Translation not neccessary?

[furble 3]

On the travel.state.gov website "http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html" it says "All documents not written in English, or in the official language of the country in which application for a visa is being made, must be accompanied by certified translations and submitted to the NVC."

Also a few times when I've spoken on the phone with the NVC regarding Indonesian documents they have told me there is no need to translate because they speak Indonesian in the US Embassy in Jakarta.

But then again on this site I read threads about people getting anything and everything translated that is simply not in english, regardless if it is the official language of the country in which the application is being made or not.

So to translate birth certificate or not? One item is the Birth Certificate. The other is the certified copy of our Marriage Certificiate, which is 20 pages in all (because here the marriage cert is a book). The cert itself is in both languages so it would need no translation, however what the issuing authority here did in order to make a certified copy was they essentially notarized it. They xeroxed it (spilled some coffee on the copy) and then stamped each of the 20 pages with a special "Legalizing" stamp as it is called here bearing the seal of the issuing authority.

The "Legalizing" stamp is in the Indonesian Language. All 20 pages are the same stamp. It will cost me $300 around here to get 20 copies of the exact same simple stamp translated by a certified translator. Seems like a waste of money for just a stamp when NVC says don't do it.

Any opinions? (and no I don't want to shop around translater prices, maybe I could save $50, still seems like a waste).

[GlobeHopperMama 95]

I used to trust that NVC statement about not needing translations but now I think it's inaccurate. Always check with the specific embassy.

Jakarta says the following:

All foreign language document(s) must be accompanied by a complete and accurate English translation done by any translator competent in English and the foreign language. Document(s) must be signed and dated by the translator underneath this statement: “This is a complete and accurate translation into English of the attached document”. Notarization of the document(s) is unnecessary.

source: http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/visa/req_docs_iv_interview.html

For the Marriage certificate, I would expect that you don't need to translate the notary stamp if the document is already contains all the information in English. It should be acceptable as-is, but hopefully other Jakarta filers will weigh in on that since they should be familiar with document requirements there.

[Saylin 1,605]

On the travel.state.gov website "http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html" it says "All documents not written in English, or in the official language of the country in which application for a visa is being made, must be accompanied by certified translations and submitted to the NVC."

Also a few times when I've spoken on the phone with the NVC regarding Indonesian documents they have told me there is no need to translate because they speak Indonesian in the US Embassy in Jakarta.

But then again on this site I read threads about people getting anything and everything translated that is simply not in english, regardless if it is the official language of the country in which the application is being made or not.

So to translate birth certificate or not? One item is the Birth Certificate. The other is the certified copy of our Marriage Certificiate, which is 20 pages in all (because here the marriage cert is a book). The cert itself is in both languages so it would need no translation, however what the issuing authority here did in order to make a certified copy was they essentially notarized it. They xeroxed it (spilled some coffee on the copy) and then stamped each of the 20 pages with a special "Legalizing" stamp as it is called here bearing the seal of the issuing authority.

The "Legalizing" stamp is in the Indonesian Language. All 20 pages are the same stamp. It will cost me $300 around here to get 20 copies of the exact same simple stamp translated by a certified translator. Seems like a waste of money for just a stamp when NVC says don't do it.

Any opinions? (and no I don't want to shop around translater prices, maybe I could save $50, still seems like a waste).

Despite what it says on NVC's website, I still have seen people get checklists at NVC to provide translations, even though the documents were in the official language of the country where they were going to be interviewed.

Unless you want to risk it and possibly waste time at NVC, I suggest you fork up the money and get all documents translated to English.

[furble 3]

Despite what it says on NVC's website, I still have seen people get checklists at NVC to provide translations, even though the documents were in the official language of the country where they were going to be interviewed.

Unless you want to risk it and possibly waste time at NVC, I suggest you fork up the money and get all documents translated to English.

I've decided to get her Birth Cert translated by a translator and I'm going to translate the notary stamp myself and sign and write the magical statement that makes it an acceptable translation.

There are a total of maybe 5 words on the notary stamp. I think I can handle it, I do speak fluent Indonesian now anyway.

[GlobeHopperMama 95]

I've decided to get her Birth Cert translated by a translator and I'm going to translate the notary stamp myself and sign and write the magical statement that makes it an acceptable translation.

There are a total of maybe 5 words on the notary stamp. I think I can handle it, I do speak fluent Indonesian now anyway.

I would still have someone unrelated to the process sign off on the translation, even if you do the actual translating yourself. I've always translated my husband's documents myself but I have someone else review and sign the certifying statement, just so immigration has no room to have problems with the translations.

[pushbrk 12,898]

On the travel.state.gov website "http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html" it says "All documents not written in English, or in the official language of the country in which application for a visa is being made, must be accompanied by certified translations and submitted to the NVC."

Also a few times when I've spoken on the phone with the NVC regarding Indonesian documents they have told me there is no need to translate because they speak Indonesian in the US Embassy in Jakarta.

But then again on this site I read threads about people getting anything and everything translated that is simply not in english, regardless if it is the official language of the country in which the application is being made or not.

So to translate birth certificate or not? One item is the Birth Certificate. The other is the certified copy of our Marriage Certificiate, which is 20 pages in all (because here the marriage cert is a book). The cert itself is in both languages so it would need no translation, however what the issuing authority here did in order to make a certified copy was they essentially notarized it. They xeroxed it (spilled some coffee on the copy) and then stamped each of the 20 pages with a special "Legalizing" stamp as it is called here bearing the seal of the issuing authority.

The "Legalizing" stamp is in the Indonesian Language. All 20 pages are the same stamp. It will cost me $300 around here to get 20 copies of the exact same simple stamp translated by a certified translator. Seems like a waste of money for just a stamp when NVC says don't do it.

Any opinions? (and no I don't want to shop around translater prices, maybe I could save $50, still seems like a waste).

Don't confuse NVC and USCIS. Everything sent to USCIS must be translated, so the marriage certificate must be translated. The foreign spouse's birth certificate is not used until the NVC stage.