Which documents need a translation for a DACA request?
For DACA, USCIS asks for a full English translation of every document with information in a foreign language, with the translator’s signed certification. Most DACA evidence comes from US schools, employers and doctors and is already in English; the documents that need translating are usually a passport, a birth certificate, a national ID card and court records from your country of origin. We translate Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Bulgarian documents: $25 for the first page and $20 for each additional one. For 1–4 documents, the translation is ready within 24 hours after payment.
Where DACA stands
When we checked in October 2026, the USCIS DACA page (opens in a new tab) (last updated January 24, 2025) said that, following a January 17, 2025, decision of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, USCIS accepts and processes renewal requests and accepts first-time requests but doesn’t process them. This can change with new court decisions. A DACA request is Form I-821D, filed together with Form I-765 and the I-765WS worksheet (Form I-821D instructions, p. 1 (opens in a new tab)).
The translation rule
The Form I-821D instructions (opens in a new tab) (edition 01/20/25, p. 4) ask for a full English translation of any document with information in a foreign language. The translator certifies that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from that language into English, and adds their signature, printed name, the date and contact information. Copies are enough unless USCIS asks for originals (p. 5 (opens in a new tab)).
Proof of identity
The instructions accept copies of any of these, and expired documents count (p. 6 (opens in a new tab)):
- a passport;
- a birth certificate together with a photo ID;
- a national identity document from your country of origin with your photo or fingerprint;
- a school, military or US government document with your name and photo.
The first three usually come from abroad. How we translate a birth certificate: birth certificate translation.
Arrival, residence and trips abroad
To show when you came and that you have lived in the US since June 15, 2007, the instructions list mostly US records: school, medical, employment and religious records from the United States, rent receipts and utility bills (pp. 6–7 (opens in a new tab)). These are usually in English already.
Foreign-language documents usually come with trips abroad. For each absence, the instructions suggest tickets, passport entries, hotel receipts and evidence of why you went, for example a wedding or a funeral (p. 8 (opens in a new tab)). A death certificate or a hotel bill from abroad gets translated.
Court records from another country
If you were arrested for or charged with a crime in a country other than the United States, the instructions ask for the agency’s or court’s statement that no charges were filed, or an original or court-certified copy of the complete arrest record and disposition. If you can’t get them, you explain your efforts in Part 8 of the form (pp. 10–11 (opens in a new tab)). How we translate them: court records translation.
What we translate
Each document in full, with seals, stamps and handwritten notes, and the signed certification. Our Spanish documents are translated and certified by a native Spanish speaker; Ukrainian, Romanian and Bulgarian documents by a native speaker of that language; Russian documents by our Russian translator.
What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Sample translations
8 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Russian birth certificateOpen, 3 pages
Russian internal passportOpen, 3 pages
Mexican birth certificateOpen, 3 pages
Honduran birth certificate (2019)Open, 3 pages
Ukrainian birth certificateOpen, 3 pages
Mexican certificate of no criminal recordOpen, 3 pages
Guatemalan prosecutor’s record search (no complaints, 2020)Open, 2 pages
Ukrainian police clearance certificateOpen, 3 pages
Questions
Do I need to translate my birth certificate for DACA?
If you use it to prove your identity and it isn’t in English, yes. The I-821D instructions accept a birth certificate together with a photo ID, and every foreign-language document needs a full English translation.
I’m renewing DACA. Do I translate my documents again?
The instructions say a renewal doesn’t need the documents you already filed. Only new documents about removal proceedings or criminal history go with it, and those need a translation if they aren’t in English.
How much does it cost?
$25 for the first page and $20 for each additional page in the same order. A birth certificate, a national ID card and a court certificate, one page each, are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
The I-821D instructions ask for the translator’s signed certification, not a notary or an apostille. The certification is 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.
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.