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Translation for Immigration Applications
Certified translation, prepared for USCIS applications.
Every translation includes a signed Certificate of Accuracy — the certification USCIS asks for. Birth and marriage certificates are typically delivered within 1–2 business days, across 230+ language combinations.
The requirement
What USCIS actually asks for
Any document submitted to USCIS that is not in English must be accompanied by a complete English translation, together with a certification from the translator confirming that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate between the two languages.
That is the whole requirement, and it is narrower than most people expect. There is no approved translator list. No government certification body. No requirement that the translator hold a particular qualification. What matters is that the translation is complete, that it is accurate, and that a competent person signs their name to it.
This is also why so much of the anxiety around immigration translation is misplaced. Applicants worry about finding a translator with the right credential, when the actual failure points are far more mundane — an untranslated stamp, a page left out, a name spelled two different ways.
A costly misconception
Certification, not notarization
USCIS requires a certified translation. It does not generally require a notarized one. The distinction is worth understanding before you pay for something you do not need.
What certification does
A translator signs a statement confirming the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent in both languages. This addresses the quality of the translation, which is what USCIS is concerned with.
What notarization does
A notary public witnesses the signature on that statement. The notary does not read the translation and does not speak the language. It verifies identity, not accuracy.
Notarization becomes relevant when a specific organization asks for it — occasionally a court, a foreign consulate, or a state agency. We can arrange it when it is genuinely required. If you are unsure, ask before adding the cost. We explain the difference in more depth here.
Where applications go wrong
Six mistakes that cause delays
Requests for Evidence relating to translations are rarely about translation quality. They are almost always about completeness or certification — and every one of these is avoidable.
- 1
Leaving stamps and seals untranslated
Every mark on the document must be accounted for. Where a seal cannot be translated, it should be described — [Round seal: Civil Registry Office, Bogotá]. Omitting one because it looked decorative is a common reason a document is queried.
- 2
Translating only part of a document
The reverse of a certificate, marginal annotations, amendment notes — all of it forms part of the record. A partial translation is not a certified translation, however accurate the part that was done.
- 3
Inconsistent name spellings across documents
If a surname is transliterated one way on a birth certificate and another on a passport, an officer has to reconcile two apparently different people. We keep names consistent across every document in a set.
- 4
Using a relative as translator
Even a fluent, well-intentioned family member creates an independence problem. The certification carries far less weight, and it is an avoidable risk on an application that has already taken months.
- 5
Losing the original layout
An officer should be able to place the translation beside the original and follow it. A reformatted document with different structure makes verification slow and invites questions.
- 6
Paying for notarization that was never required
Most USCIS applications need certification only. Ask before adding it — we will tell you honestly whether your receiving organization is likely to want it.
What we translate
Documents for immigration applications
Most petitions require several of these together. Submitting them as one set keeps names, dates and place names consistent across the whole application.
Birth certificates
Marriage certificates
Divorce decrees
Police and background certificates
Academic diplomas
Academic transcripts
Passports and identity pages
Court records and judgments
Adoption records
Death certificates
Bank statements
Employment letters
Not listed? Ask — if it exists on paper, it can almost certainly be certified.
Timing
How quickly you will have it
| Type of project | Typical delivery |
|---|---|
| Birth, marriage and similar certificates Single-page civil documents | 1–2 business days |
| Standard document projects Transcripts, court records, multi-page sets | 2–3 business days |
| Large or complex applications Full evidence bundles, multiple languages | Depends on volume and complexity |
Larger or more complex projects may require additional review time. Quotation requests are usually reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time.
Related services
Where to go next
Questions
USCIS translation, answered
USCIS asks that any document not in English be accompanied by a full English translation, together with a certification from the translator confirming the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English. That certification — the Certificate of Accuracy — is included with every certified translation we deliver.
Generally no. USCIS requires a certified translation, not a notarized one. Notarization verifies who signed the certificate, not whether the translation is accurate, and paying for it when it has not been asked for is one of the more common wasted expenses in an application. If a specific officer or a different agency asks for notarization, we can arrange it.
You should not. USCIS expects the translation to be certified by someone competent and independent — an applicant translating their own birth certificate cannot reasonably attest to impartiality. The same caution applies to translations by a spouse or close relative. It is a frequent cause of Requests for Evidence, which cost weeks.
Most commonly birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, police and background certificates, academic diplomas and transcripts, passports and identity pages, and court records. Financial documents such as bank statements and employment letters come up in affidavit of support cases.
Small certified documents such as birth and marriage certificates are typically delivered within 1–2 business days. Standard document projects take 2–3 business days. Larger or more complex projects may require additional review time so we can prepare accurate work.
Rejections of the translation itself are usually about completeness or certification rather than language quality — a missing stamp, an untranslated seal, or a certificate that does not name the translator. If a Request for Evidence relates to a translation we prepared, tell your Project Coordinator and we will address it.
Yes. Every certified translation includes a signed Certificate of Accuracy naming the translator, identifying the languages and the document, and confirming the translation is complete and accurate. It is delivered alongside the translation.
Our translations are prepared to meet USCIS document translation requirements and include the certification those applications call for. No company can guarantee acceptance — that decision rests with the officer reviewing your case and depends on the application as a whole. What we control is that the translation is complete, accurate, properly formatted and correctly certified.
Start your immigration translation
Upload your documents and a Project Coordinator will review them and prepare an accurate quotation. Most requests are reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
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