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Usually, yes, you can do it yourself. USCIS needs a full English translation plus a signed statement from the translator that it's complete and accurate and that they're competent in both languages (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). No notary, license or agency is required, and USCIS has said anyone, paid or unpaid, including family members, can translate if they make that certification.
Updated October 26, 2026 · Sources
Fill this in, print it and sign it in ink. Put it with the English translation and a copy of the original.
Sign only if it's true. A false certification can hurt the case, and knowingly making a false statement to a federal agency is a crime. Clearpage didn't translate, check or certify this.
What does each field on your document say in English? See the country guides: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Colombia.
Safest: a bilingual friend or relative who isn't the applicant. The rule doesn't bar the applicant or the petitioner, but many immigration attorneys advise against it, because an officer may question a translation by someone with a stake in the case.
Machine translation is a draft, not a translation. Google Translate and AI chatbots get names, dates, seals and handwriting wrong, and they can't sign. If you use one, the person who signs has to check every line against the original.
Usually, yes. USCIS needs a full English translation and a signed statement from the translator that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). No notary, license or agency is required. The rule doesn't bar the applicant, but many immigration attorneys advise having a bilingual friend or relative who isn't the applicant do it.
No. 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) asks for the translator's certification, not a notary. Some other agencies and foreign governments do ask for notarization or an apostille.
No. For USCIS, a certified translation means the translation comes with the translator's signed certification. The regulation doesn't require any credential.
A statement that the English translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English, plus the translator's signature, printed name, the date they signed, and their contact information (Form I-485 instructions).
Only as a starting point. Machine translation often gets names, dates, seals and handwriting wrong, and USCIS needs a complete and accurate translation certified by someone competent in both languages. A person fluent in both languages has to check every word before signing.
Yes. USCIS has said that anyone, paid or unpaid, including family members, can provide a translation as long as they certify that they are competent to translate and that the translation is complete and accurate.
Clearpage translates it for you: $29 a page (up to 500 words), a professional translator signs the certification, ready the next business day, with our USCIS guarantee.