Certified translation
Divorce Decree Translation for a K-1 Visa
A K-1 fiance visa runs first through USCIS on Form I-129F and then through a consular interview abroad, and both stages require English translations of foreign language civil documents. USCIS requires the translator's certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)), and consular posts expect that same certification alongside the original document. A certified translation of a divorce decree costs $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and a typical order runs 1 to 10 pages, so most cost $24.95 to $249.50. Delivery takes 2 to 3 business days and includes the complete translation with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy from the qualified professional translator responsible for the work.
Pricing
Exact prices, shown before you pay
Short-form divorce certificates from civil registries run 1 to 2 pages of 250 words, while full foreign judgments with custody, property, and support terms commonly run 4 to 10. Certified translation is $24.95 per page, so a typical order of 1 to 10 pages comes to $24.95 to $249.50. 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.
Requirements
K-1 Visa requirements for a certified divorce decree translation
- Any foreign-language document submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, together with the translator's certification that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
- For consular processing, NVC requires evidence of the termination of every prior marriage as an original or certified copy of a final legal divorce decree, death certificate, or annulment papers, and documents not written in English or in the official language of the country where the applicant is applying must be accompanied by certified translations with a signed translator statement.
- The translation must be complete and word for word. Every page and every section of the decree must be translated, including custody, property, and support provisions. A summary or extract translation does not meet the USCIS full-translation requirement.
- The translation must show that the divorce is final. The finality language and the effective date of dissolution in the decree are the elements adjudicators look for, so they must be rendered exactly as written.
- All seals, stamps, registrar annotations, and marginal or handwritten notes on the decree, including any on the reverse side, are translated or described in square brackets, for example [round seal of the Civil Registry Office], and signatures are noted as [signature] rather than reproduced.
- Personal names are transliterated exactly and consistently, and should match the spelling in the person's passport and other filed documents wherever the source document allows. Dates and case numbers are reproduced exactly, with the original calendar values preserved.
- Portions of the decree that cannot be read are marked [illegible] in the translation rather than guessed at or omitted. This is standard professional practice for certified translations.
Common reasons translations get rejected
- Partial or summary translations trigger RFEs. USCIS requires a full English translation of the entire document, and decrees where only the operative ruling was translated are a common RFE cause.
- The document submitted does not show a final divorce. Interim or provisional decrees, such as a decree nisi in two-stage systems, do not prove the marriage was legally terminated. NVC specifically requires the final legal divorce decree.
- The translator certification is missing, unsigned, or does not state competence and completeness, which fails the 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requirement.
- Untranslated seals, stamps, or registrar annotations, especially entries on the back of the decree, leave the translation incomplete and can prompt a request for a corrected translation.
- Name spellings in the translation that do not match the passport or other filed documents cause identity questions, especially with transliteration from non-Latin scripts.
Good to know
Who asks for a translated divorce decree
USCIS, Form I-130 spousal petitions. If either the petitioner or the beneficiary was previously married, evidence that every prior marriage was legally terminated is required, and a foreign-language divorce decree must be filed with a certified English translation.
USCIS, Form I-129F fiance(e) petitions and the K-1 visa interview. Consular officers require divorce or death certificates for any previous spouse of either party, with certified translations for foreign-language documents.
The National Visa Center and US consulates during immigrant visa processing (DS-260 civil documents stage). NVC requires an original or certified copy of the final legal divorce decree, annulment papers, or death certificate for every prior marriage of the applicant and of a previously married petitioning spouse.
USCIS, Form I-485 adjustment of status, where prior marriages of the applicant or petitioner must be shown as terminated.
USCIS, Form N-400 naturalization, which asks for the applicant's full marital history and evidence that prior marriages of the applicant and, for the three-year marriage rule, of the current spouse were terminated.
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
- Part of the registrar's stamp on my decree is unreadable. Is that a problem?
- The translator marks unreadable text as [illegible] in the translation, which is the accepted professional standard. If a critical element such as the finality date is unreadable, consider requesting a fresh certified copy from the issuing court before translation.
- How fast can I get the certified translation of my decree?
- Certified delivery is 2 to 3 business days. An AI-assisted draft preserves the document structure and a qualified professional translator reviews and approves every certified translation before it is delivered with the signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy.
- Does USCIS need my whole divorce decree translated, or just the page with the ruling?
- The whole document. Federal regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires a full English translation certified as complete and accurate, so every page must be translated, including custody, property, and support sections. Partial translations are a common reason for a Request for Evidence.
- My decree is long. How is the price calculated?
- Certified translation is 24.95 USD per page, and a page is up to 250 source words. A long decree is priced by its actual word count, so a 2,000-word judgment is billed as 8 pages. You see the page count before you pay.
- Does the translation need to be notarized for USCIS?
- No. USCIS requires a signed translator certification of completeness, accuracy, and competence, not notarization. Every certified order from Eagle Translate includes a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy with the name and signature of the qualified professional translator, plus a QR verification page.
- I have a two-stage divorce with an interim and a final decree. Which one should be translated?
- The final decree. NVC and USCIS require evidence that the marriage was legally and finally terminated, so the document showing finality and the effective date is the one that matters. If your file contains both stages, translating the final decree is essential and the interim order can be included if an officer asks for the complete record.
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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