Guidelines For Reliable Birth Certificate Translation

By Ryan Ross


Sometimes a person is called upon to produce legal documents that prove their identity or citizenship. These situations may include seeking immigration status, getting a green card, marriage, foreign adoption, passport application, a new job, or embarking on a major business venture. For a lot of these purposes, one might need to seek out a birth certificate translation if it is in any language other than English.

Although there are many reason why this might be necessary, the primary one is for travel and immigration purposes. Because of security concerns, the government requires individuals to provide proof of their identification, and this document is one of the basics. There are different specifications set for the varying types of actions.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) sets the standards for all documentation that will be deemed acceptable in all matters involving foreign individuals. Understanding that not all countries follow the same protocols for issuing certain documents, they take this into consideration for their requirements. These specifications will be available with the instructions for each process.

No matter what country issued the document, if it is not prepared in English, then it will be necessary to be translated accurately before it can be submitted. Any person - as long as they are neither the petitioner nor the beneficiary - can perform the action as long as they have fluency in both languages. Copies of originals should accompany all translations.

Certain factors need careful attention, so that complications and delays can be avoided. As an example, documents are to be translated word-for-word, exactly as shown, include all punctuation, dashes, signatures and stamps. Any part that is smeared, damaged, or otherwise unclear, should be marked as "non-legible" by the translator, instead of being skipped or assumed.

It is also required that the translated document follow the same visual layout as the original. This means that if the form was in blocked format, the translator should skip spaces on their paper to indicate the separations as they appear on the first. Even the information contained in stamps, seals and signatures should be placed in the same area on both papers.

The translator will be required to state their qualification to accurately translate the information on the document. They can write this out on the paper's bottom, or on a separately attached affidavit. The attestation needs to include not only their name and address, but also confirmation of their fluency in both languages.

Documents being submitted within the United States, such as those going directly to USCIS, are typically not required to be notarized. This is however, a necessary step for any that are going to offices located in other countries such as to an embassy or consulate.

Although it is not a requirement that one use the services of a professional translator, it is highly recommended as any discrepancies can be cause for delays, or even dismissals of one's case. Regardless of which route one chooses, it is advisable to always carefully review and compare both the original and translated documents for accuracy. In situations like immigration, incorrect data can be considered as providing false information, which could lead to an immediate denial of the entire petition.




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