Immigration files are read by officers who compare documents against each other. A certified translation for USCIS or a consulate must be complete — every stamp, seal and marginal note — carry a signed statement of the translator’s accuracy and competence, and render your name the same way across every paper in the file. That is what we deliver, with a verifiable order code the officer can check independently.
When you need immigration document translation
Whenever a foreign-language document goes into an immigration file. USCIS petitions and adjustment of status, consular visa applications, citizenship and naturalization, residence permits, family reunification, and the supporting record that travels with them: birth and marriage certificates, divorce decrees, police clearances, military records, identity documents, and academic or employment evidence.
If the agency asks for a "certified translation" or a "translation with certificate of accuracy", that is this service. The guide by receiving authority covers what each office requires.
What USCIS actually requires
The rule is short, specific, and widely misunderstood — so here it is plainly.
- Complete, not summarized. Every word on the document is translated: the body text, yes, but also stamps, seals, registrar endorsements, revenue stickers, marginal annotations and anything printed on the reverse. A translation that renders only the readable middle of a page is incomplete, and incompleteness is a request for evidence waiting to happen.
- The translator certifies competence, not only accuracy. The statement must assert that the translator is competent to translate from that language into English — not merely that the translation is correct. Our statement names the philologist, states the competence, and is signed.
- Notarization is not required. This is the commonest thing people pay for and do not need. USCIS asks for a certified translation; a notary attests to a signature, not to a translation, and adds nothing USCIS is looking for. We will not sell you one, and we will tell you so if you ask.
- The translation accompanies the original. Submit both: a copy of the foreign-language document and its English translation with the certification attached. The officer reads them side by side, which is why our translations preserve the original’s structure rather than reflowing it into tidy prose.
- There is no United States certified-translator licence. No federal or state credential exists that USCIS requires — anyone competent may certify. Which means the badge on a translation company’s website proves nothing, and the only question worth asking is who actually did the work and whether they can be named. Ours can: the philologist who signs it is on this site, with his credentials.
One file, one spelling
An immigration officer’s job is partly to notice when documents disagree. A birth certificate saying Dimitrios, a marriage certificate saying Demetrios, and a passport saying Dimitris describe one man to you and three possibilities to them.
When you order several documents together, we render your name — and place names, and the issuing authorities — identically across all of them, matching the spelling on your passport, and note the original forms where they differ. Ordering the whole file at once is not merely cheaper by volume discount; it is the only way to guarantee that consistency.
If you have already had part of your file translated elsewhere, send us that translation too. We will match its renderings where they are defensible, and tell you where they are not.
What we do not promise
We do not promise an approval. A translation is one document in a file that is decided on its facts, and any translator suggesting otherwise is selling you something they do not have. What we promise is that the translation will not be the reason for a delay.
We do not give immigration advice. Which form, which category, which evidence — those belong to an attorney or an accredited representative, and we will say so rather than guess helpfully.
And we tell you before we start. If something in your file is likely to cause a request for evidence — a missing page, a name that will not match, a document that is not the one the form asks for — you hear about it before we begin, not after you have filed.
How pricing works
Certified translation is priced per page at the rate for that document type, confirmed at checkout before any charge. Volume discounts apply automatically from three pages onward, rising to 25% at seven or more — which is where most immigration files land once the supporting record is counted.
Certification, the stamp and the verifiable order code are included as standard. We do not sell notarization for USCIS filings, because USCIS does not ask for it. Where a consulate genuinely requires sworn translation or an apostille, we will say so before you order.
How to prepare your file
- Send every document that needs translating, together, in one order. Consistency across the file is the point.
- Send complete documents — all pages, both sides, every stamp and seal and marginal note.
- Send your name as your passport spells it. Everything else follows from that.
- Tell us the agency, the form number if you have it, and your filing deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Does USCIS accept EnLatin certified translations?
Yes. USCIS requires a complete English translation with a signed statement attesting to the translation’s accuracy and the translator’s competence. Every EnLatin certified translation carries that statement, the stamp, and an order code the officer can verify with us directly. Notarization is not required and we do not sell it for USCIS filings.
Do I need a notarized translation for immigration?
Almost certainly not. USCIS does not require it, and neither do most consulates. A notary attests that a signature is genuine — nothing about the translation itself. If a specific office has asked for one in writing, send us what they wrote and we will tell you what it actually means. The three terms are set out here.
My documents spell my name differently from my passport.
That is normal and it is why we ask. Transliteration standards differ between the registry that issued a document decades ago and the passport office that issued your passport last year. Send us the passport spelling: we render your name to match it throughout the file and note the original forms, so the officer sees one person recorded several ways rather than a discrepancy to investigate.
Can you translate police clearances and court records?
Yes — police clearances, criminal record extracts, court judgments, military service records, and the rest of the supporting file. Where a consulate additionally requires sworn translation or an apostille on the original, we will tell you which applies to your destination before you order.
How quickly can it be done?
Most documents are delivered within a few hours, up to just a day. Same-day and 24-hour options are available at checkout where you have a filing deadline. A full family file is quoted honestly — send it with the date and you will get a straight answer before you commit.
Related document guides
Ready when your file is.
Not sure which of your documents need translating? Send the list and we will tell you, before you order. salve@enlatin.net