What Are USCIS’s and National Visa Center’s Translation Requirements for Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Divorce Judgments and other Civil Documents?

All foreign documents must meet the USCIS translation requirements whether you have an adjustment of status Green Card case or a consular processing case. Failure to comply with the stipulated guidelines can be counterproductive to the outcome of your citizenship/immigration application process, either by having documents needlessly rejected or delayed. 

This is the prerequisite for all vital records, such as birth certificates, death certificates, passport entries, marriage/divorce certificates, financial statements, affidavits, police records, etc. You can opt for the right translation expert for this job when you know the exact USCIS requirements for translated documents or create the translated documents yourself to save costs and valuable time. You can avoid needless setbacks because of incorrect translations—this article is a guideline on how you can translate documents yourself and have them be accepted by USCIS or the United States Department of State.  

Understand the USCIS Translation Requirements Clearly

The most important criterion for any translated document that is delivered to USCIS or the US Department of State in any Green Card process, is that the document must be certified. The code of Federal Regulations states the precise requirements as follows:  

“Any document submitted to USCIS that contains foreign language must be accompanied by a comprehensive English language translation. Further, the translator must have certified the translation as complete and accurate. Also, the translator’s certification stating that he or she is competent in the translation of the foreign language into English must accompany the document.” 

The next important USCIS criterion is that the translation is certified as being accurate by the translator. Believe it or not, there is no requirement that the certification has to be done by any agency or special service. All that is needed for a translated document to be recognized as legitimate by the immigration services is a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy which must accompany the submitted documents. The goal of this article is to provide you with the information and language that is needed to certify a translation that you have created yourself. The standard template of a Certificate of Translation Accuracy to be submitted to USCIS or the US Department of State is as follows:

I [name of the translator] am competent to translate from [name of foreign language] into English because I am fluent in both [name of foreign language] and English . Further, I certify that the translation of the [title of the document] is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.  

Signature_________________________________ 

Name____________________________________ 

Address__________________________________

_________________________________________

Date_____________________________________

The originals or photocopies of the foreign language document are also required by USCIS to be translated. The purpose is to cross-reference for accuracy. The following statement is the exact regulation:  

“Original documents or photocopies of these documents which are needed to support any benefit request need to be submitted in conformance to the form instructions.”

The best way to prevent lengthy review times or application denials is to have a certified translation and all the necessary supporting documents.

Do You Need to Notarize the Translation Before Submitting to the USCIS? 

Notarization is not necessary. Many professional translation services provide this service. Hence, it will not affect you in any way. It simply functions as an identifier of the translation and reinforces legitimacy, however, notarization is not required.

Do You Have to Type and Print the Translated Immigration Documents?

You should type all translations that you provide to the U.S. government. Although no written rule exists about submitting handwritten documents, it's easier for USCIS officials to sort through your packet and evaluate your forms if the documents you provide are typed. 

Who Is Authorized to Translate Legal Documents for USCIS?

You cannot translate legal documents for USCIS yourself. However, anyone who is fluent in English and the foreign language and is willing to provide a signed statement that declares the accuracy and truth of the translation is permitted to do so. 

Another notable point is that Google Translate does not meet USCIS requirements because it can be highly inaccurate. For example, while words such as names and addresses aren't meant to be translated, they can also be erroneously translated by Google Translate. This error can result in your application being denied. Therefore, it's best to hire a professional translator or to create it yourself according to the above guideleines. By doing so, you can prevent needless delays or additional requests for evidence from USCIS. 

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us for more information. We understand that these are difficult times but we are available to take your call so we can discuss the best options for you!

Feel free to call us, email us at info@khunkhunlaw.com or review other options to get in touch with us for an immigration consultation.