Home / Translation by visa / DACA
Certified Translation for a DACA Request
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is for people who came to the United States before turning 16 and have lived here continuously since June 15, 2007, among other guidelines. The request is filed with USCIS on Form I-821D, together with Form I-765 for work authorization. Under federal court orders, USCIS accepts first-time requests but does not process them; it keeps processing renewals. Most of the evidence is US records in English, such as school, medical and work records, leases and bills. The documents usually in another language are the identity documents, such as a passport, a birth certificate or a national ID, and any court record from another country. Each one needs a full English translation, with the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate it (Form I-821D instructions).
First requests on hold
Under federal court orders, USCIS accepts first-time DACA requests but does not process them. Renewals are processed.
Mostly US records
School, medical and work records, leases, bills and bank records show the years in the United States, and are usually in English.
Identity and court records
A passport, a birth certificate with photo ID or a national ID, and the records of any arrest or charge in another country.
At a glance
| DACA | |
|---|---|
| Who files | The requestor, on Form I-821D with Form I-765 and its worksheet, Form I-765WS. A first-time request is filed on paper with the USCIS Lockbox; a renewal can be filed online or on paper. |
| Who decides | USCIS, which alone decides DACA requests, including those of people in removal proceedings (8 CFR 236.23). |
| Status today | Under federal court orders, USCIS accepts first-time requests but does not process them, and holds the ones that are pending (DACA litigation FAQ); it keeps accepting and processing renewals (USCIS). A request filed more than one year after the last DACA expired, or after it was terminated, counts as a first-time request (DACA FAQ). |
| What has to be shown | Under 31 on June 15, 2012; first resided in the United States before turning 16; continuous residence from June 15, 2007, to the filing; present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the filing, and without lawful status on both dates; in school in the United States, a graduate of a US high school or holder of a certificate of completion, a holder of a GED or another state-authorized equivalency exam passed in the United States, or an honorably discharged veteran of the US Armed Forces or Coast Guard; no disqualifying criminal history; and at least 15 at the filing, unless in removal proceedings or under a removal or voluntary departure order (8 CFR 236.22, Form I-821D instructions). |
| Usually in another language | The passport, the national ID and the birth certificate, and the arrest records and court dispositions of any incident in another country. Records of a religious ceremony in the United States, travel records, letters and affidavits, when they are written in another language. |
| Translation rule | Every document with information in another language needs a full English translation, with the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate it (Form I-821D instructions). |
| Page count | Usually small: one or two pages for each identity document, a few for each court record from another country. |
Documents that usually need translating
Which documents go into the request is your decision, or your attorney's or accredited representative's; we translate what is chosen, completely, with every stamp, seal and handwritten note. In DACA requests, the documents in another language are usually these:
- Identity: the passport, a birth certificate, which the instructions accept with a photo ID, or a national identity document from the country of origin with a photo or fingerprint.
- Arrival and the years in the United States: mostly US records, in English. Those most often in another language are the passport with its admission stamp and entries, travel tickets, letters and other correspondence, and the records of a religious ceremony held in the United States, such as a baptism, a first communion or a wedding. For a trip abroad before August 15, 2012, the hotel receipts and the evidence of why you traveled, for example to a wedding or a funeral, are often in another language too.
- Affidavits: where documents are lacking, two or more affidavits from people who know the facts can support some of the guidelines, such as gaps in the residence and brief trips abroad, though they are generally not enough on their own. One written in another language needs a translation like any other document.
- Criminal history: for a charge or conviction for a felony or misdemeanor in the United States, or for a crime in another country, the instructions ask for an original or court-certified copy of the complete arrest record and the disposition of each incident; for an arrest with no charges filed, an official statement from the arresting agency or a court order saying so. Minor traffic violations are left out unless alcohol or drugs were involved. A police or court record from another country is usually in its language.
For the education guideline, USCIS accepts only the documents on its list, all of them US school records, diplomas and exams (DACA FAQ), so a school certificate from another country does not meet it.
Who reads the translations
USCIS reads the request and everything filed with it, and may verify documents with schools, government agencies and employers. Names, dates and places in the translations follow the originals exactly, so what USCIS compares across documents reads the same way.
A renewal usually needs no supporting documents: USCIS asks only for new documents about removal proceedings or criminal history that it has not already received. Filing 120 to 150 days before the current DACA expires is what USCIS recommends.
How many pages to expect
One sheet of the original is one page, whatever its word count; a sheet printed on both sides is two pages, a two-sided ID card is one, and blank pages do not count. A passport bio page, a birth certificate or a national ID is usually one or two pages; a court record from another country can run to several. Since most of the evidence is US records, the documents in another language are usually few.
Most orders are delivered within a few hours, and one to three pages within 24 hours at most; expedited delivery takes about half the time.
Official sources
Every requirement on this page was checked against these sources on November 5, 2026.
- Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) (uscis.gov)
- DACA frequently asked questions (uscis.gov)
- DACA litigation information and frequently asked questions (uscis.gov)
- Form I-821D instructions, edition 01/20/25 (uscis.gov)
- 8 CFR 236.22, the DACA threshold criteria (ecfr.gov)
- 8 CFR 236.23, procedures for a DACA request (ecfr.gov)
- 8 CFR 236.21, applicability of the DACA rule (ecfr.gov)
Frequently asked questions
Does a renewal need translations?
Usually not. USCIS asks for no new documents with a renewal, unless there are documents about removal proceedings or criminal history that it has not seen. If one of those is in another language, it needs a full English translation with the certification.
Does a school certificate from my home country count?
Not for the education guideline: USCIS accepts only the documents on its list, which are US school records, US diplomas and US equivalency exams. Translating a foreign school certificate will not meet that guideline.
Do the translations need to be notarized?
The Form I-821D instructions ask for the translator's certification and say nothing about a notary. If another office asks for notarization, it is $34.90 per order.
Is the translation rule for DACA the general USCIS rule?
Not directly: the DACA rule leaves out the general USCIS rules of 8 CFR part 103 (8 CFR 236.21), so the one that applies is in the Form I-821D instructions, which ask for a full English translation and a certification signed by the translator that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate it.
Have the documents in front of you?
Upload them and see the page count, the price and the delivery time before you pay.