XFA PDF forms: why a form says 'Please wait...' and how to fill it
XFA is a form format from Adobe that some PDFs are built with. When a viewer can't draw it, you get a 'Please wait...' page instead of the form. Here is what that means, and what you can do.
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What XFA is
XFA stands for XML Forms Architecture. The form's layout, fields and scripts are stored as XML inside the PDF. Many government forms are built this way. There are two kinds.
- Static XFA: the PDF also has ordinary pages and ordinary form fields. Most viewers show those, so the form opens.
- Dynamic XFA: the form is drawn from the XML, and pages can grow as you fill. The ordinary page is often just a placeholder message.
Why you see 'Please wait...'
The message is a real page inside the PDF. It reads:
Please wait... If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document.
A viewer that draws dynamic XFA replaces that page with the form. A viewer that doesn't, shows the message and stops. So if you see it in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Preview, that viewer is showing the placeholder. Microsoft states that XFA isn't supported in Microsoft Edge.
How to fill an XFA form
- Open it with Choose a PDF above. A static XFA form shows its pages and fields, and you fill it like any form.
- If you see the 'Please wait...' page here too, it is a dynamic XFA form. PDF Tower says so above the page, and it can't fill those.
- For a dynamic form, check whether the issuer offers an online version or another PDF. The message itself points to Adobe Reader for Windows, Mac or Linux. Adobe's help pages say its mobile Acrobat app doesn't support XFA forms.
XFA forms PDF Tower fills
Most IRS, SSA and USCIS forms on PDF Tower are static XFA forms. They open and fill here like any other form.
USCIS forms also lock some fields until you answer the question before them. On the AR-11, for example, the apartment, suite or floor number opens once you tick which one it is. The form's XFA scripts do this. PDF Tower doesn't run those scripts. It reads them and opens the same fields when you tick the same box. Untick the box, and the field clears and locks again. These USCIS forms work this way here:
- AR-11 Alien's Change of Address Card Fill out
- I-130 Petition for Alien Relative Fill out
- I-131 Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records Fill out
- I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status Fill out
- I-765 Application For Employment Authorization Fill out
- I-864 Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA Fill out
- N-400 Application for Naturalization Fill out
In the saved PDF, calculated totals and repeated fields, such as the A-Number at the top of each N-400 page, are filled from your answers. Signature boxes and barcodes stay read-only, as the form has them.
What happens to the XFA when you save
- PDF Tower fills the ordinary fields and removes the XFA layer. Otherwise Adobe Acrobat would show the XFA layer, still blank, instead of your answers.
- The download is a flattened PDF: your answers are part of the page, ready to print or attach.
- Software that reads the XFA data inside a PDF won't find your answers there, because that layer is gone.
This page is about opening and filling the file. It is not advice about any application or filing.
What's free and what's paid
Opening a PDF, filling it on screen and the live preview are free, with no account. Downloading, printing or sharing the filled, signed or edited file needs a plan: PDF Tower is $89.99 a year or $12.49 a month, and the monthly plan cancels anytime. Compare plans