By purpose
Certified translation of degrees for an I-140 petition and PERM labor certification
An employment based green card in the EB-2 or EB-3 category is built on an official academic record. The Form I-140 instructions ask for an official academic record showing a US advanced degree or an equivalent foreign degree, or a US baccalaureate or equivalent foreign degree with five years of progressive experience for the advanced degree category, and evidence of a US baccalaureate or equivalent foreign degree for professionals. The same instructions set the translation rule, a full English translation with the translator's signed certification that it is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent, including the signature, printed name, signature date and contact information. The USCIS Policy Manual adds that officers may favorably consider a credentials evaluation that provides a credible, logical and well documented case for equivalency, and that conclusory opinions are not persuasive. On the labor certification side, Form ETA-9089 asks the employer to state whether it used a credentialing service and whether it accepts a foreign educational equivalent. Eagle Translate delivers the translation the instructions describe, signed and dated by the named professional translator with our contact details on the certificate. Certified translation is $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, in 2 to 3 business days, and STUDENT25 takes 25% off.
In their own words
What USCIS and the Department of Labor say, in their own words
Translations. If you submit a document with information in a foreign language, you must also submit a full English translation. The translator must sign a certification that the English language translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English. The certification must also include their signature, printed name, the signature date, and their contact information.Five items, signature, printed name, date, contact information and the two certifications. Our certificate prints all of them.
In cases involving foreign degrees, officers may favorably consider a credentials evaluation performed by an independent credentials evaluator who has provided a credible, logical, and well-documented case for such an equivalency determination that is based solely on the alien's foreign degree(s).Based solely on the degree, which is why the transcript must be translated in full; the same chapter says the evaluation is advisory and the final determination rests with the officer.
If the employer is willing to accept an equivalent foreign degree, the employer must state this clearly on the Form ETA-9089, Application for Permanent Employment Certification.The Department of Labor requires no evaluation and no translation of its own; it asks the employer whether a credentialing service was used and whether a foreign equivalent is acceptable. The evaluation and the translated transcript are what answer those questions.
Requirement by requirement
The I-140 instructions and the Eagle Translate certificate
| What they require | What Eagle Translate delivers |
|---|---|
| A full English translation | Every word of the diploma, transcript and letters, stamps and seals described in place |
| Signed certification of completeness, accuracy and competence | The Certificate of Translation Accuracy, signed by the qualified professional translator |
| Signature, printed name, signature date | All three on the certificate, for the translator and for the issuing officer |
| Contact information | Company address, phone number and email printed on the certificate, with the certificate number and verification page |
Pricing
Exact prices, shown before you pay
A diploma with its transcript is the set almost every credential evaluation starts from. Certified translation is $24.95 per page, so a typical order of 3 to 8 pages comes to $74.85 to $199.60. The exact total is measured from your real document and shown before payment.
Standard
$19.95 per page
3 to 5 business days
A professional translation with digital delivery.
Certified
$24.95 per page
2 to 3 business days
A certified translation accepted for official use.
Premium
$39.95 per page
1 to 2 business days
A certified translation, translated first.
One page is up to 250 words.
Two discount coupon codes for students and professionals
STUDENT25 takes 25% off your certified translation
Enter STUDENT25 at checkout and certified translation drops from $24.95 to $18.71 per page. It applies to diplomas, transcripts, and any other document your evaluation needs.
Discount coupon codeSTUDENT25FREERUSH gives you Premium delivery at the Certified price
On a deadline? Choose the Premium level (1 to 2 business days) and enter FREERUSH; it is charged at $24.95 per page instead of $39.95, through 31 December 2026. One code applies per order.
Discount coupon codeFREERUSHRequirements
What an EB-2 or EB-3 file with a foreign degree requires
- For the advanced degree category, an official academic record showing a US advanced degree or an equivalent foreign degree, or a US baccalaureate or equivalent foreign degree plus letters from employers showing at least five years of progressive post baccalaureate experience in the specialty.
