A Request for Evidence that cites a translation is frustrating because the underlying case is usually fine: the birth certificate exists, the marriage is real, the diploma is genuine. What failed is the paperwork around the foreign-language document. The good news is that this kind of RFE is quick to cure if the replacement translation is done correctly the first time.
Why USCIS issues translation RFEs
- No certification, or an incomplete one. The translation was filed without the translator’s signed statement of competence and accuracy required by 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), or the statement lacks a signature, a date or contact details.
- Partial translation. Only the “important” fields were translated; seals, stamps, registry annotations or the back of the page were left out.
- Summary instead of translation. An “extract” or a paraphrase. USCIS wants a full, literal rendering.
- Discrepancies. Names, dates or places in the translation do not match the original, the passport or the form. Often a dropped second surname or a DD/MM date read as MM/DD.
- Missing original. The translation was filed without a legible copy of the source document, or the copy was cropped.
What a compliant replacement looks like
- A legible copy of the entire original (front and back).
- A complete translation that mirrors the original’s layout: every field, seal, stamp and annotation, with [illegible] where the original cannot be read.
- A signed certification statement with the translator’s name, signature, date and contact information.
- Names and dates verified against the passport and the pending form so that the translation, the original and the petition all say the same thing.
No notarization is needed unless the RFE specifically asks for it — and it almost never does. See certified vs. notarized if the notice is ambiguous.
How to respond
- Read the notice for every document it names. RFEs often list two or three documents with the same defect. Replace all of them in one response.
- Send us the originals, the notice and the form. The notice tells us what failed; the form lets us check the names and dates.
- Attach the new translations behind the originals, with the certification pages, and include a short cover letter listing each item requested and where it is in the response.
- File by the deadline on the notice. USCIS sets the response period on the RFE itself (commonly up to 87 days). Do not wait for the last week: a replacement translation takes us 24–48 hours, and the remaining time is yours for review and mailing.
Preventing the next one
Almost every translation RFE we see comes from a packet assembled from several sources: a relative translated one document, an online service another, and a third was bilingual with untranslated stamps. Standardizing the whole case file with one provider and one certification format removes the inconsistency that examiners notice. Our guide for immigration law firms explains how practices set that up.
Immigration law firm? We set up firm accounts with consistent certification, 24–48 h turnaround and consolidated monthly invoicing. Certified translation services for law firms →
