Tag: visual appearance

As you process your personal, academic and professional documents, you will come across “certified translation”. You need to understand the concept for the smooth processing of your documents. Here’s what you should know about it:

Certified translation is required for legal paperwork

In general, certified translations are required for legal paperwork. Keep in mind that as long as the document has to be submitted to the government or any legal body, it should be certified. Mostly, certified documents are needed when you apply for a visitor’s permit or if you want to immigrate.

USCIS (the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) require that all the documents not written in English translated. This will include everything that appears on every page of your document. When translating, it should match the visual appearance of the original document from the placement of the stamps to the signatures and seals.

There is a difference between a certified translation and notarized translation

If you submit the translation in the United States, there is no need for it to be notarized. However, notarized translation is needed if you submit a document to a US consulate or embassy outside the United States.

Finding the right translation service

If you need your legal document translated, the best thing to do is to use a professional translation service. You should remember the following things when dealing with a translation agency:

• Check the experience of the agency: the first thing you need to do is to check the experience of the agency. The longevity will reflect the quality of work and expertise of the translators. The right agency is not only fluent in the required languages but also knowledgeable with the legal formats and terms of
• Read reviews: reading reviews can go a long way. If you want to be sure about an agency, you should look for reviews. The reviews will definitely allow you to see the quality and value of the agency in the eyes of other customers.
• Provide spelling references: it is your responsibility to provide your professional translation agency with spelling references. The spelling references should include your names and addresses. This is to avoid misspellings.
• Give the version of your birth certificate containing the greatest amount of information: the next thing that you need to remember is to give the agency a copy of the document that contains the greatest amount of information. This is crucial especially for a document that has a great deal of handwritten information. Always consider if the translator can read it. The inaccurate translation should be avoided at all costs.
• Translate the required version: USCIS requires a long and short version. Whatever the version that needs translating, it should contain information like full name, place of birth, date of birth, parents’ information (full name, date of birth, birthplace and when they got married) and seal of the issuing authority.

Final words

Whether it is a birth certificate or marriage certificate, you need to translate it. Keep in mind that not all can translate legal documents, which is why you need to find a reputable agency that can help you.