Certified translation
Certified Document Translation for a Marriage Based Green Card
A marriage based green card runs either as an adjustment of status inside the United States or as an immigrant visa through consular processing, and both routes require English translations of the foreign language civil documents in the file. A certified translation costs $24.95 per page, where one page is up to 250 words of the source document, and there is no separate certification fee. A set covering the 4 document types most often translated for a marriage based green card starts at $99.80. Files vary a great deal in size, and a larger set costs proportionally more, so the figure that matters is the one measured from your own documents. That measurement happens before payment, the full price appears on screen, and nothing is charged until the order is confirmed. Delivery takes 2 to 3 business days as a PDF holding the complete translation and a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy from the qualified professional translator responsible for the work.
Pricing
Exact prices, shown before you pay
Summed from the typical length of the 4 document types most often translated for a marriage based green card. Certified translation is $24.95 per page, so a typical order of 4 to 16 pages comes to $99.80 to $399.20. 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
What each route requires of a translation
- Any document containing a foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate, together with the translator's certification that they are competent to translate from that language into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
- The USCIS Policy Manual states the same rule and adds that a summary of a document prepared by a translator is unacceptable, so the whole document has to be translated rather than the parts that seem relevant.
- For immigrant visa processing the Department of State requires that all documents not written in English, or in the official language of the country you are applying from, be accompanied by certified translations.
- The Department of State requires the translation to include a statement signed by the translator saying that the translation is accurate and that the translator is competent to translate.
- The two requirements differ in reach. The USCIS rule covers any document containing a foreign language, while the Department of State rule exempts a document already written in the official language of the country you are applying from.
- For immigrant visa cases the Department of State asks you to include a scan of the translation together with the original foreign language document in a single file, with the native language document first and the English translation after it.
- Neither authority names an organisation, an association, or an approved provider whose translations must be used. The published rules set requirements about the translation being full, complete, and accurate, and about the translator certifying competence.
- Every certified translation Eagle Translate delivers carries a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy stating that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate, which is the wording both authorities describe.
Common reasons translations get rejected
- Translating only the parts of a document that look relevant does not meet the requirement. The USCIS Policy Manual states plainly that a summary of a document prepared by a translator is unacceptable.
- The document lists USCIS publishes for Form I-130 and Form I-485 are optional preparation tools, and USCIS states on those pages that they do not replace the statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements.
- The two routes do not ask for the same police records. Police certificates are required for the immigrant visa route under the Department of State criteria, while the Form I-485 checklist does not list foreign police certificates and instead asks for certified police and court records of criminal charges, arrests, or convictions where those apply.
- For the immigrant visa route the Department of State asks for marriage certificates covering every marriage and evidence that every prior marriage ended, for both spouses, so an older certificate in a foreign language needs translating as well as the current one.
- The National Visa Center asks you not to send original passports or original civil documents and to send photocopies with any required translations instead, while still requiring you to bring the originals to the interview.
- Which documents exist, what they are called, and which authority issues them varies by country. The Department of State publishes that detail on its Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country pages, and USCIS relies on the same pages when deciding whether a record is generally available.
Good to know
Documents named in the official guidance for each route
Adjustment of status, Form I-130. The checklist asks for a copy of the marriage certificate, and for evidence that any prior marriage of either spouse was terminated.
Adjustment of status, Form I-130. The checklist asks for evidence of the bona fides of the marriage, which can include property records, a joint lease, records showing combined finances, birth certificates of children of the marriage, and sworn affidavits from third parties.
Adjustment of status, Form I-485. The checklist asks for a copy of your birth certificate, and allows other evidence of birth such as church, school, or medical records where a birth certificate does not exist or cannot be obtained.
Adjustment of status, Form I-485. The checklist asks for a government issued identity document carrying a photograph, and for certified police and court records of criminal charges, arrests, or convictions where those apply.
Consular processing. Each applicant and each family member immigrating with them needs an original birth certificate or a certified copy.
Consular processing. Original marriage certificates or certified copies are needed for every marriage, together with a final divorce decree, death certificate, or annulment papers ending each prior marriage.
Consular processing. Applicants aged 16 or over need police certificates from the countries set out in the Department of State criteria, which cover the country of nationality, the country of current residence, any country lived in for 12 months or more, and any city or country where the applicant was arrested.
Consular processing. Anyone convicted of a crime needs a certified copy of each court and prison record, and anyone who served in the military of any country needs a photocopy of their military record.
Consular processing. Each applicant submits a photocopy of the biographic data page of a currently valid passport, which is the page carrying the photograph, name, date of birth, and place of birth.
Civil documents must be issued by the official issuing authority in the country concerned.
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 my foreign marriage certificate need to be translated?
- Yes, if it is in a foreign language. Regulation requires any document containing a foreign language filed with USCIS to be accompanied by a full English translation with a translator certification, and the Department of State requires certified translations of civil documents for immigrant visa cases.
- What has to appear on the translator certification?
- For USCIS the translator certifies that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English. For immigrant visa cases the Department of State requires a statement signed by the translator saying the translation is accurate and that the translator is competent to translate.
- Can only the important parts of a document be translated?
- No. The requirement is a full English translation, and the USCIS Policy Manual states that a summary of a document prepared by a translator is unacceptable.
- Do I send the foreign language document as well as the translation?
- Yes. The regulation says the foreign language document must be accompanied by the translation. For immigrant visa cases the Department of State asks you to scan the translation together with the original foreign language document in a single file, with the native language document first and the English translation after it.
- Do I have to send my original documents?
- USCIS tells filers not to send original documents unless the form instructions or the applicable regulations specifically request them. The National Visa Center asks you not to send original passports or original civil documents and to send photocopies with any required translations instead, while requiring you to bring the originals to the interview.
- My document is already in the official language of the country I am applying from. Do I still need a translation?
- For immigrant visa processing the Department of State requires translations of documents not written in English or in the official language of the country you are applying from. The USCIS rule is broader and applies to any document containing a foreign language.
- Does every prior marriage document need translating, or only the current certificate?
- For immigrant visa cases the Department of State requires marriage certificates for every marriage and evidence of the termination of every prior marriage, for both spouses, so each of those documents needs a translation if it is in a foreign language.
- Do police certificates need translating?
- Police certificates are part of the civil documents required for the immigrant visa route, and the translation requirement applies to them when they are in a foreign language. The Form I-485 checklist for adjustment of status does not list foreign police certificates, and asks instead for certified police and court records tied to criminal charges, arrests, or convictions where those apply.
- Does the translation have to come from a particular organisation or an approved provider?
- The published rules do not name any organisation or approved provider. They set requirements about the translation being full, complete, and accurate, and about the translator certifying competence to translate from the foreign language into English.
- Does the translation need to be notarized?
- The USCIS translation regulation and the Department of State civil documents guidance do not state a notarization requirement in their published translation rules. The Department of State does require the translator statement to be signed.
- How do I find out which documents my country issues?
- The Department of State publishes country specific civil document information on its Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country pages, which explain which documents are available in each country and how to obtain them.
- What happens to stamps, seals, and signatures in the translation?
- They are not dropped. Stamps, seals, signatures, and reference codes are described in bracketed form at the position they hold in the original, and the page structure is preserved, so the translation can be set beside the source document and followed line by line.
- What does the Certificate of Translation Accuracy attest to?
- It attests to the accuracy of the translation. It states in those words that it does not attest to the authenticity of the source document or to the truth of its contents.
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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