- USCIS requires a full English translation of any foreign-language document, certified as complete and accurate.
- A summary of a document prepared by a translator is unacceptable to USCIS.
- For qualifying experience, the regulation says the evidence shall be in the form of letters from current or former employers or trainers.
- The regulation also says that if such evidence is unavailable, other documentation of the experience will be considered.
- A complete translation of a work record book covers every entry, stamp, seal, signature and handwritten note.
USCIS requires a full English translation of any foreign-language document. The translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English. For a work record book, this means every page with entries, stamps and seals is translated, not summarized.
What does USCIS ask for as evidence of work experience?
Some employment-based immigrant classifications include experience or training requirements. The regulation on evidence of experience is 8 CFR 204.5(g)(1).
Under that regulation, evidence relating to qualifying experience or training shall be in the form of letters from current or former employers or trainers. The letter shall include the name, address and title of the writer, and a specific description of the duties performed or the training received. If such evidence is unavailable, other documentation relating to the experience or training will be considered.
The USCIS checklist for Form I-140 adds that, in general, evidence of education or experience must establish eligibility as of the priority date of the petition. A complete translation reproduces every date of employment exactly as written.
Where does a work record book fit?
A work record book is a foreign-language document with entries about a person's employment. Like any other foreign-language document, it must be accompanied by a full English translation with the translator's certification.
The regulation describes experience evidence as employer or trainer letters, and says other documentation will be considered when such letters are unavailable. A translation does not change what the book shows. It makes the content readable in English.
What must the translation of the book include?
USCIS Policy Manual states that a summary of a document prepared by a translator is unacceptable. A complete translation of a work record book reproduces everything that appears on it:
- The title page and every field filled in on it, such as name, date of birth, education, profession, dates, signatures and seals.
- Every numbered entry: the date, the wording of the record (for example hired, transferred, renamed, dismissed), and any basis given, such as an order number and date.
- The signature and stamp next to each entry, described in brackets, for example [round seal of the enterprise] or [signature].
- Handwritten notes, corrections and crossed-out text, marked as such.
- Sections for awards or encouragements, if filled in.
- Inserts or additional pages attached to the book.
- Pages with no entries, marked as blank, and any illegible text marked as illegible.
How are dates, names and job titles handled?
A certified translation keeps every date as it is written in the book, and writes it so that the day and month cannot be confused.
Employer names are translated as they appear in each entry. If the book records a change of an employer's name or a reorganization, a complete translation keeps the name used in each entry and translates the note about the change.
Job titles are translated as written, with no upgrading or rewording. Personal names follow the spelling in the passport. See the article on passport transliteration for how this works.
What if the book has Russian and Ukrainian text, or old Soviet pages?
If one book contains entries in different languages, in different printed formats or in the handwriting of different people, a complete translation covers all of it, with each language rendered into English. Abbreviations are written out in English, and references to labor code articles are reproduced as they appear.
What should the certification say?
The regulation, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), calls for a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, together with the translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English. The certification is attached to the translation and names the document it covers, here the work record book.
- 1The translator works from a copy of every page of the book, including the cover, inserts and pages without entries, with stamps and handwriting readable.
- 2The translator renders each page in order, with bracketed descriptions of stamps, seals and signatures.
- 3The translator signs the certification of completeness, accuracy and competence.
- 4The translation and the certification are combined with the copy of the original in one file.
How POVO translates a work record book
Russian and Ukrainian into English, every page and stamp, names as in the passport, signed certification, one PDF, from $23.70 per document.
FAQ
Does USCIS accept a summary of the work record book?
No. USCIS Policy Manual states that a summary of a document prepared by a translator is unacceptable. The translation must be full.
Is a translated work record book the same as an employer letter?
A translation does not change the type of document. The regulation describes qualifying experience evidence as letters from current or former employers or trainers, with the writer's name, address and title and a specific description of duties. It also says other documentation of the experience will be considered if such evidence is unavailable.
Are blank pages translated?
A complete translation notes every page, including pages with no entries, and describes any stamp or signature on them.
Why are dates and employer names reproduced exactly?
The USCIS checklist for Form I-140 states that, in general, evidence of education or experience must establish eligibility as of the priority date of the petition. A complete translation keeps dates, employer names and job titles exactly as they are written in the original.
Can the book contain both Russian and Ukrainian text?
If entries are in different languages, a complete translation covers all of them into English, with stamps and handwritten notes described.
Official sources
Links open the original publications this article restates.
If you need your documents translated, always work with a certified translator.
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