When is a certified translation required?

If a person wants to immigrate to the USA, that person needs to apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a relevant visa. The USCIS expects that all documents, including birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, police clearance certificate, driver’s license, academic diplomas, etc, are in English. In case these documents are not in English, then they need to be translated in English and the translator has to certify that the translation is correct.

Translation Notes

Translation Notes Mentioned below are some points that a translator must consider while translating official documents:

- The document should be translated in its entirety and accurately. There should be no omissions. Stamp, seals, lines, etc should all be translated.

- Nothing which is not present in the original document should be added in the translated document. For example: If the mother’s name is missing in the original birth certificate, it cannot be added in the English certified translation.

- In case something in the original document is not clear, then the English language translation should make a note that it is not legible.

- The English translated document should match the visual layout of the original document. For example, the signature of the issuing authority in the translation should be in the same location as that in the original document.

Attributes of a good translators

A good translator should possess the following attributes:

- Very good written and spoken knowledge of both the source and target (English) languages.

- Knowledge of the subject that is being translated.

- Ability to translate literally (word by word and line by line) without either omitting or adding anything.