What the regulation actually asks for
For a document that is not in English, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) sets out what has to accompany the filing: a complete translation, and a statement from the translator certifying that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to do it. The statement carries a signature and a date.
Three things follow from that wording, and each one is a place where translations go wrong.
- Complete: every page, the reverse of a page with content on it, stamps, seals and a handwritten note in the margin. A summary is not a translation.
- Accurate: names spelled the way the document spells them, dates in the same order as the original, figures exactly as they appear.
- Signed by the translator: the statement is one person certifying their own work, not a company logo.
Where the phrase comes from
Agencies use "approved" because it converts, and forms use it because nobody defines it. An applicant reads "certified translation required" in a form's instructions, searches for the strongest-sounding version of that phrase, and finds providers claiming a status with no issuing authority behind it.
If a provider says it is on the USCIS list, ask which list. There is no published list of approved translators, and no USCIS page names individual companies.
What a USCIS officer checks
Not the badge. The page. In practice the checks are the ones the regulation names:
- Is every page translated, including the ones with no writing on the front?
- Is there a statement, and does it name the translator?
- Is it signed and dated?
- Can the translator be reached at the address or number on the statement?
The last one is why our statement carries our contact details alongside the translator's: a request to confirm a signature, or a question about a spelling, should not need a second letter.
What gets a translation questioned
- A missing page, or a missing reverse side
- A translation that summarizes a long document instead of translating it
- An unsigned statement, or a signature with no name attached
- A name or a date that does not match the document
- A translation of a document that did not need one, which raises a question about what was sent
Does the translator need a qualification or a membership?
No US rule requires one. USCIS asks for a translator who is competent in the languages of the document and who certifies that on the statement. It does not name a qualification, a professional body or a test, and the regulation makes none of them a condition. Credentials can help a reader trust a page; they are not what 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) asks for.
The documents this comes up with most
Civil documents filed with a petition or an application, and the supporting records that arrive with them. Each of these has its own page, because what a translator has to handle differs between them: a birth certificate has registry fields and a margin note, a bank statement has a running balance that has to survive translation figure for figure.
- Birth certificate translation
- Marriage certificate translation
- Divorce certificate translation
- Passport and ID document translation
- Academic transcript translation
- Police clearance translation
- Bank statement translation
- Immigration document translation
The service page for filings is where the certification itself is set out: what the statement says, what arrives with the translation and what the receiving office is given.
What it costs and how long it takes
From $54 per document, and $0.12 per word into English after the first 400 words. The quote is written and comes before payment, and it states the turnaround for the document you send.
Most documents can be turned around on the same business day when the order and payment are confirmed before 4pm ET. That is an estimate, not a commitment: it depends on the document, the language pair and what else is in the queue that day.
You get one PDF holding the translation and the signed statement. Printed sets are quoted on request, and most filings do not need paper.
If a translation is questioned
Send us the query. We reissue the translation with the statement, the translator's details and our contact details, and answer the specific point that was raised. Where a name was transliterated differently from the passport, it is corrected against the document you send rather than guessed at.
Frequently asked questions
Is there such a thing as a USCIS approved translator?
No. USCIS does not approve, license or certify translators, and there is no list of approved translators to search. What it asks for is a complete translation with a signed statement from the translator, which is what DHCTranslations issues with every document.
Does USCIS require a certified translation?
Yes, for any document that is not in English. The filing needs a complete translation and a statement from the translator certifying that it is complete and accurate, under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). The statement is the certification, and it has to be signed and dated.
Does the translator have to hold a particular qualification?
No. No US rule requires a qualification, a professional body membership or a test result for a USCIS translation. The statement certifies that the translator is competent in the two languages, and the translator signs it.
What has to be on the translator's statement?
A certification that the translation is complete and accurate, the translator's name and signature, the date, and contact details so the statement can be verified. DHCTranslations adds its own contact details alongside the translator's.
Do I need to post the original document?
No. Send photographs or scans of every page, including the reverse sides, and the certified PDF comes back by email. Originals stay with you. A printed set can be quoted if the filing needs paper.
How much does a USCIS translation cost?
From $54 per document, and $0.12 per word into English after the first 400 words. DHCTranslations quotes in writing before payment, and the quote states the turnaround for the document you send; most documents can be turned around on the same business day when the order and payment are confirmed before 4pm ET.