Home / Government agencies / Immigration Court
Immigration Courts (Executive Office for Immigration Review): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: Immigration Court accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Any translator signing the certification
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 29, 2026
Under 8 CFR 1003.33, any foreign-language document a party offers in immigration court must be accompanied by an English translation and a certification signed by the translator, printed legibly or typed, stating that the translator is competent to translate the document and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator's abilities.
The Immigration Court Practice Manual adds that the certification is attached to the foreign-language document, names each document if it covers several, and includes the translator's address and telephone number. eVerbary provides the translation and the signed certification; we do not file with the court, prepare applications or interpret at hearings.
Immigration Court at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
8 CFR 1003.33 requires "a certification signed by the translator" of competence and accuracy (8 CFR 1003.33) and does not limit who the translator is, so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 29, 2026.
- Translation
- Required for every foreign-language document
- Who may translate
- Any translator signing the certification
- Original or copy
- Typed certification with address and phone
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Certificate
- SignedCertificate of translation accuracy, PDF
Checked on October 29, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Immigration Court's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Immigration Court
Every document filed
English, or with a certified English translation.
Address and phone
The certification must give the translator's contact details.
Filing deadlines apply
Late exhibits may be excluded or given less weight.
Immigration Court requirements in detail
Translation
All documents filed with the immigration court must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation (Practice Manual 2.3(a)).
Who may translate
Not restricted; the translator signs a certification of competence and accuracy (8 CFR 1003.33).
Certification
Typed or legibly printed, signed by the translator and attached to the foreign-language document; states that the translator is competent to translate the language of the document and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator's abilities.
Contact details
The translator's address and telephone number must be included (Immigration Court Practice Manual, Chapter 2.3, Documents).
Several documents
One certification may cover several documents if it specifies them.
Original or copy
File photocopies of supporting documents, not originals; bring the originals to every individual calendar hearing (Practice Manual 2.3(d)).
Deadlines
For example, unrepresented non-detained respondents file at least 30 days before an individual calendar hearing; untimely exhibits may be excluded or given less weight (Practice Manual 2.1).
Translation certification and certificate of interpretation
The regulation has been the same since 1994: a foreign-language document offered by a party comes with an English translation and a certification signed by the translator, printed legibly or typed, stating competence to translate the document and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator's abilities (8 CFR 1003.33, Translation of documents).
The Practice Manual fills in the form: the certification is typed, signed and attached to the foreign-language document, names each document if it covers more than one, and gives the translator's address and telephone number; Appendix F is a sample (Immigration Court Practice Manual, Chapter 2.3, Documents).
A different certificate applies to a declaration written in English for someone who does not read English, such as a respondent's declaration in an asylum case.
That document needs a certificate of interpretation stating it was read to the person in a language they understand, that they understood it before signing, and that the interpreter is competent.
If the declaration is written in the respondent's language instead, it needs a translation and the translator's certification.
Copies, originals and deadlines
File photocopies of identity documents and other supporting documents, with their translations, and keep the originals: they may have to be shown to DHS for forensic examination, and the respondent must bring them to every individual calendar hearing (Practice Manual 2.3(d)).
Translations take time, so plan around the filing deadlines.
They depend on the hearing type and on whether the respondent is detained or represented; for an unrepresented, non-detained respondent, filings for an individual calendar hearing are due at least 30 days before it, and the immigration judge can change any deadline.
An untimely exhibit may not be admitted or may be given less weight (Practice Manual 2.1).
Need a certified translation for Immigration Court?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents people usually translate
- Birth and marriage certificates and national identity documents
- Police reports, medical records and arrest warrants supporting asylum claims
- Declarations and letters from witnesses written in another language
- Court records, judgments and criminal dispositions from another country
- Newspaper articles and country-condition documents
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to Immigration Court
Attach each translation and its signed certification to a copy of the foreign-language document and file it with the court and serve DHS (Practice Manual 2.3); attorneys and accredited representatives must file electronically through ECAS (Practice Manual 2.1).
We deliver the translation as a PDF with a signed certificate of translation accuracy; tell us at ordering that it is for immigration court, so the certificate can be checked against the Practice Manual list (address and telephone number included).
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not a government agency or a filing service. We do not complete or file applications, and we do not issue or certify the original document.
For immigration court, we translate documents; we do not represent respondents, prepare or file applications, or provide hearing interpreters (the court provides those).
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
What does immigration court require for foreign-language documents?
An English translation and a certification signed by the translator stating competence and that the translation is true and accurate (8 CFR 1003.33).
Does the translator need to be certified or licensed?
No. The regulation asks for the translator's signed certification, not a credential.
What must the translation certificate include?
A typed, signed statement attached to the document, stating competence and accuracy, naming the documents covered, and giving the translator's address and telephone number (Immigration Court Practice Manual, Chapter 2.3, Documents).
Does the certificate need to be notarized?
No. Neither the regulation nor the Practice Manual asks for notarization.
How much does it cost?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for 1 to 3 pages; for long evidence packets, ask for a free quote.
Sources
Immigration Courts (Executive Office for Immigration Review)'s own pages, read on October 29, 2026.
Translating documents for Immigration Court?
Upload a scan of your document and see the price and delivery time before you pay.