- For professionals, evidence that the beneficiary holds a US baccalaureate or equivalent foreign degree and that a baccalaureate is required for entry into the occupation.
- Every foreign language document needs a full English translation with the translator's signed certification of completeness, accuracy and competence, including signature, printed name, signature date and contact information.
- USCIS officers may favorably consider a credentials evaluation that provides a credible, logical and well documented case for equivalency based solely on the foreign degree, or a comparable evaluation by a school official with authority to make it; the evaluation is advisory and the officer decides.
- Form ETA-9089 asks whether the employer used a credentialing service to qualify the worker's education or experience, and requires the employer to state clearly whether an equivalent foreign degree is acceptable; Appendix A asks for the US equivalent of a degree earned outside the United States.
Common reasons translations get rejected
- A translation certificate without contact information or a date. The I-140 instructions list both, and a missing item is an easy request for evidence.
- An evaluation that states a conclusion without showing its work. USCIS calls conclusory opinions unpersuasive.
- Leaving the employment letters in the original language. For the five years of progressive experience route, letters in another language need the same certified translation as the degree.
- Mismatched degree names between the PERM form and the petition. The translation renders the degree as written, and the evaluation states its US equivalent; the two documents should agree with each other.
Who relies on it
Who this rule reaches
- EB-2 and EB-3 beneficiaries whose degree, and often whose employment history, was documented outside the United States, and the employers and attorneys who file for them.
- National interest waiver applicants, whose I-140 rests on the same academic record requirement.
- The credentials evaluators whose reports the petition cites, each of which reads the transcript in English under its own translation rule.
Good to know
Good to know for employment based petitions
The I-140 instructions do not mention credential evaluations at all; the guidance on evaluations lives in the Policy Manual, which cites 8 CFR 204.5(k)(2) and (l)(2) and the precedent decisions.
A translation made for an earlier H-1B petition serves the I-140 too, since the translation rules are the same; there is no need to translate the degree twice.
Certified translation with us is $24.95 per page of up to 250 words; STUDENT25 takes 25% off and FREERUSH gives Premium delivery at the Certified price. One code per order.
How it works
From upload to certified delivery
Step 1
Upload and get an instant quote
Send us your document, choose your languages, and see your price right away.
Step 2
A professional translator translates it
A qualified professional translator translates your document.
Step 3
Reviewed for accuracy and certified
Your translation is reviewed for accuracy and certified with a signed certificate of accuracy.
Step 4
Receive your certified translation
You receive your certified translation, ready for official use.
Questions
Common questions
- Does the Eagle Translate certificate meet the I-140 translation rule?
- The instructions ask for a full translation, a signed certification of completeness, accuracy and competence, the translator's signature, printed name, signature date and contact information. The Certificate of Translation Accuracy carries each of those. USCIS decides each petition; we do not give legal advice.
- Do I need a credential evaluation for an I-140?
- The instructions do not require one, but the Policy Manual says officers may favorably consider a well documented evaluation, and most attorneys include one for a foreign degree. The evaluator will need the translated transcript first.
- Does the Department of Labor need the translation for PERM?
- Form ETA-9089 asks the employer about credentialing services and foreign equivalents; it publishes no translation rule of its own. The translated degree is what lets the employer and its attorney answer those questions accurately.
- How much does the translation cost and how long does it take?
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 source words, in 2 to 3 business days, no certification fee. STUDENT25 takes 25% off; FREERUSH gives Premium 1 to 2 business day delivery at the Certified price. One code per order.
- Can the attorney or USCIS verify the certificate?
- Yes. Each certificate carries its own number and a QR code that lead to eagletranslate.com/verify, where the number is confirmed against our records.
A translation error is ours to fix
If your certified translation is rejected because of a translation error we made, we correct it at no charge, and if the corrected translation is rejected again for that same error we refund what you paid for it. Our Refund Policy sets out the conditions and what it does not cover. Your documents are encrypted and kept confidential from start to finish.
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