Which documents need to be translated for Form I-⁠751?

The translation rule for Form I-⁠751

The Form I-⁠751 instructions (opens in a new tab) (edition 04/01/24, p. 2) say: if a document has information in a foreign language, a full English translation goes with it. The translator signs a certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from that language into English, with their signature, printed name, the date and contact information. You file legible copies, and USCIS may ask for originals later.

Evidence that the marriage is real

You file the petition jointly with your spouse, or alone if a waiver applies (p. 1 (opens in a new tab)). Either way, the instructions ask for documents showing the marriage was entered in good faith, from the wedding to today (pp. 5⁠–⁠6 (opens in a new tab)):

• birth certificates of children born during the marriage;
• a lease or mortgage for the home you share;
• joint financial records: savings and checking accounts with transaction history, tax returns, insurance policies that show the other spouse as the beneficiary, utility bills, loans;
• affidavits from at least two people who have known you both since you got conditional residence. Each gives the person’s full name and address, date and place of birth, relationship to you or your spouse, if any, and how they know about your marriage.

If a child was born abroad, if you kept an account or an apartment in another country, or if a friend writes an affidavit in their own language, those documents get translated.

Filing without your spouse

The instructions list extra documents for each waiver (p. 6 (opens in a new tab)):

• your spouse died: the death certificate;
• the marriage ended: the final divorce decree or another document ending or annulling the marriage;
• abuse or extreme cruelty: reports or records from police, courts, doctors, schools, clergy or social workers, protection orders, and the divorce decree if the divorce was granted on those grounds.

A foreign divorce decree is translated in full, with the decision and every stamp.

Arrests in the US or abroad

If you were ever arrested or detained, in the United States or abroad, the instructions ask for the agency’s or court’s statement that no charges were filed, or a court-⁠certified copy of the arrest record and disposition, the sentencing record, or a court statement that no record exists (pp. 6⁠–⁠7 (opens in a new tab)).

Where to file

USCIS posts the current filing address on the Form I-⁠751 page (opens in a new tab) (p. 7 (opens in a new tab)). The first step, the family petition, is covered in Form I-⁠130.

What we translate

Each document in full, with seals, stamps, handwritten notes and the signed certification. Russian documents are translated and certified by our Russian translator. Ukrainian, Spanish, Romanian and Bulgarian documents are translated and certified by a native speaker of that language, under their own name.

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