Translating and preparing documents before moving to the USA

Translating and preparing documents before moving to the USA. Moving to the USA takes more than preparing for the flight and finding somewhere to live; the paperwork needs careful attention too. Certificates, diplomas, records, documents about marital status and other papers may be needed when applying for a visa, for study, for work, for immigration, or when arranging various services after you arrive.

Preparing documents properly in advance helps you avoid delays, extra costs and having to find a translator in a hurry once you are in the USA.

Which documents to prepare in advance

The exact list depends on why you are moving, but most often it is advisable to gather:

• a birth certificate;
• a marriage or divorce certificate;
• adoption or name-change documents, if they apply;
• diplomas and school certificates;
• academic records and transcripts of marks;
• employment documents and proof of work experience;
• medical documents, if the particular immigration procedure requires them;
• police clearance certificates, if they are needed;
• driving documents;
• documents for children;
• powers of attorney and other legal documents.

There is no need to translate absolutely every paper you have. First work out which documents will genuinely be needed in your particular situation.

Do you need an English translation

If a document was not issued in English, American institutions often require a translation. That applies particularly to immigration and education procedures.

For documents submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) there are specific requirements for translating documents in a foreign language. The translation has to be complete and accompanied by the translator's certification. It is important to understand the difference between translating a document and having it notarised. Notarisation is not always required where the agency in question specifically asks for a certified translation.

What a certified translation is

A certified translation is a translation accompanied by a statement from the translator that:

• the translation is complete;
• the translation is accurate;
• the translator is competent in English and in the language of the original.

Requirements can differ depending on the organisation the document is going to. So before ordering a translation, check the requirements of your particular agency, educational institution or employer. Apostille and legalisation. Another common mistake is to assume that every document has to have an apostille. It does not. An apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature, the seal or the authority of the official on a public document for use in another country. Not every document you intend to use in the USA needs one.

Whether an apostille is needed depends on:

• the type of document;
• the country that issued it;
• what it will be used for;
• the requirements of the receiving organisation;
• the particular procedure.

So do not spend money on an apostille for every document without checking first.

Diplomas and education documents If you plan to work or study in the USA, education documents may require not only translation but a credential evaluation — an assessment of foreign education.

An evaluation may be needed by an employer, a university, a professional body or a licensing authority. There is no general rule that every foreign diploma has to be evaluated. The requirements are set by the particular organisation.

So before ordering an evaluation, it is better to find out:

• whether it is needed at all;
• what type of evaluation is required;
• whether the organisation accepts that particular evaluator;
• whether a course-by-course evaluation is needed or a document evaluation is enough.

Preparing documents for children

If the whole family is moving, pay particular attention to the children's documents.

It is advisable to check in advance that you have:

• birth certificates;
• the parents' documents;
• custody documents, if the parents are in different countries;
• school documents;
• medical records;
• vaccination records, if they are needed for school or other procedures.

If the parents' surname and the child's differ, additional documents proving the relationship may be needed.

What to do with originals

It is better not to hand over originals of important documents unless you have to. Prepare: the original → a good-quality copy → an electronic scan.

It is advisable to keep the electronic copies in secure cloud storage, so you can reach them even if the documents are lost.

It is especially useful to have a separate folder with:

• passports;
• certificates;
• diplomas;
• immigration documents;
• translations;
• medical documents.

Check the expiry dates

Some documents have a limited period of validity or may only be needed within a certain period.

Before moving it is worth checking that these are current:

• passports;
• official certificates;
• medical documents;
• police clearance certificates;
• powers of attorney;
• banking and insurance documents.

If a document is about to expire, it is sometimes simpler to renew it before the move than to deal with it from the USA.

Build an electronic archive

It is good practice to scan documents at good quality and save them in several places.

For example:

• secure cloud storage;
• your computer;
• an encrypted external drive.

Give the files clear names: Birth_Certificate_Original.pdf Birth_Certificate_English_Translation.pdf University_Diploma.pdf

That makes finding the right paper much easier when filing documents online.

Do not translate documents unnecessarily

Translating a large number of documents can be expensive. And some documents will never be needed at all.

It is better to draw up a list according to your purpose: Immigration → documents for the particular petition or application. Study → diplomas, transcripts, documents for the university. Work → documents on education and professional experience. Moving as a family → documents on birth, marriage, custody and children.

That way you avoid unnecessary expense.

Check the requirements before translating. Before ordering a translation, find out what the receiving side requires. One institution may accept an ordinary translation, for example, while another requires:

• a certified translation;
• the original;
• a certified copy;
• a translation in a particular format;
• an evaluation of a foreign diploma.

So the right order is requirements first, translation second.

Preparing documents before a move is one of those stages best not left to the last minute. Gather the main originals, make copies and an electronic archive, decide which documents will genuinely be needed and prepare the necessary translations in advance.

Above all, do not work from a blanket rule that "every document has to be translated, certified and apostilled". The requirements depend on the type of document and what it will be used for. Preparing properly makes the first weeks after a move much simpler and saves unnecessary expense.