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Certified Translation by Visa
The visa decides which foreign documents go into the file and who reads them: USCIS, a US consulate or, for some applicants, an officer at the border. Every document in another language needs a complete English translation with the translator's certification. Pick the visa to see what it usually involves, who receives the translations and what makes the page count grow. eVerbary translates them for $24.95 per page, by professional human translators, never machine translation.
One rule at USCIS
Every foreign-language document needs a full English translation, certified complete and accurate by a translator competent in both languages (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
The visa sets the file
An L-1 or EB-5 file is mostly company and financial records; an O-1 or EB-2 NIW file, evidence of a career; an H-1B or TN file, degrees and letters.
$24.95 per page
Human translators in the United States, a signed certification, no word cap. Large files are delivered in dated batches.
Visas and the documents they usually involve
A summary to plan the translation, not legal advice: which evidence goes into a file is the attorney's decision.
| Visa | Who decides | Usually in another language |
|---|---|---|
| L-1 visa | USCIS (Form I-129), then a consulate | Ownership and corporate records, financial statements, payroll and the employee's letters; for a new office, the funding |
| E-2 visa | A US consulate (DS-160 and the post's list), or USCIS (Form I-129) | Ownership records, the bank statements and contracts that trace the funds, the business's financial records; for E-1, the trade |
| EB-5 visa | USCIS (Form I-526E or I-526), then I-485 or a consulate | Tax returns, business registration records, bank statements, sale, loan and gift documents, court records |
| EB-1C green card | USCIS (Form I-140), then I-485 or a consulate | Corporate and ownership records, organization charts, payroll, financial statements, the employee's letters |
| O-1 visa and EB-1A | USCIS (Form I-129 for O-1, Form I-140 for EB-1A) | Articles about the person, award certificates and rules, membership records, expert letters, contracts and salary records |
| EB-2 NIW | USCIS (Form I-140), then I-485 or a consulate | Diplomas and transcripts, experience letters, licenses, publications, contracts and letters from experts |
| H-1B visa | USCIS (Form I-129), then a consulate | Diplomas, transcripts and experience letters; licenses where the job needs one |
| TN visa | A US consulate (Mexicans), a port of entry or USCIS (Canadians) | Degree and transcript, professional license (cédula profesional), experience letters |
Family, asylum and court cases
Those cases have pages of their own: the translations by USCIS form (I-130, I-485, I-751, N-400, I-589, I-129F and DS-260), the marriage green card, asylum, the National Visa Center and immigration court. An answer to a Request for Evidence on any of them: translation for an RFE.
How the translations are done
A professional human translator translates each document completely, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, and a second reviewer checks it before delivery. Each translation carries a signed certificate of translation accuracy that meets 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). Documents are stored in the United States, and only the staff on the order and the translator assigned to it can open them (security).
Files of hundreds or thousands of pages, common in L-1 new office, E-2 and EB-5 cases, are quoted as a project and delivered in dated batches: see business immigration translation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the translation requirement different for each visa?
Not at USCIS: every petition and application follows 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), a full English translation with the translator's certification. For an immigrant visa, the State Department asks for certified translations of documents that are not in English or in the official language of the country where the applicant applies (civil documents). For a nonimmigrant visa, each post's instructions say what it needs.
Do the translations need to be notarized?
Not for USCIS: 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) asks for the translator's certification, not a notary. If another office asks for notarization, it is $34.90 per order.
Do you decide which documents to file?
No. Which evidence goes into a petition is the attorney's decision. We translate what is chosen, completely, and point out what we notice on the way, such as a missing page or two documents that disagree.
Can you take a file of hundreds of pages?
Yes. Large files are quoted as a project, with each batch and its delivery date in the quote: business immigration translation.
Have the documents in front of you?
Upload them and see the page count, the price and the delivery time before you pay. For a file of hundreds of pages, ask for a project quote.