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Orange Coast College: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Orange Coast College lets F-1 applicants upload unofficial, untranslated transcripts for the first review, but says admissions staff may ask for an English translation later, and it asks for an English translation of the marriage and birth certificates of F-2 dependents; it does not say who must translate. Orange Coast College accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. Credit for courses taken abroad needs a course-to-course evaluation from an accredited evaluation and translation service, which we do not provide.
No translation at first
Initial review works from untranslated, unofficial copies.
F-2 certificates
Marriage and birth certificates need an English translation.
AA/AS only
Foreign credit never counts toward ADT, Cal-GETC or IGETC.
OCC requirements at a glance
| What OCC asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | Not needed for the initial F-1 review; admissions staff may ask for it, or for school-sent records, later (source). |
| Who may translate | Not stated on the international pages (F-1 page, instructions). |
| Dependents (F-2) | Copy of each passport plus the marriage certificate or birth certificate with an English translation, emailed with the application packet to occinternational@cccd.edu (instructions, F-1 page). |
| Copies or originals | Copies of unofficial transcripts from every school attended; they need not be official (source). |
| Foreign college credit | A detailed course-to-course evaluation by an accredited evaluation and translation service, filed with OCC, then a Counseling appointment (catalog). |
| What foreign credit can do | Count toward OCC Associate in Arts or Science requirements; not toward an ADT, CSU GE, Cal-GETC or IGETC certification (catalog). |
| Residents and non-F-1 applicants | Apply through the OCC Enrollment Center, not the international application; prior college records go to the Enrollment Center as official sealed transcripts (F-1 page, new students). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. OCC's international pages ask for English translations (of transcripts when staff request them, and of dependents' certificates) without restricting who makes them (F-1 requirements, application instructions), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets them. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on OCC's own page before you submit.
Applying on an F-1: copies now, a translation if asked
OCC's Global Engagement Center reads transcripts for two purposes: to verify high school completion for applicants under 18, and as one way to show English proficiency. For that first review, transcripts do not need to be translated or sent by the school; the same page warns that staff may ask for both later (source). If you want to avoid a second round, you can upload a translation with the first copies.
OCC also publishes which secondary records it expects from some countries: East or West African EAEC/WAEC results, Class X and XII board results for India and Pakistan, the HKDSE, Malaysia's SPM (the STPM is not required), Myanmar's IGCSE or matriculation exams, New Zealand's NCEA Level 2, O-Level or IGCSE results for Cambridge systems, and a transcript or GED for South Korea (source).
Dependents: the one document with a stated translation rule
To request F-2 I-20s for a spouse or children under 21, OCC asks for a copy of each passport biographical page plus the marriage certificate (spouse) or birth certificate (child) with an English translation, and $6,000 more in proof of funds per dependent (application instructions, F-1 page). These are civil documents; our translation covers every stamp, registry note and marginal annotation on them.
Foreign college credit counts only toward an OCC AA or AS
The Coast Community College District catalog lets OCC grant credit for courses from accredited institutions outside the US, but only with a detailed, course-to-course evaluation by an accredited evaluation and translation service. You file the official evaluation with OCC and then meet a counselor so the courses can be placed in your educational plan (catalog).
The same rule limits what that credit does: it can count toward OCC Associate in Arts or Science requirements, but OCC cannot apply it to an Associate Degree for Transfer, CSU GE certification, Cal-GETC or IGETC. If you plan to transfer to a UC or CSU, the university decides for itself (catalog). Newly admitted F-1 students also receive no financial aid or scholarships from OCC, while residents can apply through the FAFSA or the California Dream Act (F-1 page, new students).
Evaluation agencies set their own translation rules; see translation for credential evaluation.
Where OCC's pages differ
On how long a transcript evaluation takes, the Records evaluation page says about 6 weeks (12 for out-of-state and four-year institutions), the New Students page says 4 to 6 weeks in-state and 6 to 8 out-of-state, and the Counseling FAQ says up to 4 to 6 weeks at peak times. We have not resolved the difference; plan for the longest figure.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school transcripts or national exam results (WAEC, Class X and XII, HKDSE, SPM...)
- College or university transcripts
- Marriage certificate, for an F-2 spouse
- Birth certificates, for F-2 children
- Bank statement or bank letter, if not in English
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.
- Grades exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload.
- $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.
Uploading the translation to OCC
F-1 applicants upload every document, translations included, in the online international application; incomplete applications get an email listing what is missing, to be added through the same portal (instructions, F-1 page). F-2 documents are emailed to occinternational@cccd.edu with the packet.
For credit, the evaluation agency's report and official transcripts go to the Enrollment Center: by mail to P.O. Box 5005, Costa Mesa, by email only when sent by the school's authorized agent, or sealed at the Watson Hall counter (source).
What we do not do
eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, and we cannot send documents on behalf of the school that issued them. For OCC that means we translate your transcripts and your family's certificates; the course-to-course evaluation needed for foreign college credit comes from an evaluation service.
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 upload it with the copy of the original wherever the institution asks for it.
Sources
Orange Coast College's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors (IIE), community colleges hosting the most international students in 2023/24: number 7, with 1,338 students.
- Global Engagement Center: Full-Time F1 Students
- Global Engagement Center: Application Instructions
- Catalog: Previously Completed College Coursework (International Transcripts)
- Enrollment Center: Records evaluation
- Admissions: New Students
- Counseling: Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to translate my transcripts before applying to OCC on an F-1?
Not for the initial review: OCC accepts untranslated, unofficial copies, but staff may ask for a translation later (source).
Who can translate documents for OCC?
OCC's international pages ask for English translations without naming a translator type (source). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets that.
Do my spouse's and children's documents need translations?
Yes. For F-2 I-20s OCC asks for the marriage certificate or birth certificate with an English translation, plus a passport copy for each dependent (source).
Can my foreign university courses count toward transfer to a UC or CSU?
Not through OCC. The catalog lets OCC use them only for its own AA or AS requirements, not for an ADT, CSU GE, Cal-GETC or IGETC (source).
Which high school document should I send from my country?
OCC lists them on its F-1 page: for example Class X and XII results for India, the HKDSE for Hong Kong, the SPM for Malaysia, O-Level or IGCSE for Cambridge systems.
Will eVerbary convert my grades to a US GPA?
No. The translation reproduces the grades and the grading scale exactly as they appear. A GPA conversion is credential evaluation, which the institution or an evaluation agency does.
Translating documents for OCC?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.