Why USCIS rejects translations: 9 reasons and how to fix each one

First, what "rejected" usually means

USCIS rarely sends a document back with the word "rejected" on it. What usually happens is a Request for Evidence, called an RFE. The letter says what is wrong and gives you a deadline. Your case waits until you answer.

So the goal is not to avoid a mysterious judgment. The goal is to avoid the nine specific problems officers write RFEs about. Here they are, with the fix for each.

1. Something was left out

This is the most common problem. A stamp was not written out. The back page was skipped. A margin note was ignored. The translator decided a line "did not matter."

The rule says full translation. Every mark on the page counts.

Fix: Read the original and the translation side by side. Every stamp, seal, signature and note should appear in the English version, usually in brackets: [Seal: Civil Registry of Lima]. Blank fields are shown as blank.

2. The translation is a summary

Some translations say things like "This document certifies the birth of Maria Lopez on 3 April 1990." That is a summary, not a translation. An officer cannot compare it to the original.

Fix: Translate the document the way it is written, field by field, in the same order. If the original has twelve lines, the translation has twelve lines.

3. The certification is missing or weak

A translation with no signed statement is just a piece of paper. A statement that only says "translated by Juan" is weak. The rule asks for two promises: the translator is competent, and the translation is complete and accurate.

Fix: Attach a statement with the translator's full name, signature and date that covers both promises and names the document. Example wording is in our article on the certification statement.

4. Names do not match

The birth certificate says "Yesenia," the passport says "Jessenia," and the form says "Jesenia." The translator "corrected" one of them to match. Now the translation is inaccurate, and the mismatch is hidden instead of explained.

Fix: The translation copies the spelling on the original, letter for letter. Differences between documents are explained in the case itself, usually with a short note or a supporting document, never by changing the translation.

5. Dates can be read two ways

"05/06/1988" is 5 June in most of the world and May 6 in the United States. If the translation keeps the numbers, an officer may read the wrong date, and your forms will not match.

Fix: Write the month as a word: "5 June 1988". Do this everywhere a date appears, including stamps.

6. The copy of the original is unreadable

Officers compare the translation to the original. If the scan is dark, cropped, blurry or missing a corner, the comparison fails, and the translation is questioned even when it is perfect.

Fix: Scan in color at a normal resolution, flat, with all four edges visible. Include the back if it has anything on it.

7. One certification for several documents

A single statement that says "the attached documents" is attached to a birth certificate, a marriage certificate and a police record. Which one does it certify? The officer cannot tell.

Fix: One translation, one certification, one copy of the original, per document. Name the document in the statement.

8. The layout was rearranged

The translator wrote a neat paragraph instead of following the form. The information may all be there, but an officer trying to match "Field 7" on the original to the translation gives up.

Fix: Keep the original's order and structure. Tables stay tables. Numbered fields keep their numbers.

9. The document itself is the problem

Sometimes the translation is fine and the original is not. The birth certificate is an old short-form version. The police record is from the wrong office or is too old. No translation can fix that.

Fix: Check the instructions for your form before you translate. They say which version of a document is needed and how recent it must be.

A ten-minute check before you file

Use the checklist below on every translated document. Most of the nine problems are visible in a side-by-side read. If you hired a translator, you can send them the checklist and ask them to confirm each point. A translator who has been examined on this work, and whose status you can look up, is the easiest way to get a yes on every line.