How do you translate a Ukrainian court decision for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a Ukrainian court decision with the translator’s signed certification, whether the decision ends a marriage, grants an adoption or records a conviction. We translate the rishennia sudu in full: every page, the judge’s and secretary’s signatures, the seal and the note of the date it took effect. We charge by the page: $25 for the first page and $20 for each additional one. The translation is ready within 24 hours after payment.
When a court decision is the document
- Divorce. Since July 27, 2010, Ukraine issues a divorce certificate only to couples without minor children or when a spouse is declared missing or incompetent; otherwise the court decree on the dissolution of the marriage (rishennia sudu pro rozirvannia shliubu) takes its place (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). USCIS asks for proof that any prior marriage ended, typically a divorce decree or certificate (Form I-485 instructions (opens in a new tab)).
- Adoption. Ukraine issues no adoption certificate: the court decree on adoption (rishennia sudu pro vsynovlennia) or a register extract stands in for it (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). When you and the person you file for are related by adoption, the I-130 instructions ask for a copy of the adoption decree (Form I-130 instructions (opens in a new tab)).
- A name change. The I-130 and N-400 instructions list a court order among the proofs of a changed name (Form I-130 instructions (opens in a new tab), Form N-400 instructions (opens in a new tab)).
- Occupied areas. Ukraine doesn’t issue a birth or death certificate based only on documents from Russian or proxy authorities; a Ukrainian court decree can lead to a valid one (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
- Criminal cases. A green card application needs certified police and court records of any charges, arrests or convictions, anywhere in the world (Form I-485 instructions (opens in a new tab)). The N-400 instructions list court dispositions and sentencing records (Form N-400 instructions (opens in a new tab)).
What the Department of State says about Ukrainian court records
Court records (sudove rishennia) are issued by the courts of Ukraine or of the Ukrainian SSR. A conviction decree carries a wet seal, the date it came into effect and the signatures of the judge or judges and the court secretary. Prison records are unavailable: a convicted applicant provides the original court record with a copy and a translation (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
Copies from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions
The Unified State Register of Court Decisions keeps electronic copies of verdicts, decisions, resolutions and rulings of Ukrainian courts in criminal, civil, commercial and administrative cases. They are open to anyone free of charge under the Law on Access to Court Decisions, and the register’s database is marked as reference information (Register rules (opens in a new tab)). We translate a decision issued by the court or a copy from the register; which to file is for you or your attorney to decide.
Names
Your name follows your passport; other people in the decision are spelled by Ukraine’s official transliteration (Resolution No. 55 of 2010 (opens in a new tab)).
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: a full translation and the translator’s certification, filed with a copy of the decision (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)). What USCIS accepts
- NVC and US consulates: court and prison records are on the civil documents list for an immigrant visa (Department of State (opens in a new tab)), and for Ukraine it asks convicted applicants for the court record with a copy and a translation. What NVC accepts
- Immigration court: a typed certification with the translator’s address and phone. What the court accepts
Our Ukrainian documents are translated and certified by a native Ukrainian speaker. 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.
Ukrainian archive notice: no birth record foundOpen, 2 pages
Ukrainian certificate of termination of citizenshipOpen, 2 pages
Ukrainian birth certificateOpen, 3 pages
Ukrainian marriage certificateOpen, 3 pages
Ukrainian police clearance certificateOpen, 3 pages
Ukrainian birth certificate (duplicate, 2011)Open, 3 pages
Questions
My decision is from a Soviet court and in Russian. Do you translate it?
Yes. We translate Russian as well as Ukrainian, at the same price per page.
How much does it cost?
$25 for the first page and $20 for each additional page in the same order, so a three-page decision is $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
Not for USCIS or immigration court: they ask for the translator’s signed certification, and it’s included. If the decision carries an apostille, we translate it in the same order.
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.