USCIS certified translations accepted by US immigration authorities
Certified translations for US immigration filings, visa applications and green card processes, with the translator certification statement USCIS requires.
A USCIS certified translation is a complete English translation of a foreign-language document plus a signed statement certifying that the translator is competent and the translation is accurate, as required by 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). Orion Translations includes this certification statement as standard and delivers filing-ready translations in 1-3 business days.
What USCIS actually requires (and what it does not)
USCIS requires that translations are certified by a competent translator with a written declaration that the translator is competent to translate and that the translation is true and accurate. All Orion Translations USCIS translations include this certification statement as standard.
Just as important is what USCIS does not require: no notarisation, no apostille on the translation, and no membership of any translator association. Paying extra for those adds nothing to acceptance. What does cause rejections and Requests for Evidence is incomplete translation: every stamp, seal, annotation and marginal note on the original must appear in the English version.
Which documents need a certified translation for USCIS?
Every foreign-language document in your filing needs its own certified English translation. The documents Orion Translations most frequently certifies for USCIS:
- Birth certificates and family record books
- Marriage and divorce certificates
- Criminal record and police clearance certificates
- Academic diplomas, degrees and transcripts
- Passports, national identity documents and driving licences
- Bank statements, employment letters and pay slips for financial evidence
- Adoption papers and custody orders
What does the certification statement say?
The widely accepted wording certifies two things: competence and accuracy. Orion Translations issues each translation with a signed statement in this form: "I hereby certify that I am competent to translate from [language] into English and that the above is a complete and accurate translation of the attached document", together with the translator's name, contact details, signature and date. This satisfies the requirement in 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) for green card, visa, naturalisation and asylum filings.
How long does a USCIS certified translation take?
Standard civil documents are delivered in 1-3 business days as a filing-ready PDF containing the translation, a copy of the original and the signed certification. Urgent delivery is available when you are responding to a Request for Evidence with a deadline. Send a scan or clear photo of your document to info@oriontranslations.com or call +34 932 204 590 for a fixed quote within one business day.
Why choose a professional service instead of translating yourself?
A rejected translation does not just cost the filing fee: an RFE adds months to your case. Adjudicators expect complete, independently certified translations, and self-translations or partial summaries are the most common trigger for rejection. Orion Translations has certified immigration documents since 2009 and formats each translation to mirror the original, so the officer can match every entry at a glance.
Your immigration case deserves translations that are accepted the first time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- A USCIS certified translation is a complete English translation of a foreign-language document accompanied by a signed statement in which the translator certifies that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from that language into English. This requirement comes from US regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) and applies to every foreign-language document filed with USCIS.
- No. USCIS does not require notarisation, an apostille, or membership in any translator association. The regulation only requires the translator's signed certification of completeness, accuracy and competence. Offers of "notarised USCIS translations" add cost without adding acceptance. Orion Translations includes the compliant certification statement as standard.
- Any document not in English that supports your filing: birth, marriage and divorce certificates, criminal record certificates, academic diplomas and transcripts, passports and identity documents, bank statements and employment letters. Every foreign-language document in the petition must be accompanied by its certified English translation.
- It is strongly discouraged and often rejected in practice. Although the regulation does not explicitly forbid it, adjudicators view self-translation or translation by an interested party as a conflict with the required certification of accuracy. An independent professional translation avoids a Request for Evidence (RFE) that can delay your case by months.
- Certified translations of standard personal documents are usually priced per page or per document, and a typical civil certificate is inexpensive relative to the consequences of a rejected filing. Orion Translations provides a fixed quote within one business day, covering translation, the certification statement and delivery as a print-ready PDF.
- Standard personal documents such as birth or marriage certificates are typically delivered in 1-3 business days, and urgent same-day or next-day delivery is available for filing deadlines and RFE responses. The certified translation is delivered as a PDF containing the translation, a copy of the original and the signed certification statement.