Are you looking to immigrate to the US for work or study? If yes, you already know that you need to make an immigration application, along with the personal documents, like birth or marriage certificates, degree, etc. But what if these documents are not in English? In that case, you need to find certified translation services to translate all these documents into English.

But why? The US Immigration Bureau requires all the documents submitted to the USCIS in support for any request, application or petition must fulfil the following criteria-

• It must be completely and accurately translated into English.
• The documents must bear a statement of certification, showing the accuracy of the translation. Furthermore, the translator must validate his/her skill or competency to translate by affixing their name and signature in the certification.

Here, we will tell you everything you need to know about certified translations for the USCIS applicants so that the processing of your applications takes place smoothly. Let’s get started!

Official USCIS Requirements

The USCIS or the US Citizenship and Immigration Services is a part of the federal government, which replaced INS as of March 2003. This legal body is in charge of the jurisdiction over immigration and citizenship issues.

Some of the common documents that are usually translated for submission with the USCIS include school/college transcripts, birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal records, foreign language diplomas, published works, etc.

When it comes to the USCIS, it mandates the submission of certified translations of all the documents in the foreign language, i.e., documents that aren’t issued in English. According to the USCIS standards, the translator needs to certify that he/she is proficient in the same. The translation must be accurate and complete.

The USCIS translation certificate format includes the name, address, signature of the translator or the agency, and date of certification. The professional USCIC translators are experienced in translations and can quickly generate documents that meet the USCIS standards.

Who Needs USCIS Certified Translation Services?

Anyone who is planning to immigrate to the US or apply for naturalization requires USCIS certified translation services. This isn’t the only case where translations are needed, though.

If you want to submit your medical diploma or transcript in order to take the US Medical Association Exam (USMLE), which is administered by the ECFMG, you will be required to have certified translations of your diploma in a foreign language.

If you are a foreign student who wishes to study in the US, you need to submit the certified translation of your diploma. In addition, in case of legal proceedings involving foreign parties or documents in a foreign language, a person needs to look for a certified translation service. Also, the documents should have certified translation from English into the language preferred by the foreign authorities so that the legal proceedings can take place.

What If You Submit Poor USCIS Translations?

Many people who require USCIS certified translations think that online translators, like Google Translate, can do the job. However, these translations are not acceptable. It needs to be noted that such automated programs don’t fulfil the USCIS criteria and aren’t considered a great option for educational, legal, or personal documents.

Likewise, the bilingual or multilingual applicants may be enticed to translate the documents on their own. This method also doesn’t qualify the criteria of a certified translation.

Remember, USCIS is quite strict about its guidelines for document submission and the information it receives. If they happen to find any discrepancy in the information or issues in the authenticity of the document, they may send an RFE or Request For Evidence. Consequently, it can delay the application processing time.

Therefore, it is recommended to look for certified translation services to get the job done!