When applying to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for immigration, you must submit certain supporting documents. It is a lot of paperwork, but these documents will prove your eligibility and support the immigration process. However, the entire application process is futile without an accurate USCIS translation.
These documents could be from any part of the world, and their text could be in a foreign language. Therefore, you must first translate them. This article explains the translation requirements and why you need accurate document translation for USCIS. We also outline some professional translation services to help you get the best results.
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Why You Need To Translate Immigration Documents for USCIS
The United States is an English-speaking country. Thus, the government agency responsible for immigration must read your document in an understandable language. Therefore, you must provide translated versions if any of your documents are in a language other than English.
For instance, let’s say your documents are in Mandarin; you must get their English translation. This would aid the agency to understand their content. More than this, it would help the official handling your application identify possible errors. Both original and translated documents also help to prove your eligibility.
Requirements for a USCIS Document Translation
While it seems easy to get your documents translated, certain translation requirements make them up to USCIS standards. The USCIS document translation standards ensure accuracy and the translator’s competence. The government agency pays close attention to submitted documents, so you must provide accurate translations.
The translated document must be a word-for-word literal translation of the original document. Applicants will submit the translation and the original document as part of the visa or green card application. Also, applicants must provide certified translations for the immigration process.
A USCIS-certified translation always includes a certification letter from the translator. A certification is a major requirement in the application process. Now, we understand you may not know how this works; no worries, we will break it down.
Why You Need USCIS Translation Certification
A USCIS translation certification is when a translator provides a signed statement attesting to the accuracy of the translated documents. This statement also proves the translator is fluent in both the foreign and English languages. Every document translated from a foreign language must contain a certification.
However, a certification letter isn’t just a written statement; it must contain certain information to meet USCIS standards. A certified translation document must contain the translator’s name, signature, and contact information. The translator must also include the date of translation on the document.
The applicant will then attach the certification document to the translation and original document. You can’t use a single certification letter for all your translated documents. Each document must have a separate certification. Failure to comply with the translation requirements may cause complications in the immigration process.
The agency may demand a Request for Evidence (RFE) due to worries about the authenticity and accuracy of the translations. Ultimately, it may delay the process or cause the agency to deny the application. It may seem unnecessary to certify translated documents, but the agency has reasons.
Here are the major reasons:
- Originality: Anyone could provide translated documents, but certification proves it is a word-for-word translation of the original. This ensures that the content gives the original meaning.
- Coordination: People submit documents from all over the world to the USCIS. So, making rules for translations allows translated versions to pass similar messages across. Ensuring coordination makes it easy to recognize details at a glance.
- Preventing misinterpretations: Without certification, anyone could write whatever interpretation feels right. An error in translation could cause misinterpretations and ruin the chances of approval.
Documents That Need Translations
Before beginning the immigration application process, getting certified translations for all your documents is best. The immigration agency may demand some or all of your documents, so it is best to be ready.
Here are the documents you need to translate:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates (for currently married applicants)
- Divorce certificates (for previously married applicants)
- Police records
- Bank statements
- Academic transcripts
- Foreign diplomas
- Deeds
While the USCIS may not demand certain documents, requesting birth certificates is common. Even if you may not need other documents, get certified translations for your birth certificate ready.
How to Get a Certified Translation
As mentioned earlier, the translator would provide the certification letter. In the U.S., anyone can certify a translation. The translator doesn’t necessarily need accreditation or certification by an organization such as the American Translators Association (ATA). The person only needs to be fluent in English and the source language.
This means you, a family member, or a close acquaintance can translate the documents and provide a certification. However, this is a risky assignment because their acceptance depends on the USCIS official handling your application. The official could question your translations or consider self-translated documents biased.
Therefore, hiring a professional translator to do the job is best. Experienced translators know the USCIS requirements and bring your documents to that standard. The government agency would surely accept this document translation. In addition, expert translators can translate all your supporting documents.
How To Get Immigration Translation Services
Getting an English language translation for any document is easy. Thanks to technological advancement, you can locate immigration translation services anywhere. You can run a search query for translation agencies around you on search engines like Google. You will surely get a lot of results and directions.
However, the result can be overwhelming, especially when every agency assures premium quality. It is best to choose a professional and reputable translation agency that understands the requirements of immigration applications.
You can use directories from professional bodies like the American Translators Association to find an experienced service provider. Alternatively, you can get online certified translations from professional translation companies. Several reputable online service providers deliver high-quality translations.
These companies provide USCIS translation services at affordable prices without you leaving your comfort zone. This way, you can maintain peace of mind and indulge in other activities while waiting for results. In your quest to hire an online translator, it is essential to rule out machine translation services like Google Translate.
They don’t meet the USCIS requirements, and the translations could be inaccurate. For example, machine translations could give addresses and names the wrong interpretation.
How To Choose USCIS-Certified Translation Services for Good Results
There are many translators and translation companies, but only a few offer USCIS-certified translation services. So, how do you identify translation services that offer such quality? Well, certain criteria that make a service provider trustworthy. Don’t worry; we have chosen two for you based on these outstanding criteria.
1. Rapid Translate
Rapid Translate isn’t just a professional translation company; its excellent services make your document up to USCIS standards. They understand your needs and prioritize compliance with these standards. Apart from this, several other features make their service stand out.
Here are some of them:
- Professional human translators: Human translators who are native speakers of foreign languages and fluent in English translate your documents.
- Accuracy: Professional translators certify every document and provide word-for-word phrases and intonation to ensure accuracy.
- Quick turnaround time: Rapid Translate prioritizes urgency and has a speedy delivery time.
- Diverse language translations: With fluency in over 60 languages, Rapid Translate has got you covered.
- Affordability: The company understands the need to access affordable translation services. This is why they provide premium quality translations at the lowest rates.
- Easy upload and retrieval: You can access the services and upload your document from any device. It is also easy to get translated versions.
- Safety: Several extensive security measures are in place to protect your information and documents.
- Excellent customer support team: Experience customer support to address your translation concerns.
2. ImmiTranslate
ImmiTranslate is a professional and reputable company that specializes in certified translations. Their team is familiar with the U.S. immigration process, so they provide translations of USCIS standards.
Here are their exceptional qualities:
- Quick turnaround: With non-stop effort to prepare, translate, review, and deliver documents, they provide quick results.
- Affordable pricing: You can get high-quality translations at a price that doesn’t exceed your budget.
- Profession translators: Their translation team consists of certified translators who are native speakers to ensure 100% accuracy.
- Worldwide acceptance: The USCIS, the U.S. Department of State, and other government agencies accept their translations.
- Safety: They have state-of-the-art encryption to protect your documents and information.
- Quick upload and access: You can easily upload files or digital photos of your document. You can access and download translated documents or get them through mail.
Get the Best USCIS Translation From Rapid Translate
Still confused about getting easy and high-quality translations for your documents? Don’t stress yourself anymore.
Rapid Translate is here to deliver the best results for your USCIS applications. Trust us with your document translation and get error-free certified translated versions.
With our quick service delivery and smooth operation, premium USCIS translation is at your fingertips. Our professional translators attend to your demands and push your document for acceptance.
