USCIS Translation Guides

Plain-English answers to the questions that cost applicants time and money.

No legal jargonUpdated 2026
Does USCIS Require Notarized Translations? (No — Here's What It Actually Requires)USCIS does not require notarized translations. What 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) actually requires, when notarization IS …Sworn, Notarised or Certified? Which Translation Your Application Actually NeedsGermany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Brazil each have a sworn-translator system. The US and UK do not. What USCIS…Your Name Is Spelled Differently on Your Passport and Your Certificate. What Happens Now?Müller or Mueller, Kowalski or Kowalska, Hladkykh or Gladkikh — why names differ across your own documents, wh…Short Extract or Full Copy? The Version You Order Matters More Than the TranslationPoland's odpis skrócony, Italy's estratto, Japan's koseki shōhon, Spain's extracto — the abridged version of a…How to Photograph a Document So the Translation Is Right the First TimePhone photos are fine for certified translation — but glare on security paper, folded documents and 90-degree …Your Translation Was Rejected. Is the Translation Actually the Problem?An RFE or a refusal naming your translation does not always mean the translation was wrong. How to read the no…Apostille and Translation: Which One Comes First (and Do You Need Both?)An apostille authenticates the original document; a translation makes it readable. Getting the order wrong mea…
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