Home / Translation by visa / EB-2 NIW
Certified Translation for an EB-2 NIW Petition
An EB-2 national interest waiver lets a professional with an advanced degree, or with exceptional ability, petition for a green card without a job offer or a labor certification, by showing that the proposed endeavor has substantial merit and national importance, that they are well positioned to advance it, and that on balance the waiver benefits the United States. The person can file Form I-140 themselves. Their degrees, transcripts, experience letters and much of the record of their work are often in another language, and each document needs a complete English translation, with the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate it (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
USCIS decides
Form I-140, which the person can file for themselves; then the green card through Form I-485 or a consulate.
Degree or exceptional ability
An advanced degree, or a bachelor's and five years of progressive experience, or three of six criteria of exceptional ability.
Then the national interest
The three prongs of Matter of Dhanasar: merit and national importance, being well positioned, and the balance.
At a glance
| EB-2 NIW | |
|---|---|
| Who files | The person or an employer, on Form I-140, asking USCIS to waive the job offer and the labor certification. |
| Who decides | USCIS decides the petition. The green card follows through Form I-485 inside the United States, or through the National Visa Center and a consulate abroad. |
| What has to be shown | First, eligibility for EB-2: an advanced degree or its foreign equivalent, or a bachelor's degree followed by at least five years of progressive experience in the specialty, or exceptional ability shown by at least three of six criteria (8 CFR 204.5(k)). Then the waiver: the three prongs of Matter of Dhanasar (Policy Manual). |
| Usually in another language | Diplomas and transcripts, experience letters from employers, professional licenses and memberships, and the evidence of the work: publications, patents, contracts, grants, press and letters from experts. |
| Translation rule | Every document in another language needs a complete English translation, with the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate it (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). |
| Page count | Degrees, transcripts and letters are a few pages each; the record of the work, such as publications, press and contracts, adds the most. |
Documents that usually need translating
Which documents go into the file is your attorney's decision; we translate what is chosen, completely, with every stamp, seal and handwritten note. In EB-2 NIW files, the documents in another language are usually these:
- The degree: diplomas and transcripts for each degree. A credential evaluation that compares a foreign degree with a US one is in English already.
- The experience: letters from current or former employers with the name, address and title of the writer, the dates, and a specific description of the duties, saying whether the work was full time.
- Exceptional ability: professional licenses, membership certificates, salary records and recognition by peers, the government or professional organizations.
- The endeavor and the record: publications and their citations, patents, contracts and grants, press, and letters from experts.
- For the family: marriage and birth certificates, for the green card stage.
Who reads the translations
USCIS reads the I-140 and everything filed with it, and any answer to a Request for Evidence; the rule for every translation is 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3).
For the green card, a petitioner in the United States files Form I-485 (see translations for Form I-485); one abroad goes through the National Visa Center and a consulate (see Form DS-260 and the NVC).
How many pages to expect
Each sheet of the original counts as one page, whatever its word count. A diploma is usually one or two pages and a transcript a few more; each experience letter is one or two. Publications, press and contracts are what make an NIW file grow, and each one filed is translated in full.
Large files are quoted as a project and delivered in dated batches: business immigration translation.
Official sources
Every requirement on this page was checked against these sources on November 5, 2026.
- 8 CFR 204.5(k), advanced degrees and exceptional ability (ecfr.gov)
- Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 5, advanced degree or exceptional ability (uscis.gov)
- Employment-based immigration: second preference EB-2 (uscis.gov)
- Form I-140 instructions, edition 06/07/24 (uscis.gov)
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), translations (ecfr.gov)
Frequently asked questions
If I file a credential evaluation, do I still need the diploma translated?
If the diploma and the transcript are filed and they are in another language, yes: USCIS requires a full English translation of each. The evaluation is a separate document.
Do you translate published papers?
Yes, in full, with tables and figure captions in place. Papers already in English need nothing.
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.
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.