- Form I-821 needs evidence of identity and nationality, of your date of entry, and of your residence in the United States.
- USCIS lists a passport, a birth certificate with a photo ID, or a national identity document as primary proof of identity and nationality.
- Every document in Ukrainian or Russian must be filed with a full English translation and the translator's certification.
- The name on the form should follow the Latin spelling in your foreign passport, and every translation should use the same spelling.
- Each family member files a separate Form I-821, so each person needs their own translated documents.
What Form I-821 is
Form I-821 is the Application for Temporary Protected Status. You file it for an initial TPS application and again each time USCIS opens a re-registration period for your country. USCIS accepts the form online for all current TPS designations, and on paper by mail. For Ukraine, the current residence dates are continuous residence since August 16, 2023 and continuous physical presence since October 20, 2023.
Before you file, check on the USCIS page for Ukraine whether a filing period is open. Official updates also appear in our news section.
The three kinds of evidence
The form page on uscis.gov names the evidence in plain terms: proof of your identity and nationality, proof of your date of entry into the United States, and proof of your residence in the United States. If you were ever arrested, charged, or convicted, USCIS also asks for the court disposition records.
1. Identity and nationality
USCIS lists three primary documents. Any one of them is enough.
- A copy of your passport.
- A birth certificate together with a photo ID.
- A national identity document from your country that has your photo or fingerprint.
If you have none of these, USCIS accepts secondary evidence, such as school or medical records that support your nationality, other immigration documents that show it, or affidavits from relatives or friends who know the facts of your birth.
2. Date of entry
- A copy of your passport with the entry stamp.
- Your I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. You can download the most recent I-94 from the CBP website; it is issued in English and is not translated.
3. Residence in the United States
- Employment records, such as pay stubs or a letter from your employer.
- Rent receipts, a lease, and utility bills.
- School records for you or your children.
- Hospital or medical records.
- Attestations from a church, union, or other organization that knows you.
These are almost always American documents in English. They need no translation.
Which Ukrainian documents need translation
The rule on the Form I-821 page is short: if you submit any document in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate. The same rule is in the regulation at 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). In practice it sorts Ukrainian documents like this.
- Foreign passport (the travel passport): the biographic page is printed in Ukrainian and English and is usually filed as is. Stamps and handwritten notes on other pages are in Ukrainian and are translated if you include those pages.
- Birth certificate: Ukrainian only, or Russian and Ukrainian on Soviet-era forms. Always translated in full, including the stamps, the registry office name, and the record number.
- Internal passport booklet: Ukrainian, with a Russian page in older booklets. Translated when you use it as your photo ID.
- ID card: the plastic card shows a Latin transliteration of the name but keeps most other fields in Ukrainian. Translate both sides.
- Marriage or divorce certificate and change of name certificate: translated when your current name differs from the name on your birth certificate.
- Court records from Ukraine: translated in full if they apply to you.
Full translation means everything on the page: seals, stamps, handwritten notes, and marginal entries. If part of a document is left untranslated, USCIS can ask for the missing evidence.
Names: one spelling everywhere
Ukrainian names reach English by several routes. The same person can be Oleksandr in a passport, Aleksandr in an old Russian-language record, and Alexander on a lease. USCIS compares the name on the form with every document in the file.
- 1Take the Latin spelling from your foreign passport and enter it on Form I-821.
- 2Give that spelling to your translator, so that the birth certificate and every other translation use the same letters.
- 3List earlier spellings and a maiden name in the Other Names Used section of the form.
- 4If your name changed, include the translated document that shows the change.
Families and children
TPS is individual. A spouse and each child file a separate Form I-821 with their own evidence. For a child that usually means the child's birth certificate, translated, and proof of the child's residence, such as school or medical records. One translation of a parent's document can be copied into each family member's packet when it is relevant to them.
The work permit that goes with TPS
A work permit is requested on Form I-765, which can be filed together with Form I-821 or later. It uses the same identity documents, so the same translations serve both forms. Fees for TPS-based work permits were set by the H.R. 1 law and are adjusted every year. From October 16, 2026 the initial TPS work permit fee is $570 and a renewal is $280. Confirm the amount in the USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) on the day you file.
When to order translations
A re-registration period lasts 60 days, and initial filing periods are also limited. The translation itself is the quick part. Finding the documents, getting a clear scan, and settling a name question take longer. Order translations as soon as you know you will file. The USCIS rule sets no expiration date for a translation, so translations from an earlier filing still match documents that have not changed.
FAQ
Do I need to translate my Ukrainian foreign passport for TPS?
The biographic page is bilingual and is usually filed as is. Translate any page you include that carries Ukrainian-only stamps or handwritten notes.
Can I translate my own documents for Form I-821?
The rule requires a translator's certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages. It does not list who may or may not be the translator.
Does the translation need to be notarized?
USCIS asks for a certified translation, which means the translator's signed statement. Notarization is not part of the federal rule.
My birth certificate is a Soviet form in Russian and Ukrainian. Is that a problem?
No. Both languages are translated into English in one document, including the seals and the registry entry.
Do I have to send original documents?
USCIS generally asks for copies unless it requests an original. The translation is made from a clear scan or photo of the document.
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.
