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Nearly 800,000 people file Form N-400 each year to apply for U.S. citizenship. Applicants with foreign-born backgrounds almost always have at least one document in a language other than English — and every one of those documents must be accompanied by a certified translation before USCIS will accept your application.
Get Your Free Quote →“Any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate, and by the translator’s certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English.”
This applies to every foreign-language document in your N-400 package — no exceptions.
If any of these documents were issued in a foreign country in a language other than English, you must include a certified translation with your N-400 filing.
These translation errors are among the leading causes of N-400 RFEs and delays.
Different naturalization pathways, but all require certified translations of foreign documents.
Individuals who entered the U.S. as minors on a parent’s visa or as asylees may not have easy access to their original birth certificates. Despite a lifetime in the U.S., USCIS still requires a certified translation of any foreign birth certificate submitted with Form N-400.
Spouses of U.S. citizens may apply for naturalization after only 3 years of lawful permanent residence. They must provide certified translations of foreign marriage certificates and any prior divorce decrees to document continuous marital eligibility.
Most lawful permanent residents become eligible after 5 years. At that stage they may have documents from multiple countries — a birth certificate from a country of origin, a marriage certificate from a third country — all requiring certified English translation.
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No. USCIS regulations under 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(b)(3) require that a translator certify they are competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate and complete. A translator may not translate their own documents. Self-prepared translations will not be accepted and could result in rejection of the application.
We recommend ordering certified translations at least two weeks before you plan to file Form N-400. Typical standard turnaround is 3–5 business days, but ordering early gives time to review the translations for name consistency and request corrections if needed. If your timeline is tight, contact us before ordering so we can confirm rush availability.
Yes, if any of your supporting documents are in a foreign language. The requirement is about the document language, not how long you have lived in the U.S. A birth certificate issued in another country will be in that country’s language, and USCIS cannot process it without a certified English translation regardless of when you arrived.
Name inconsistencies are one of the most common causes of Requests for Evidence (RFEs) in naturalization cases. A professional translator must render your name consistently across all translated documents. When ordering from ImmigrantBridge, upload all your documents together so our team can ensure consistent romanization and spelling throughout the full package.
Get certified translations of your foreign documents — USCIS-ready in 3–5 business days.
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