- After USCIS approves a petition, the case moves to the National Visa Center (NVC), which collects civil documents and the DS-260 application before the consular interview.
- NVC's rule: any document in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified English translation, with a signed statement that the translation is accurate and the translator is competent.
- Civil documents include the birth certificate, marriage and divorce documents, police certificates, military records and court records.
- The State Department's country-specific reciprocity pages state which documents are available in Russia and Ukraine and how they are issued.
- Translations are uploaded to CEAC as scans together with the originals and brought to the interview on paper.
What NVC asks for
The National Visa Center collects, for each applicant, a set of civil documents listed on travel.state.gov: birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce or death certificates for prior marriages, police certificates from every country where the applicant lived for a required period, military records for those who served, and court and prison records if any. The applicant also files the DS-260 online.
NVC's instruction on translations is short: documents not in English, or in the official language of the country where the application is made, must be accompanied by a certified translation. The translation must include a statement signed by the translator stating that the translation is accurate and that the translator is competent to translate.
Russian and Ukrainian documents at the consular stage
- Birth certificate. Translated in full, including the reverse side and stamps on citizenship.
- Marriage certificate. For the principal applicant and for the petitioner when the petition is based on marriage.
- Divorce certificate or court decision. For every prior marriage of both spouses.
- Police certificate. For Russia, the certificate on criminal record (справка о наличии/отсутствии судимости); for Ukraine, the certificate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (довідка про несудимість). Translated together with the apostille if one is attached.
- Military record. The military ID (военный билет / військовий квиток) for applicants who served; the pages with entries are translated, blank pages are listed.
- Court records. The full decision and the note on legal force when a conviction exists.
The reciprocity pages on travel.state.gov describe for each country which documents exist, who issues them and whether a document is "available" or "unavailable"; the consular officer uses that page when checking your file.
How to submit
- Scan each original and its translation; upload both to CEAC in the document slot NVC assigns.
- Keep the translator's certification page in the same file as the translation.
- Bring originals and translations on paper to the interview; the officer may ask to see them.
What we do
FAQ
Does NVC require a notarized translation?
No. NVC requires a certified translation with the translator's signed statement.
My documents were translated for the USCIS petition. Can I reuse them for NVC?
Yes, if the translations are complete and certified. NVC asks for civil documents of the applicant abroad, which are often different documents from those filed with USCIS.
Do I translate the apostille on the police certificate?
Yes, when it is attached it is part of the document.
Is a translation needed if the consulate staff speak Russian?
Yes. The rule applies regardless of the staff's languages.
Official sources
Links open the original publications this article restates.
- U.S. Department of State (NVC): Collect Civil Documentstravel.state.gov
- U.S. Department of State: The Immigrant Visa Process, NVC processingtravel.state.gov
- U.S. Department of State: Russia, Reciprocity and Civil Documentstravel.state.gov
- U.S. Department of State: Ukraine, Reciprocity and Civil Documentstravel.state.gov
If you need your documents translated, always work with a certified translator.
POVO translates Russian and Ukrainian documents into English, with a signed certificate of accuracy. Upload the document, see the price and the date, pay when you are ready.
