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Can I translate my own documents?

Key answer

Machine translation with careful proofreading is common practice, but do not certify your own translation - another person signs the certification. The community warns that petitions are screened for AI-generated text and sloppy translations invite challenges, so proofreading is mandatory.

Community answers

The answers below are translated from the original Russian - the language of the community chats.

  • Do not sign the oath in your own name for your own translation. And keep in mind: petitions are checked for AI-generated text - they may write in the RFE that the case is not your work.

  • Machine translators perform differently: they are better with short sentences, and others are better with long ones. In any case, phrase-by-phrase proofreading is more reliable than a 'literal' translation.

  • Attach the translator's diploma to the translation - to show that the person has the appropriate education. They may question purely machine translations, and requirements change over time.

  • It's better not to sign the oath in your own name. Petitions are checked for AI-generated text, and they may note in the RFE that the case is not your work. It might be worth mentioning that AI tools were used for the translation from Russian to English.

  • As far as I know, a translator generally cannot be the applicant or a family member - this is international practice.

The answers are anonymized community experience from the public chats, not legal advice. Officers may decide similar cases differently.

Sources

All questions on: Document translationsAll questions on: The petition and formatting

Related on this site

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A reference page built from community experience, not legal advice. Requirements and practice change - verify on uscis.gov.

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