Certified Translation for USCIS - What Immigration Requires
When you submit documents to USCIS, accuracy is not optional. A single translation mistake can delay an immigration case, trigger a Request for Evidence, or get a document rejected outright - and every one of those outcomes costs time you usually do not have. In this video, Carolina from South Beach Apostille, Translation & Notary walks through what makes a translation acceptable to USCIS: every word translated, the original meaning and formatting preserved, stamps and seals accounted for, correct legal terminology, and a signed Certification of Accuracy attached. If you are assembling immigration paperwork, knowing these requirements up front is the difference between a clean filing and an avoidable delay.
Key takeaways
- A USCIS translation must be complete - every word, including stamps, seals, and handwritten notes.
- The original meaning and formatting must be preserved, using accurate legal terminology.
- A signed Certification of Accuracy must accompany the translation.
- Birth and marriage certificates, divorce decrees, police certificates, passports, transcripts, diplomas, and court records commonly require one.
- Machine translation and uncertified translations are a frequent cause of Requests for Evidence.
Additional context
A certified translation and an apostille answer two different questions. The translation makes the content readable to the receiving authority; the apostille certifies the signature on the original public document. Immigration and foreign-government filings often require both, and the order matters - ask before you pay for either one twice.
