There are many situations that require translation. For instance, your birth certificate needs translation if you are going to apply for visa or residency in the United States. You need to provide german certified translation of your birth certificate before submitting to USCIS (the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services).
As per the stipulation of the USCIS, the translation should include everything appearing on every page of the original document. Keep in mind that the translation should match the visual appearance of the original document especially the placement of seals, signatures, and stamps.
While there are many translation agencies you can consider, you should be aware that not all are created equal. As a customer, it is your responsibility to filter the best ones from the mediocre ones. To help you get started, here’s what to look for in a translation agency:
Translators
The agency should employ a network of professional translators. As much as possible, the translator should be native to ensure the accuracy of the translation. Apart from being fluent, translators should be familiar with other terminologies and legal matters.
You can see the network of translators by checking the languages an agency translates. In fact, there are some agencies that can translate over 50 languages. If you do not see the list of languages, you should check the customer support and be sure to reach them if you have any questions.
Delivery time
If the agency features a network of professional translators, there is no doubt that the delivery time or the turnaround will be fast. With this, the documents will be delivered with minimal delay. The process is also online.
If you only need a certified translation, you can simply scan the document and send it to the agency. If you need a notarized translation, there is a need to submit the original document. For this, you should expect a longer delivery time because the agency still needs to make an appointment with a notary public.
Pricing
There are agencies that charge per page while others charge per words. For agencies that charger per page, the going rate is $25 for up to 250 words. If the document has more words, you need to ask for a quotation. The right agency should provide you with such information immediately.
Security
The ideal translation agency should provide state-of-the-art encryption on your original documents as well as every translation they produce. This is to secure the documents from prying eyes. At the onset, check the website if there is a padlock icon then “https” before the name of the agency.
Eco-friendly
It is time that you support the environment. The ideal translation agency takes part in taking care of the environment. Pick an agency that operates 100% paperless but in the event that you require printed copies, they will not hesitate to give it to you.
Final words
After receiving the translated document, you can submit it directly to USCIS. If the certified translation is submitted directly, there is no need for the document to be notarized. If you are submitting your documents outside the US or through an embassy, all certified translations should be notarized.
