How do you translate a Russian award certificate or letter of appreciation?
For an EB-1A green card, and for an O-1 in science, education, business or athletics, the rules list documentation of nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in your field among the evidence. For a document in Russian, USCIS asks for a full English translation with the translator’s signed certificate. We make certified translations of Russian award certificates, competition winners’ diplomas and letters of appreciation in full, with logos, signatures and seals. A certificate is usually one page: $25. For 1–4 documents, the translation is ready within 24 hours after payment.
What the translation includes
We translate the document in full, as USCIS requires (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)). A summary doesn’t count (USCIS Policy Manual (opens in a new tab)). The translation has:
- a diploma or an award certificate: the name of the competition or the organization, the year, the category, the title awarded, such as winner, and who received it;
- a letter of appreciation: the letterhead with the address and contact details, the date, the heading, the full text, the title and name of the person who signed it;
- the signatures of the jury chair, the organizing committee or the head of the organization, marked [Signature];
- seals with their text and logos, described in square brackets.
A university diploma with its transcript is a different document: how we translate a diploma.
Seals, names and typos
We describe a seal in square brackets together with the text around its edge, so it’s clear which organization stamped it. We spell names as they appear in your international passport. Include the spelling in your request, and we’ll use it in every document in your order.
A typo in the original stays and is marked [typo in the original]: the translation follows the document; it doesn’t improve it. If a word can’t be read, the translation marks it [illegible] instead of guessing.
Which awards USCIS looks at
For EB-1A, the USCIS Policy Manual explains that the award must have gone to you, not to your employer. A team award can count too, provided you’re one of the recipients. An award available only within a single locality, employer or school may have little national or international recognition (USCIS Policy Manual (opens in a new tab)).
For an O-1 in science, education, business or athletics, the rule lists the same kind of evidence: documentation of nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in your field (8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii)(B)(1) (opens in a new tab)).
Whether your award fits your case is for you or your attorney to decide; we translate what you send.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS (O-1 and EB-1A): a full translation and the translator’s signed certificate. What USCIS accepts
What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Sample translations
6 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
How much does it cost?
An award certificate or a letter of appreciation is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so three certificates are $65.
Do you also translate university diplomas?
Yes. We translate a university diploma and its transcript under the rules for credential evaluation and USCIS: the details are in our article on diploma translation.
Do I need a notary?
USCIS rules don’t require one: they ask for the translator’s signed certificate, and it’s included.
How long does it take?
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
Will USCIS accept the translation?
No one can promise that an agency will accept a document. We follow its rules to the letter, and if an agency raises an issue with our translation, we fix it for free.
How we do it
- Full translation
every stamp, signature and handwritten line
- Signed certificate
with the translator’s name, address and phone
- A PDF, ready to file
original, translation and certificate, translation pages numbered
- Price
$25 for the first page up to 250 words, $20 for each additional page, in the same document or another one.
- Turnaround
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
This is a summary of what the agency publishes, not legal advice.