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Translating the Documents in a Ukrainian Asylum File
Ukrainian files are shaped by two things a translator has to handle honestly: documents split between Ukrainian and Russian across the decades, and records that may now be unreachable. This page covers the documents and their translation.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
DRATS records, and the language they are in
Civil documents come from DRATS (ДРАЦС), which issues certificates and extracts from the State Register of Civil Status Acts. Records from before 1991 come from the Soviet ZAGS and are frequently in Russian — a Russian-language certificate from a Ukrainian registry is ordinary and we translate either language.
Two quirks worth knowing before you go looking for paperwork that does not exist: where a court dissolved a marriage after 27 July 2010, the court decision in legal force is the document and no divorce certificate is issued; and after a dissolution DRATS does not reissue the marriage certificate either.
Documents that may not be obtainable
Ukrainian consulates say plainly that obtaining a document from Ukraine can now take an indefinite period, and records held in occupied or damaged territory may not be retrievable at all. That is not something a translation can solve, and it is better known before money is spent.
What we can do is translate whatever exists — including documents issued by a consulate abroad rather than in Ukraine — and say honestly what a poor scan does and does not show. See our Ukrainian police record page.
What these files contain
Alongside identity and civil records:
- Military summons, service records and medical commission documents
- Police reports and court decisions
- Employment records and enterprise documents
- Property documents, and records relating to damaged or occupied property
- Medical reports, and evidence of treatment
- Declarations from relatives and witnesses
Translated as written, because credibility is the issue
An asylum file is judged largely on whether the account holds together. That makes a translation unusually consequential, and it makes the temptation to improve things actively dangerous. A vague sentence rendered precisely, a torn line reconstructed from context, a threat translated more fluently than it was written — each of those creates a discrepancy between the document and the testimony that was never in the record.
So: everything legible is translated, at the register it was written in. Anything genuinely illegible is marked illegible rather than guessed at. Nothing is softened and nothing is heightened. Where a document is damaged, partial or a photograph of a photocopy, the translation says so plainly — which is worth far more to the person reading the file than a clean-looking rendering of something nobody can actually read.
One packet, both forums
An affirmative application goes to USCIS under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). A defensive one is filed with the immigration court, where 8 CFR 1003.33 and the EOIR practice manual also want the translator's name, address and telephone number attached. Our certification carries both, on letterhead and page-numbered, so the same translation serves either — see what it states. Where one certification needs to cover a bundle of exhibits, it will list them.
Files here name people who may still be at risk. Everything is translated by professional human translators and handled confidentially — never pasted into a public machine-translation tool. What we do not do is advise on the claim, tell you what evidence to gather or assess whether a document helps you. That is your attorney's work, and this is the point in a case to have one.
How it works
Upload a photo or a scan of your document, pick the language pair and check out online. You never have to mail originals: a legible copy is all we need.
A professional human translator, never machine translation, translates the document word for word and mirrors the layout of the original. Every certified translation ships with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy that meets the requirements of USCIS, courts and universities.
Your translation is delivered digitally, usually within 24 hours for documents of one to three pages, and same-day delivery is available. If anything needs adjusting, we revise it.
Certified vs. standard translation
A certified translation is a word-for-word translation accompanied by a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and completeness. It is what official bodies require: USCIS, courts, universities and government agencies. Certified translations are $24.95 per page, where a page is up to 250 words.
A standard translation is for business or personal use where certification is not needed, such as CVs, client intake forms or marketing material, and is billed at the same $24.95 per page of up to 250 words.
Frequently asked questions
My documents are in Russian, not Ukrainian.
Normal for anything issued before 1991 and common for a while after. We translate Russian and Ukrainian entries alike.
Can you tell me whether my documents are enough?
No. We translate documents and certify the translations. What evidence a claim needs, and what it is worth, is for your attorney — asylum is not a filing to do alone.
My document is torn, faded or only a photograph.
We translate everything legible and mark the rest as illegible. We never reconstruct a damaged document, because a plausible guess in a file judged on credibility is worse than an acknowledged gap.
Will the same translation work for USCIS and immigration court?
Yes. Our certification carries the competence and accuracy statement plus our contact details on letterhead, which satisfies 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) and the EOIR practice manual.
Ready to get started?
Upload your documents and receive your certified translation, typically within 24 hours.