Immigration certification

by Tonya
(GA)

Tonya asked: I'm often asked what level of certification it is that immigration requests. One translator said it's simply stating at the bottom of the document that you, the translation, are fluent in English and in and vice versa and can so and so and have your signature notarized. Then I've seen others say that you absolutely have to have ATA certification and nothing else is valid.

Please if someone can tell me what it is that immigration requires if you are applying for any type of status change.



The Spanish Translator: Thanks for the question, Tonya. There is really a lot of confusion about the translations required for those seeking naturalization in the United States. The whole immigration process can be pretty confusing for people, and trying to get their necessary documents in English only adds to the ordered chaos.

It also doesn't help that different translators tell people different things, like you mentioned above. Some people say that certification by someone that is certified by ATA is absolutely necessary and others say that this is not the case. Well, in this case, it's best to go to the source to get the real answer.

So I checked the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services website to find the right answer. This is what the USCIS A Guide to Naturalization says about translations:

Be sure to send an English translation with any document that is not already in English. The translation must include a statement from the translator that he or she is competent to translate and that the translation is correct.

So there you have it. The translator does not have to be certified by the American Translators Association or anyone else. They only have to add a signed statement to the translation stating that they (the translator) is able to translate and that they are confident that the translation is indeed correct.

Hopefully this clears up some confusion.