Recommended translation services?

[Invictus]

Hi, guys. So, I just received a packet from my fiancée in China with documents we need for our application. Some letters of reference from our friends in China (how they know us, how long they've known us, etc), an official paper stating she is free to marry, and another paper confirming her date of birth. Next step is to have all these translated.

Can anyone recommend any reliable translation services?

By the way, she also copied every single page in her passport. Does this also need to be translated, even the blank pages? A bit unclear on how that should work.

[dnoblett]

Do you have any friends who are conversant in Chinese and English?

 

According to USCIS the translation need not be done by a service, only that whoever you have translate documents, to make a notation at the bottom of their translation that they are conversant in the language, and sign/date and perhaps give their contact info.

 

Please submit certified translations for all foreign language documents. The translator must certify that s/he is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.

 

The certification format should include the certifier's name, signature, address, and date of certification. A suggested format is:

 

Certification by Translator

 

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

 

Signature_________________________________

Date Typed Name

Address

 

http://www.uscis.gov...0000ecd190aRCRD

 

Passport needs no translation, they only need pages showing travel stamps/visas, if she met you in the USA, or in a third country where your passport shows you being at the same time. If she did not use her passport to visit you, then it is not needed in the petition filing.

[Invictus]

Dan, you never fail to help out. Thanks so much.

 

Yes, we met in Thailand in the summer, so the passport would be a good idea. As far as conversant, well, my Chinese is very strong. We communicate 95% of the time in Chinese. Can I translate it, double-check it with her, and then sign it on my own? None of it is so complicated that we can't do it ourselves. I just wasn't sure if we translating our own documents would give the visa reviewer any problems.

[credzba]

Dan, you never fail to help out. Thanks so much.

 

Yes, we met in Thailand in the summer, so the passport would be a good idea. As far as conversant, well, my Chinese is very strong. We communicate 95% of the time in Chinese. Can I translate it, double-check it with her, and then sign it on my own? None of it is so complicated that we can't do it ourselves. I just wasn't sure if we translating our own documents would give the visa reviewer any problems.

 

I would think that would be a great way to show the VO that your communication skills are not an issue.

Maybe someone else thinks different, but that just seems awesome to me ..

AND I am jealous of your mandarin skills !!

[dnoblett]

You could do the translation, that is fine, but you may want some third person who is conversant compare and sign-off that the translation is a good one.

 

A couple years ago my wife needed a document translated, I did the translation, and we had a friend check it and sign-off on it.

[Randy W]

Hi, guys. So, I just received a packet from my fiancée in China with documents we need for our application. Some letters of reference from our friends in China (how they know us, how long they've known us, etc), an official paper stating she is free to marry, and another paper confirming her date of birth. Next step is to have all these translated.

 

Can anyone recommend any reliable translation services?

 

By the way, she also copied every single page in her passport. Does this also need to be translated, even the blank pages? A bit unclear on how that should work.

 

but the birth certificate needs to be in the white book format (including an official translation) that you get from the notarial office.

 

 

 

Chinese Notarial Documents - see DOS China Reciprocity Schedule

 

 

 

NOTE: If the link is broken, try http://travel.state..../fees_3272.html or go to http://travel.state.gov/ and search for "Reciprocity by Country" (they seem to change this periodically)

 

Most of the documents needed can be obtained from one of China's Notarial Offices (Gong Zheng Chu). All Chinese documentation to be used abroad is processed through the notary offices and issued in the form of notarial certificates. Notarial offices are located in all major Chinese cities and in rural county seats

 

The documents required are the GongZhengShu 公证书

[tsap seui]

Dan, you never fail to help out. Thanks so much.

 

Yes, we met in Thailand in the summer, so the passport would be a good idea. As far as conversant, well, my Chinese is very strong. We communicate 95% of the time in Chinese. Can I translate it, double-check it with her, and then sign it on my own? None of it is so complicated that we can't do it ourselves. I just wasn't sure if we translating our own documents would give the visa reviewer any problems.

 

Your translation should be no problem for the State Department folks.

 

What we did was have our Chinese family and friends write letters in Chinese, then we translated them into english (cleaning up translation glitches) and wrote their words in English....letting the friend or family member copy the English translations in their own hand, as all of them had at least learned our alphabet or much more in their school years. We took the letters around the corner and put their ID cards on them at the local copy shop. Not a word was said at the interview.

 

Good luck with your journey.

 

tsap seui

[Invictus]

Hi, guys. So, I just received a packet from my fiancée in China with documents we need for our application. Some letters of reference from our friends in China (how they know us, how long they've known us, etc), an official paper stating she is free to marry, and another paper confirming her date of birth. Next step is to have all these translated.

 

Can anyone recommend any reliable translation services?

 

By the way, she also copied every single page in her passport. Does this also need to be translated, even the blank pages? A bit unclear on how that should work.

 

but the birth certificate needs to be in the white book format (including an official translation) that you get from the notarial office.

 

 

 

Chinese Notarial Documents - see DOS China Reciprocity Schedule

 

 

 

NOTE: If the link is broken, try http://travel.state..../fees_3272.html or go to http://travel.state.gov/ and search for "Reciprocity by Country" (they seem to change this periodically)

 

Most of the documents needed can be obtained from one of China's Notarial Offices (Gong Zheng Chu). All Chinese documentation to be used abroad is processed through the notary offices and issued in the form of notarial certificates. Notarial offices are located in all major Chinese cities and in rural county seats

 

The documents required are the GongZhengShu 公证书

 

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

She has no birth certificate, actually. So she went to the place where were 户口 is registered and got a paper which states simply, "So and so was born in this village on this date." On top the paper is titled 证明 and on the bottom there is an official stamp (red circle with the name of the location and a date stamped in black on top of it).

