USCIS Interpreter Rules: Who May Interpret at Your Interview, Form G-1256, and What the Interpreter May Not Do

At a USCIS field office interview the applicant may bring an interpreter who is fluent in both languages, competent and impartial, under policy memorandum PM-602-0125.1; Form G-1256 is signed in front of the officer. Children under 14 and the applicant's attorney may never interpret. At an asylum interview the applicant must provide an interpreter under 8 CFR 208.9(g).

Who may interpret at a USCIS field office interview

The rules come from USCIS policy memorandum PM-602-0125.1 (2017), which introduced Form G-1256. It covers field office interviews where USCIS does not provide an interpreter, such as adjustment of status interviews; asylum interviews have their own regulation. The interpreter must be sufficiently fluent in both English and the interviewee's language, competent, and impartial. No certification is required, but every interpreter must show the officer that he or she can interpret competently.

• Under 14: never, with no exception.
• Age 14 through 17: only if the officer finds good cause.
• Witnesses: only for good cause. A witness is anyone who testifies at the interview or gave written testimony in the case. The memo's example: a U.S. citizen petitioner cannot interpret for a spouse, because the petitioner signed Form I-130 and will testify.
• The attorney or accredited representative who signed Form G-28: never, while acting as representative (Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part B, Chapter 5).
• Family members and friends: not barred, but "generally disfavored as interpreters if there is another qualified interpreter available"; the officer decides whether a relationship or a financial interest prevents impartial interpretation.

The officer may disqualify an interpreter at any time before or during the interview, for example when the interpreter testifies instead of interpreting, coaches the interviewee, or changes questions or answers.

Form G-1256, Declaration for Interpreted USCIS Interview

Form G-1256 has two pages, edition 08/10/15. Per its instructions, it records that the interviewee provided an interpreter and is satisfied with the interpreter's verbatim consecutive interpretation. The form page states: "Bring this form with you to your scheduled domestic interview" and "Do not sign the form before the interview. You and the interpreter must sign the form in the presence of the interviewing officer." Under the memo, the officer puts both under oath first; the signed form goes into the interviewee's file. If the officer disqualifies the interpreter, page 2 records why, and the interviewee may continue with another acceptable interpreter, reschedule, or proceed without one. The declarations say that:

• The interviewee authorizes the named interpreter and consents to the interpreter learning personal information.
• The interviewee has communicated with the interpreter and they understand each other.
• The interpreter is at least 18 and not a witness; otherwise the interviewee must show good cause.
• The interpreter speaks both languages fluently, will interpret "accurately, literally and fully", will be impartial, and will keep what is learned confidential.
• USCIS may stop the interpreter from serving at any point, and the interpreter has interpreted the whole form to the interviewee.

Adjustment of status interview (Form I-485)

The USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5, Section C (current as of October 2, 2026), states that an applicant who is not fluent in English may use an interpreter. The interpreter presents a government-issued identity document, completes an interpreter's oath and privacy release statement, and translates word for word, "without adding the interpreter's own opinion, commentary, or answer". A disinterested party is preferred; an officer may allow a friend or relative. USCIS may disqualify an interpreter who is not competent or who compromises the examination.

Naturalization interview (Form N-400): when an interpreter is allowed

English is part of the naturalization test: under 8 CFR 312.1(a) the applicant must read, write, and speak ordinary English. Section 312.1(b) lists the exceptions: over 50 with at least 20 years as a permanent resident, over 55 with at least 15 years, and a physical or mental impairment lasting at least 12 months (Form N-648). For these applicants, 8 CFR 312.2(c)(1) allows the civics examination in the native language with an interpreter selected under 8 CFR 312.4. The USCIS page "Exceptions and Accommodations" (January 9, 2026) states: "If you take the test in your native language, you must bring an interpreter with you to your interview." The Form N-400 instructions, edition 01/20/25, say the same. Applicants 65 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident receive special consideration, 10 questions from 20 designated ones, also with an interpreter.

Under 8 CFR 312.4, USCIS may disqualify the applicant's interpreter and then "must provide another interpreter for the applicant in a timely manner"; the memo notes that this duty exists only for naturalization interviews. The Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part B, Chapter 3, adds that the interpreter comes at the applicant's own expense and translates word for word.

Affirmative asylum interview (Form I-589): the applicant brings the interpreter

Under 8 CFR 208.9(g)(1), current as of October 2026, an applicant unable to proceed in English "must provide, at no expense to USCIS, a competent interpreter fluent in both English and the applicant's native language" or another language in which the applicant is fluent. The interpreter must be at least 18 and may not be the applicant's attorney or representative, a witness for the applicant, or a representative or employee of the applicant's government. Failure without good cause "may be considered a failure to appear for the interview".

The USCIS page "Preparing for Your Affirmative Asylum Interview" (2026) states that USCIS provides no interpreter except for deaf or hard of hearing applicants, and that without a competent interpreter the interview is cancelled and rescheduled as a delay caused by the applicant. USCIS contract interpreters monitor the interpretation by telephone. Between 2020 and 2023 the rule was different: a temporary final rule, 85 FR 59655 (September 23, 2020), required applicants to use USCIS telephonic interpreters. The last extension, 88 FR 16372, ran through September 12, 2023; since September 13, 2023 applicants again provide their own interpreter. Form G-1256 is not mentioned on the asylum page.

What the interpreter may and may not do

The memo describes the role in detail, and Form G-1256 repeats the core. The interpreter must:

• Interpret verbatim, in the speaker's own words and grammatical voice, and consecutively: "neither simultaneous interpretation nor summarization is permitted during immigration interviews".
• Give no opinion, commentary, or answer, and not rephrase, paraphrase, or resolve ambiguities.
• Not answer for the interviewee: a question asked of the interpreter is translated for the officer.
• Not assist with answers, not converse with the interviewee during the interview, and not give advice.
• Keep everything learned at the interview confidential.

An interpreter is also not an immigration consultant. California's Business and Professions Code, sections 22440 and 22441, defines an immigration consultant as a person who, for compensation, "gives nonlegal assistance or advice on an immigration matter", such as completing agency forms. An interpreter at the interview conveys the officer's and the applicant's words and does not advise.

Telephone, video, and immigration court

No official USCIS text allows an applicant's own interpreter to join a field office interview by telephone or video. The memo describes in-person consecutive interpretation and mentions the telephone only for USCIS's own interpreter monitors. Immigration court is a separate system: in removal proceedings before an immigration judge (EOIR, part of the Department of Justice) the court arranges the interpreter at government expense, and 8 CFR 1003.22 and 8 CFR 1240.5 require the interpreter to swear or affirm to interpret accurately.

Written documents: the translation rule and what is usually translated

"A translator interprets written text, while an interpreter translates orally," the memo notes. Written evidence in Russian or Ukrainian follows 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3): any foreign-language document submitted to USCIS must come with a full English translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, plus the translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate from that language into English. Documents typically brought to these interviews with certified translations:

• Birth certificates of the applicant and children.
• Marriage, divorce, and name change certificates, especially at family-based adjustment interviews.
• Documents that link a maiden name to a current name.
• Military records, such as a military ID booklet, when the form asks about military service.
• Court dispositions and police certificates, when the form asks about arrests or convictions.

The name on every translation follows the Latin spelling in the foreign passport, so that translations match the form and each other. If someone helped the applicant read the form itself, the form has an interpreter section for that person's name, signature, date, and contact details. Rules and forms change; the current text is on uscis.gov and ecfr.gov.