There are many requirements when you are applying to immigrate to the US. One of the mandatory things is to provide personal documents like a birth certificate, college degree, and other papers. However, you must do more than just get these documents in any foreign language.
They will need to be translated into English. The Immigration Service requires applicants to provide certified papers, which can be an issue when translated from other languages. That is the main reason why you must choose a legit service that will translate these papers for you.
The great thing is that you can now use Certified translation services when translating official documents. The process is quite simple, and all you need to do is to send scanned files. The price is not high as well since it will charge you around 10 cents per word. There are some other options for translating official foreign documents, and we are going to analyze more about that in the following article.
Types of Documents That Require Translation
The process of getting a US visa can be quite complex, depending on the country where you are from. Also, the biggest mistake would be to translate the documents on your own and provide unlicensed copies. The officials might recognize that as a fraud attempt, which will make the whole process much more difficult.
Also, there is a chance that you will be permanently banned from ever applying for a visa or a green card. In that matter, a certified translation is not something to play around with. Papers that you might have to translate are all those documents that you must provide in the application, such as financial records, marriage certificates, birth certificates, police records, and more.
The rules could be different for some people when it comes to required documents. The key is to be aware that translation is required for each one of them. Missing a single paper will make the process slower and more annoying. Therefore, don’t rush with the preparation, and be sure to learn more about all requirements.
What Are the Rules of Translation?
It is tricky since anyone fluent in English can translate your documents. If you can do that, it will help you save a lot of money since you won’t need to pay a translator for that process. You will have to use the same format as the original document and provide the original and translated copy to the officials. The great thing is that US officials do not require documents to be licensed by a notary.
The process of translation is also quite simple. If you are fluent in English, you must prove that to the officials and tell them that you translated documents. However, you will have to send a letter with a specific form where you will highlight that you translated your documents and them in attachments. After that, you will bring the originals to the interview so they can check the validity.
Keep in mind that there is always a chance for them to check the documents and whether the translation is accurate. If you are not sure that you are able to translate in the right way, using assistance is the best solution.
On the other side, there are some documents you cannot translate on your own, even if you are proficient in English. Some of these documents are birth certificates or a diploma. You will have to contact a certified service to provide a licensed copy of these papers. Moreover, we mentioned that it is not required for documents to be notarized.
Still, it might help you get through the process much faster and prove the validity of your documents. In addition to this, another important aspect to consider is the accuracy of translations, especially when dealing with immigration procedures. This is where certified USCIS translations come into play. When you have your documents translated by a certified professional who specializes in USCIS requirements, you can be confident that the content, context, and legal terminology are accurately conveyed.
This level of precision can make a significant difference in how your documents are evaluated by immigration authorities, potentially reducing the likelihood of delays or misunderstandings. Therefore, while notarization is beneficial, pairing it with certified USCIS translations further enhances the credibility and professionalism of your submission.
What is the Best Solution?
The best solution is to never play around with your official documents and risk getting rejected for a visa due to missing or poor translation. While you might be able to do that on your own, the problem is that officials who are not familiar with your native language cannot be sure whether you translated it in the right way.
Therefore, the fastest, safest, and easiest way is to contact a licensed service and pay them to provide you with notarized papers. It is not too expensive, which is a great thing. It will cost you only around $20 per page for standard documents, and around $60 for notarized ones.
Another advantage is that you can be more secure during the process. If the officials are not sure about the validity, but you were using a legit translator service, they can contact the agency to check whether the translated copies are legit and accurate.
In that matter, that is the best way to avoid issues with rejection or delays. These services are aware of the requirements and will help you collect the right papers and translate them. The most common issue with your own translation is that you might not be aware of official terms used for documents, which might make your documents appear inauthentic or even fake.
The Bottom Line
We also have to mention that there is a difference between a certified translator and a certified translation. The first one can be any person that passed the test, which means that they have native proficiency and can translate from another language. However, that does not automatically mean that their translation will be certified because that will require an additional license.
Therefore, if you think that you will save a lot of money by asking a friend to translate it for you or do it on your own, you might make a serious mistake that will lead to the rejection of your visa application. Therefore, the only way to get through this process fast and without any issues is to find a licensed service, provide them with scanned documents, and use the translated papers in the application. In the end, missing some documents is an even bigger issues. Therefore, be sure to collect everything that is in the requirements.