Documents Question

[chemarc 0]

Hey everyone,

My wife is working on getting her documents together for the DS-230 application. I understand that every document (birth certificate, police certificate, etc.) that is not in English, must be translated into English. However, does anyone know if those documents must be translated by a US embassy recommended place, and then be certified by the embassy, or can the documents just be translated and certified by someone not affiliated with the US embassy. The reason I'm asking this question is because the US embassy always charges big bucks to certify everything, they always need to get money from something it seems. How has everyone else translated their documents and sent them into the NVC? And how much does it usually cost? Thank you.

[Mononoke28 135]

Hey everyone,

My wife is working on getting her documents together for the DS-230 application. I understand that every document (birth certificate, police certificate, etc.) that is not in English, must be translated into English. However, does anyone know if those documents must be translated by a US embassy recommended place, and then be certified by the embassy, or can the documents just be translated and certified by someone not affiliated with the US embassy. The reason I'm asking this question is because the US embassy always charges big bucks to certify everything, they always need to get money from something it seems. How has everyone else translated their documents and sent them into the NVC? And how much does it usually cost? Thank you.

Check your embassy in the DOS's web site to find out what it says regarding the civil documents of the beneficiary.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3176.html

This will probably say that all documents not in English nor in the official language of the country in which application for a visa is being made have to be translated. So you might be ok.

Diana

[chemarc 0]

Hey everyone,

My wife is working on getting her documents together for the DS-230 application. I understand that every document (birth certificate, police certificate, etc.) that is not in English, must be translated into English. However, does anyone know if those documents must be translated by a US embassy recommended place, and then be certified by the embassy, or can the documents just be translated and certified by someone not affiliated with the US embassy. The reason I'm asking this question is because the US embassy always charges big bucks to certify everything, they always need to get money from something it seems. How has everyone else translated their documents and sent them into the NVC? And how much does it usually cost? Thank you.

Check your embassy in the DOS's web site to find out what it says regarding the civil documents of the beneficiary.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3176.html

This will probably say that all documents not in English nor in the official language of the country in which application for a visa is being made have to be translated. So you might be ok.

Diana

It states "certified" translations, but it doesn't say certified by the US embassy.

[Tyrobe 1]

chemarc, I'm on the same boat as you. My wife is currently gathering all her required documents to be sent to me. After she gets the police certificate, she's going to get the translation done for the PC and her birth certificate at the local authority, not US embassy, before sending it to me. As for other document such as marriage certificate, I translated it myself and included the following statement per NVC guideline:

CERTIFICATION OF TRANSLATION:

I, ________________________________________, do certify, under penalty of perjury, that I am competent to translate [xxxxxxxx] language into English that the translation I have rendered of the attached [xxxxxxxx] is a complete and accurate translation.

Sworn and subscribed this _____ day of _____, 2008

Signature: ________________________________

That's our plan for DS-230.

[chemarc 0]

chemarc, I'm on the same boat as you. My wife is currently gathering all her required documents to be sent to me. After she gets the police certificate, she's going to get the translation done for the PC and her birth certificate at the local authority, not US embassy, before sending it to me. As for other document such as marriage certificate, I translated it myself and included the following statement per NVC guideline:

CERTIFICATION OF TRANSLATION:

I, ________________________________________, do certify, under penalty of perjury, that I am competent to translate [xxxxxxxx] language into English that the translation I have rendered of the attached [xxxxxxxx] is a complete and accurate translation.

Sworn and subscribed this _____ day of _____, 2008

Signature: ________________________________

That's our plan for DS-230.

Thanks Tyrobe,

We already have the marriage certificate translated and "certified" by the US embassy which cost a small fortune, which we did when initially sending the I-130. That was the reason for asking about the other documents such as the PC and her birth certificate.