Certificate of Translation Template for USCIS

Template

CERTIFICATE OF TRANSLATION I, [full name of translator], certify that I am competent to translate from [source language] into English, and that the attached English translation of [document title, for example: Birth certificate of Lucía Fernanda Morales Quintero] is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability. Signature: ____________________ Printed name: [full name] Date: [month day, year] Contact information: [address, phone number or email]

Download as Word (.docx)

Put the certificate after the translation, on its own page or at the end of the last page. Print it, sign it in ink or with a signature your receiver accepts, and keep a copy.

Filled-in sample

CERTIFICATE OF TRANSLATION I, Carmen Ruiz Ortega, certify that I am competent to translate from Spanish into English, and that the attached English translation of the birth certificate of Lucía Fernanda Morales Quintero, Book 04, Certificate No. 00718, is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability. Signature: [signed] Printed name: Carmen Ruiz Ortega Date: October 27, 2026 Contact information: 1200 Example Avenue, Austin, TX 78701, carmen.ruiz@example.com

The names in the sample are invented.

Where the wording comes from

USCIS regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) asks for a full English translation "which the translator has certified as complete and accurate" and "the translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English." The template states both. The I-130 form instructions add that the certification must include the translator's signature, printed name, the signature date and their contact information, so the template has a line for each.

Other receivers sometimes ask for extra wording or for the signature to be notarized. Add what they ask for. A notary confirms the identity of the person who signs and does not check the translation.

Before you sign

Read the translation against the original, line by line.
Check that every name, number and date matches.
Check that stamps, seals, signatures and handwritten notes are mentioned in brackets.
Only sign if you know both languages well enough to stand behind the translation.

If you used LoreAI to produce the translation, the same applies. LoreAI writes the translation, and the person who signs the certificate answers for it.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a certificate of translation and an affidavit of translation?

A certificate of translation is the translator's signed statement. An affidavit of translation is the same kind of statement with the translator's signature notarized. USCIS asks for the certification. Some other receivers ask for the notarized version.

Does the translator need credentials?

Not for USCIS, which has written that it does not require a professional translation service. Other receivers set their own rules. WES, for example, requires a professional translator.

Can one certificate cover several documents?

It is clearer to sign one certificate per document and name the document in it. That way each translation can be filed on its own.

Is there a Word version?

Yes. Use the download button under the template.

Certificate of translation template