 

As far as translations go, I too heard the place that gives her this should also do the translation but that must've been some kind of wishful thinking. No one there speaks English, much less has a translator on staff. This isn't Shanghai or Beijing.

 

This is the closest thing she has to a birth certificate. Does it sound acceptable?

Edited December 4, 2012 by Invictus (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

A couple pints:

 

Foreign birth cert needed at time of visa interview not when filing a petition.

 

Affidavit of support needed at visa interview not when filing petition.

 

If never married before no proof of non marriage needed when filing petition only needed at time of interview, if married before a copy of divorce certificates and/or death certificates + translations needed for petition filing.

 

As for proof that you are a US citizen use (birth cert, naturalization cert, or the bio page from your US passport.)

[Randy W]

Hi, guys. So, I just received a packet from my fiancée in China with documents we need for our application. Some letters of reference from our friends in China (how they know us, how long they've known us, etc), an official paper stating she is free to marry, and another paper confirming her date of birth. Next step is to have all these translated.

 

Can anyone recommend any reliable translation services?

 

By the way, she also copied every single page in her passport. Does this also need to be translated, even the blank pages? A bit unclear on how that should work.

 

but the birth certificate needs to be in the white book format (including an official translation) that you get from the notarial office.

 

 

 

Chinese Notarial Documents - see DOS China Reciprocity Schedule

 

 

 

NOTE: If the link is broken, try http://travel.state..../fees_3272.html or go to http://travel.state.gov/ and search for "Reciprocity by Country" (they seem to change this periodically)

 

Most of the documents needed can be obtained from one of China's Notarial Offices (Gong Zheng Chu). All Chinese documentation to be used abroad is processed through the notary offices and issued in the form of notarial certificates. Notarial offices are located in all major Chinese cities and in rural county seats

 

The documents required are the GongZhengShu 公证书

 

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

She has no birth certificate, actually. So she went to the place where were 户口 is registered and got a paper which states simply, "So and so was born in this village on this date." On top the paper is titled 证明 and on the bottom there is an official stamp (red circle with the name of the location and a date stamped in black on top of it).

 

As far as translations go, I too heard the place that gives her this should also do the translation but that must've been some kind of wishful thinking. No one there speaks English, much less has a translator on staff. This isn't Shanghai or Beijing.

 

This is the closest thing she has to a birth certificate. Does it sound acceptable?

 

No, it doesn't. But then again, I wouldn't know. She will have a birth certificate once it's issued.

 

I would document WHERE you went, and what you were told. I would research further to see if there is a notary office (GongZhengChu) in a prefecture-level city with jurisdiction over her village that you can take it (this certificate AND the hukou booklet AND her parents' Marriage Certificate, if available) to to get a white book. Document this effort. "Notarial offices are located in all major Chinese cities and in rural county seats"

 

READ THE LINK I provided for China Reciprocity Schedule.

 

I don't mean to send you on a wild goose chase. It's up to you to figure out what effort is reasonable, but I think it's just a matter of locating the GongZhengChu with jurisdiction over her hukou.

[Randy W]

You might even try GOING to Shanghai or Beijing for a GongZhengChu. I believe someone reported that they were able to get the white booklet OUTSIDE of their jurisdiction by taking ALL of the required hukou information.

[Invictus]

Regarding the white booklet, my girlfriend, who recently went to the office where her hukou is registered, said this is only issued to people born after 2000. She, or the brilliant officials who told her so, may be wrong. Who knows what's for sure in China.

 

How would someone document their efforts in obtaining a given piece of paperwork? Simply write a letter explaining their attempts, then sign and date?

Edited December 15, 2012 by Invictus (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

The official is being a problem, and the consulate WILL demand it, and will not accept anything less, also a fianc¨¦e will need to get cert of no marriage from same office.

 

Will need the birth cert in the USA later.

 

My wife was born 1970 and had no problems getting this.

 

My wife got. 1 cert of no marriage or divorce cert 2 birth certs one for consulate other for marriage and adjustment of status and 1 police cert, all from notary office including translations.

 

[Randy W]

Regarding the white booklet, my girlfriend, who recently went to the office where her hukou is registered, said this is only issued to people born after 2000. She, or the brilliant officials who told her so, may be wrong. Who knows what's for sure in China.

 

How would someone document their efforts in obtaining a given piece of paperwork? Simply write a letter explaining their attempts, then sign and date?

 

Signing and dating would be optional, although including dates and the names of the officials (or at least WHERE they were encountered) is a good idea.

 

Again - it's up to you to determine what effort would be reasonable. Giving up, though, would not seem to be in your best interest.

 

Have you been to any OTHER office?

Edited December 15, 2012 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Invictus]

The official is being a problem, and the consulate WILL demand it, and will not accept anything less, also a fiancée will need to get cert of no marriage from same office.

 

Sorry, guys. Please explain one more time. When you say "it," you mean they will demand this white booklet format? Sorry, a bit confused.

 

Here is what she has so far:

 

http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/1822/scan1u.png

 

This basically states, "There is no record of marriage registration between 01-17-2011 and 06-11-2012 in our jurisdiction."

 

Here is the birth certificate:

 

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/4461/scan2ay.png

 

This states, "Person so and so was born in this county, this township, this village, on this date." Today I asked her if she could go back and get something with a bit more detail on it, for example, her parents' names. She said every one in that area gets the same exact thing, this is as official as it gets. Now, she might be mistaken. But if she IS mistaken, she also does not know what ELSE she could do.

 

Based on this information, does anyone have any suggestions? It sounds like at least one of these two papers (either the birth certificate or the proof of no previous marriage registration) will not be accepted by the U.S. officers.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Invictus (see edit history)