The Importance Of Accurate 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.

The most common reasons people are required to take this step tend to involve travel and immigration. Security is a concern, so the government has the requirement that all applicants must provide documents such as this, to prove their identity. Each of the various actions listed above will have their own guidelines and specifications.

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.

Regardless of where the country of issue is, all documents that are not in English are required to be accurately translated before being submitted. This can be done by any individual - other than the beneficiary or the petitioner - who is fluent in both languages. All translations must be accompanied by a copy of the original.

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.

The visual layout of the original document is to be followed in the translated version as well. For instance, spaces should be left by the translator to indicate that the primary paperwork was completed in a blocking format. On each of the papers, the translations for all signatures, stamps, and seals should be in the corresponding areas.

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.

It is usually not necessary to notarize documents that are being submitted to agencies, like the USCIS, that are in the United States. However, when delivering to consulates and embassies in other countries, notarization is a requirement.

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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