How do you translate a Russian employment record or letter for USCIS?

What the translation includes

We translate every 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 hiring order on form T-⁠1: the form name and codes, the order number and date, the personnel number, the department, the position, the terms of hire, the salary, the probationary period and the basis (the employment contract with its number and date);
• an employment record book: every entry with its date, the job details and the basis (the order number and date), with seals and signatures;
• an employment letter or a certificate of employment: the company letterhead, the full text, the writer’s title and signature, the seal;
• an employment contract: every clause and the details of both parties.

Forms, job titles and amounts

We translate the captions under the lines of a form too, such as “(structural unit)” or “(position, profession)”, so it’s clear what each field holds. Blank fields and missing signatures are marked [blank].

We translate job titles and department names. Order and contract numbers and form codes stay as they are in the document, and “ООО” becomes LLC.

The salary and other amounts stay in rubles and kopecks, as in the document: we don’t convert them to dollars.

The translation has only what the document says. If the document doesn’t describe your duties, we don’t add a description: that comes from the employer in a letter, and we translate the letter.

Names and handwriting

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.

Entries in employment record books are often handwritten; that’s routine for us. If a word can’t be read, the translation marks it [illegible] instead of guessing.

Employment documents for EB-⁠1A and O-⁠1

For an EB-⁠1A green card, and for an O-⁠1 in science, education, business or athletics, two of the criteria in the rules are about your work:

• a leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation (8 CFR 204.5(h)(3)(viii) (opens in a new tab)); for an O-⁠1, work in a critical or essential capacity for such organizations (8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii)(B)(7) (opens in a new tab)). For EB-⁠1A, the USCIS Policy Manual notes that letters from people who know your role firsthand can be particularly helpful here, as long as they explain in detail how the role was leading or critical (USCIS Policy Manual (opens in a new tab));
• a high salary or other significantly high remuneration for services compared with others in your field (8 CFR 204.5(h)(3)(ix) (opens in a new tab)); for an O-⁠1, a high salary or other remuneration that you have commanded or will command, shown by contracts or other reliable evidence (8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii)(B)(8) (opens in a new tab)). For EB-⁠1A, the possible evidence listed in the Policy Manual includes tax returns, pay statements, a contract or job offer letter, and wage data for your field (USCIS Policy Manual (opens in a new tab)).

We translate employer letters, income certificates, employment contracts and orders in full, and amounts stay in rubles, as in the document. Articles about you for the same programs: publication translation; awards: award certificate translation.

Whether a criterion fits your case is for you or your attorney to decide; we translate what you send.

Where the translation goes

• USCIS: a full translation and the translator’s signed certificate. For an employment-⁠based green card, letters from employers are the proof of experience; ordinary legible copies are generally fine for filing, but USCIS may ask for originals (8 CFR 204.5(g)(1) (opens in a new tab)). What USCIS accepts

What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.