USCIS Translation Requirements for Immigration Documents

USCIS translation requirements are set by a single federal rule: every foreign-language document you file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must be accompanied by a full English translation, along with a signed statement from the translator certifying that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages.¹ There is no approved-translator list, no required credential, and no notarization requirement. The rule is short. Meeting it cleanly is where most applicants slip.

What the Certification Statement Must Say

The certification is the piece officers look at first, and it’s the piece most applicants rush. It can sit on a separate page or as a clearly marked section at the end of the translation, but it has to include all of the following:

A statement that the translator is fluent in English and in the source language.
A statement that the translation is complete and accurate.
The translator’s full legal name.
The translator’s mailing address.
The translator’s signature and the date signed.

A workable version reads: “I, [full name], certify that I am fluent in English and [source language], and that the attached document is a complete and accurate translation of the original document titled [document name]. Signed on [date].” The exact wording is not fixed, but every element above has to appear. Forgetting the address, forgetting to sign, or forgetting to date the statement is enough to get the translation package rejected.

A phone number or email address isn’t required, but including one is sensible. If an officer has a question about the translation, being reachable can prevent a formal written follow-up that adds weeks to your case.²

Who Is Allowed to Translate

The regulation does not restrict who may serve as the translator. You don’t need a certified professional, a member of the American Translators Association, or a licensed translation service. Anyone fluent in both languages can do the work, provided they sign the certification themselves.¹

Nothing in the rule strictly prevents you from translating your own documents. In practice, that’s a bad idea. An officer reviewing a self-translated document has reason to give it more scrutiny, and immigration attorneys almost uniformly advise using a disinterested third party rather than the applicant, petitioner, or beneficiary. A bilingual friend, coworker, or family member who isn’t part of the case can sign the certification.

Notarization is not required. Some applicants have their translations notarized anyway because their home country expects it for official use, and that’s harmless, but USCIS does not need or expect a notary stamp.²

What a Full Translation Actually Covers

A translation is “complete” only if it renders every element on the original document. That means printed text, handwritten notes, official stamps, and seals. A summary won’t do. A one-paragraph description of a three-page divorce decree will be rejected, because the officer needs to compare the translation to the original line by line.

If a stamp or handwritten notation is genuinely unreadable, the translator should mark it “[illegible]” rather than skip it silently. A gap in the translation raises a question the officer can’t answer without asking you.

One trap catches people with bilingual documents: if the page is mostly English but the seal, header, or a stamp is in another language, that non-English portion still has to be translated. You don’t get to skip text because the rest of the page is already in English.

Which Documents Need Translation

Anything with foreign-language text on it. The categories that come up most often in immigration filings:

Civil records: birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and death certificates. USCIS specifically requires a certified English translation for every foreign birth certificate submitted with an adjustment-of-status application.³
Court and police records: dispositions, clearance letters, and any documentation of criminal history or its absence.
Financial records: bank statements, tax returns, employment letters, and business records used for an affidavit of support or financial eligibility.
Vaccination and medical records submitted with Form I-693.⁴
Educational records: diplomas, transcripts, and professional licenses from foreign institutions.

How to Submit the Translation

Every submission has three pieces: a copy of the original foreign-language document, the English translation, and the signed certification statement. How you package them depends on how you file.

Paper Filings

Include a legible photocopy of the original. You generally shouldn’t send the original itself unless the form instructions call for it. Stack the three pieces in order (original-language copy, translation, certification) and keep them grouped so intake processing doesn’t separate them.²

Online Filings

Through the USCIS online portal, upload the certified English translation alongside the original foreign-language document. Files must be in PDF, JPG, or JPEG format, with a 12 MB cap per file. Some forms also accept TIFF. Do not encrypt or password-protect the files, or the system won’t open them.⁵

Scan quality is not a minor detail. A blurry scan of a birth certificate where the officer can’t read the original text creates the same problem as missing translation: the officer can’t verify what they’re looking at. Scan at 300 DPI or higher and confirm that stamps and seals are readable in the digital file before uploading.

If USCIS Sends a Request for Evidence About the Translation

If a translation is incomplete, uncertified, or otherwise deficient, USCIS will issue a Request for Evidence. Deadlines are strict. For most forms, you have 84 days to respond. For Form I-539, you get only 30 days. Extensions are not permitted under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(8).⁶

The date on the first page of the RFE is a “received by” date, not a postmark date. Arrive one day late and USCIS can deny the application on the record as it stands. If the RFE was served by regular mail, you get three additional days on top of the stated deadline for mailing time.

Read the RFE closely. Sometimes the problem is small: a missing certification, an untranslated stamp. Sometimes USCIS wants an entire document retranslated because the first version was a summary. Either way, the corrected translation has to meet every requirement above, with a new certification statement bearing a current date and signature. Sending back the same deficient version almost always ends in denial.

Don’t Alter or Omit Anything

Cleaning up a translation by softening a date, dropping a criminal notation, or leaving out an unfavorable line is not a shortcut. It’s a misrepresentation. Under Section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, using fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact to obtain an immigration benefit makes you inadmissible to the United States.⁷

That finding doesn’t end with the current case. It follows into future filings and can block visas, adjustment of status, and admission at the border. A waiver exists under INA 212(i) for certain immigrants with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouses or parents, but only on a showing of extreme hardship to that qualifying relative, and the process is neither fast nor certain. Translate the document as it is. If something on the original hurts your case, address it directly rather than editing it out of the translation.

1
eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2 – Submission and Adjudication of Benefit Requests
2
U.S. Department of State. Information about Translating Foreign Documents
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 7 – Part A – Chapter 4
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
5
USCIS. Tips for Filing Forms Online
6
USCIS. Policy Memorandum – Change Timeframes for RFE
7
U.S. Department of State. 9 FAM 302.9 – Ineligibility Based on Fraud and Misrepresentation