Certified vs Notarized Translation — What's the Difference?

CERTIFIED VS NOTARIZED TRANSLATION

Need documents translated for USCIS? We translate and certify all immigration documents in 24 hours. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, police certificates, financial documents — everything USCIS requires. $19.99 per page.

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What Is Certified for USCIS Translation?

People mix these up all the time, but they solve different problems. A certified translation is a written translation plus a signed statement from the translator or agency confirming the translation is complete, accurate, and prepared by someone competent to translate it. For USCIS, that is the key requirement under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3).

Issue	Certified translation	Notarized translation
What it proves	That the translation is complete and accurate	That a signature was witnessed by a notary
Who signs	Translator or translation company	Translator signs, then notary acknowledges identity
Usually required by USCIS?	Yes, when any document contains foreign-language text	No, not as a general USCIS rule
Typical use	Immigration filings, schools, courts, licensing boards	Country-specific or agency-specific formalities

New York’s notary rules are a useful example of why the distinction matters: a notary’s role is to witness signatures and administer acknowledgments or oaths, not to judge whether a translation is linguistically accurate. So a notary seal can add formality, but it does not replace the translator’s certification that USCIS asks for.

Bottom line: if you are filing immigration paperwork, order a certified translation for USCIS. Add notarization only when a specific court, consulate, foreign ministry, or receiving agency explicitly asks for it.

Sources: USCIS Policy Manual; New York Secretary of State notary guidance.

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USCIS Translation Pricing

$19.99/page for certified translations
$0.08–0.12/word for longer documents and projects

USCIS Forms We Support

We translate all documents required for these USCIS forms:

FAMILY-BASED IMMIGRATION

I-130 — Petition for Alien Relative (family-based green card)
I-485 — Adjustment of Status (green card application)
I-864 — Affidavit of Support (financial sponsorship)
I-751 — Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (2-year conditional green card)
I-129F — Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) (K-1 visa)

EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRATION

I-140 — Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3)
I-765 — Application for Employment Authorization (work permit/EAD)
I-539 — Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status

CITIZENSHIP

N-400 — Application for Naturalization (US citizenship)
N-600 — Application for Certificate of Citizenship

CONSULAR PROCESSING

DS-260 — Immigrant Visa Application
DS-160 — Nonimmigrant Visa Application

Documents That Require USCIS Translation

Common documents submitted with USCIS applications:

CIVIL DOCUMENTS (MOST COMMON)

Birth certificates — Required for I-130, I-485, N-400, I-129F, I-765
Marriage certificates — Required for I-130, I-485, N-400 (if married)
Divorce decrees — Required if previously married (I-130, N-400)
Death certificates — Required if previous spouse is deceased

EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTS

Diplomas — Required for employment-based green cards (I-140), student visas
Academic transcripts — Required for I-140, F-1 visa, credential evaluation
Degree certificates — Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD
Professional licenses — Medical licenses, bar admission, engineering licenses

POLICE & COURT DOCUMENTS

Police certificates — Required for I-485 (green card)
Police clearance certificates — Background checks from home country
Court records — Criminal records, arrest records (if applicable)
Military records — Service records, discharge papers

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

Tax returns — Required for I-864 (Affidavit of Support)
Bank statements — Required for I-864, financial sponsorship
Pay stubs — Proof of income for I-864
Employment letters — Verification of employment, salary

Why Choose Corpus Localization?

$19.99/page for certified translations
$0.08–0.12/word for longer documents and projects

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