has expired, or is close to expiring, before you attach it. Those warnings do not fire today: no expiry date is recorded on a stored file, so there is nothing for the check to compare against. For any document type where expiry matters, **check the dates yourself before reusing a file.** An expired passport in the picker looks exactly like a current one. **No "best fit" recommendation on expiry-sensitive types.** Because of the same gap, a single candidate is never promoted as the recommended choice for a type whose reuse rules mention expiry. You will see the list without a suggestion. **No automatic attaching.** Nothing is attached on your behalf. Every reuse is chosen by a person. **Nothing to configure.** There is no setting that turns reuse on or off, and no per-file control over whether a document is offered for reuse. The Saved files tab either has candidates or it does not. ## Related - [Your document vault](/individuals/documents/vault/) — everything held for you, in one place - [Review and verification](/individuals/documents/review/) — what a fresh review on a reused file involves - [Supported files and limits](/individuals/documents/supported-files/) — constraints that apply on every upload - [Cases](/individuals/cases/) — the requirements a saved file is attached to ## Frequently asked questions ### Will Lexpoint attach my saved documents to a new case automatically? No. Nothing is attached without someone choosing it. Every reuse is a deliberate action — you or your representative open the Saved files tab, pick a file, and confirm. ### Does a reused file skip review? No. Attaching a saved file starts a fresh review against the requirement you attached it to. A file accepted once is not automatically accepted everywhere. ### Why does the Saved files tab say I have no saved files? Saved files are matched to the person a document is about. If the applicant on the requirement is not yet connected to a Lexpoint account or a family member record on your case, there is no person to match against and the list comes back empty. Uploading normally still works.