THE MAIN REASONS WHY TRANSLATIONS ARE REJECTED BY USCIS (IMMIGRATION).

There are a number of reasons why translations might be rejected by the Immigration Department (USCIS). More often than not, the rejection has nothing to do with the translation itself. Having the translation done by a reputable and traditional translation service such as Legal Translation Systems is a start. Remember that most of the translation services that advertise low prices on google have been around for two years or so, are run by techies (not translators) and many hire non-professional translators who might have a passing knowledge of target and source language and translation processes, and basically use free translation apps with little or no review.

1. THE TRANSLATION IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE

Believe it or not, even a simple document such as birth certificate can contain terrible errors. These can be wrong renderings, misunderstanding the original text, caused by simply using a translation application such as google without any review (translation software is inconsistent and makes terrible mistakes). Low cost translation sites generally hire people who use such applications, without any critical review. Among other things, translation software frequently translates names, which are not translatable, and sometimes inverts names. Longer documents, such as divorce decrees,  Court sentences, some criminal background certificates are even more prone to mistakes of interpretation, because there is more text that can be misinterpreted. Often even a real translator that has good or even knowledge of the original source language, does a terrible job but his/her English is very poor. This often happens with translations done abroad.

2. THE TRANSLATION IS AN UNAUTHORIZED SUMMARY

The USCIS frowns upon translation summaries, which often omit important information and are often done by people with poor knowledge of either English or the source language. In certain cases, such as long bank statements for Investor Visas (normally submitted by the dozens), the USCIS might accept a summary, if you are using an attorney.

3. A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED WITH THE TRANSLATION

The USCIS always demands that a copy of the document in the original language be submitted with its translation. Sending only the translation will result in a rejection letter, possibly more fees and certain delays.

4. THE TRANSLATION WAS DONE BY A NOTARY

Although translations for the USCIS should be notarized, the Notary him(her)self cannot be the one doing the translation. The translation should be done by a qualified translator who has to sign a properly worded affidavit of accuracy (certification) and the notary has to be another person. Our translations are always notarized by a third party.

5. THE TRANSLATION WAS DONE BY THE APPLICANT HIM(HER)SELF

Applicants should never do the translation themselves. They should hire a professional translation company such as Legal Translation Systems to prepare the translation, to avoid conflict of interest.

6. ORIGINAL AND TRANSLATIONS DO NOT MATCH

Always check that you are sending an original which matches the translation. People often have several copies of their documents, issued in different dates, and sending an original and translation with different dates will result in rejection.

7. TRANSLATION HAS NOT BEEN NOTARIZED

Although the USCIS does not specifically require the notarization of translations on the wording of its forms, in effect, the notarization is more often than not requested. The U.S. State Department has a very clear policy concerning the notarization of translations. (Click here). (Click here) Submitting non-notarized translations might result in long delays and additional fees, and the risk is not worth it.

8. THE TRANSLATED DOCUMENT WAS NOT THE REQUESTED DOCUMENT

Often applicants send the wrong document with their applications. For instance, some countries issue Separation decrees prior to converting them into Divorces. Under international law, only a divorced, or otherwise unmarried, person can remarry. So sending a Separation certificate, claiming to be divorced, might result in rejection of your documents.

9. TRANSLITERATION ISSUES

In languages written in another alphabet, such as Russian, Mandarin and Arabic, the client has to make sure the transliteration used in the translation matches the spelling used in previous US visas. Even use of simple “I” instead of “Y” might result in a rejection. Always check spelling of names, regardless of source language.

10. THE ISSUE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TRANSLATION

The USCIS can reject any documentation sent to it, at its discretion. The simple fact it was translated does not mean the USCIS must accept it.  Among the reasons is suspicion that original is a counterfeit document, or original is very faint and missing parts. Remember, there is always a degree of vetting. Additionally, many original documents contain mistakes in names, places and dates which people never check. Before submitting the document for translation, check that everything is right on your original.

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We do not price out documents "per page", for we find the practice to be questionable. Lots of other companies advertise a low "per-page" price for certified translations, with overpriced notarization and mailing costs charged separately. Certified translations without notarization do not exist, so you are always forced to buy the expensive Notary Charge (which we include in all our prices).

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