There are a number of different documents that are important whenever you move from one country to another to get an education a job, migrate or take up citizenship. It is understandable that if any of these documents is not printed in the language where it is needed, it must be translated before it can be shown to the relevant authority.
The documents that are most likely to be checked are the following:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Divorce certificates
- Educational qualifications
- Professional and trade qualifications
- Employment records
- Police checks
Not every document is equally important. It’s unlikely that a college admissions office will be interested in birth and marriage certificates but will certainly want to know about your current educational qualifications. If you are applying for a U.S. visa you may have to submit nearly every document on the list shown above.
Why you might need a marriage certificate translation
Immigration authorities understand that you may be married and that you intend migrating either temporarily (e.g. for a fixed term job that has been offered you) or permanently with your spouse. A marriage certificate indicates the status of the relationship between you and your spouse. Producing this document will be necessary so that your spouse can gain a visa based on your marriage. It is necessary for all documents that have to be sighted by the U.S. immigration service (U.S.C.I.S.) to be in English. Obviously, that’s no problem if you were married in Australia or Britain, but more likely your marriage certificate will not be in English, hence the need for a marriage certificate translation.
Who can perform a marriage certificate translation in the U.S.?
The only person who is prohibited from translating a marriage certificate is the holder of the marriage certificate, i.e. either you or your spouse. In theory, any person with the language ability should be able to translate a marriage certificate. In practice, marriage certificate translations that have been carried out by an amateur, i.e. someone who is not a professional translator has a high chance of being rejected. That’s because the U.S.C.I.S. will reject any translation that is not carried out by a certified translator and is suspected of either being fraudulent or inaccurate.
Certified translators do not need to have qualifications as such, but they do have to submit a certificate along with any document they have translated to confirm that the translated copy is a true and accurate version of the original. Their signature is a legal requirement and makes them responsible for any false statements.
Marriage certificates may seem quite simple documents but their translation requires the translator to be meticulous about translating every word. Where the certificate is partly damaged, or the print quality is poor, or something is illegible, this must be noted by the marriage certificate translation service provider.
If you need a reliable and accurate Marriage Certificate Translation look no further than Cinch Translations. Our professional and experienced translators between them cover up to 90 different languages. We take pride in the fact that we have never had a single translated document refused by the U.S.C.I.S.
