Certified Translation of Haitian Documents for USCIS

What the translation must include

Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), foreign-language documents submitted to USCIS require a full English translation and the translator’s certification that it is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in the relevant languages. A summary is not a substitute.

Certification here concerns the translator’s statement. The cited translation rule does not require notarization. Check the current instructions for your filing and any additional recipient requirements.

Read 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). Keep the translation, certification, and corresponding source document together, and follow your form’s instructions about copies and originals.

Identify the document’s language

A Haitian document may be written in French, Haitian Creole, or both. The language a person speaks does not necessarily match the language on their civil record. Send a clear copy so we can confirm the source language, scope, and availability before quoting.

French terms on Haitian civil documents

Haitian civil records usually use French document names and field labels. If you know the French name of your document, include it when you request a quote.

• Acte de naissance: birth certificate
• Extrait des Archives Nationales: extract issued by the Archives Nationales d’Haïti (ANH)
• Acte de mariage: marriage certificate
• Acte de divorce: divorce record
• Acte de décès: death certificate
• Extrait de baptême: baptismal certificate
• Casier judiciaire: police or criminal record certificate
• Relevé de notes and diplôme: transcript and diploma

What appears on the document, and what gets translated

• Officier de l’état civil: the civil registrar who recorded the event and signed the record.
• Registry stamp (Année, Registre, Page, Cote): the year, register, page, and reference number where the record is filed. These numbers are translated along with the text.
• Dates written in words: for example, “L’an deux mille dix-huit” (the year two thousand eighteen).
• Handwritten entries: names, dates, and places are often filled in by hand.
• Mentions marginales: notes added in the margin later, such as a correction.
• Seals, signatures, and fiscal stamps (timbres): described in brackets in the translation, for example [Seal: Archives Nationales d’Haïti].

An original record or an archives extract?

The State Department’s Haiti reciprocity guidance distinguishes an original birth record from an extract issued by the National Archives. Ask your attorney or accredited representative which record your case requires. Translation does not verify a document’s authenticity or determine whether it is acceptable evidence.

Read the State Department’s Haiti civil-document guidance. Consular visa processing and USCIS filings can have different instructions.

Avoid incomplete or unclear source files

• Send every page, front and back, including stamps, seals, handwritten entries, and margin notes.
• Use clear, uncropped scans or photographs. Illegible text should be identified rather than guessed.
• Check names and dates against the source. Do not ask the translator to silently change a name to match another record.
• Flag ambiguous numeric dates for review. The translator should use the source context rather than assume a U.S. date format.
• Request the certification with the translation. An automated translation by itself does not supply the required translator certification.

What the certification identifies

The certification should identify the document and language direction and state the translator’s competence and the translation’s completeness and accuracy. The final deliverable includes the translator’s signed certification. Ask about any additional signature or delivery instructions before work begins.

Request a quote and delivery

1. Send a clear copy of every page and identify the intended recipient or USCIS form.
2. Provide your deadline and any certification or formatting instructions.
3. Tell us whether you want electronic delivery, shipped copies, or both.
4. We confirm scope, pricing, turnaround, and shipping arrangements before starting.

We provide document translation nationwide, with electronic delivery and shipping throughout the United States. Contact us for pricing and turnaround time.

Shipping transit time is separate from translation turnaround. A completed translation does not guarantee USCIS acceptance of the underlying document or approval of an application.

Request a translation quote

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Unity Language Group provides language services, not legal advice. Ask an immigration attorney or accredited representative about your case and check current agency instructions.