Uğur Arı — sworn English–Turkish translator, oath recorded at the Kartal 12th (Istanbul) and Gebze 19th Notary Offices · Updated October 28, 2026
Short answer
Any document containing Turkish that you submit to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation, with the translator's certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate from Turkish into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). I prepare that translation and certification and deliver a signed PDF for an online or paper filing.
Each stage below has its own answer, typical documents, what I need for a quote and a WhatsApp button with a matching message.
Direct answer
USCIS translation requirements
USCIS requires a full English translation of any foreign-language document you submit, certified by the translator as complete and accurate, together with the translator's certification of competence to translate from Turkish into English.
The rule is 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). The USCIS Policy Manual adds that a summary of a document prepared by a translator is unacceptable. The rule asks for competence, not a U.S. government licence, and it does not mention notarisation or an apostille for the translation. Your form instructions and any USCIS request decide which documents you submit; the translation rule then applies to each Turkish document in the package.
My signed certification covers both elements the rule lists: a complete and accurate translation, and my competence to translate from Turkish into English. My role is the translation and its certification. Which evidence you file, and how you answer USCIS, is decided by you or your immigration attorney.
For an initial USCIS filing, each Turkish-language document you include in the evidence package must be accompanied by a full English translation with the translator's certification. Your form instructions decide which documents you submit; I translate each one completely, including stamps, annotations and the reverse side.
Typical documents
Birth record or nüfus kayıt örneği (family registry extract)
Marriage certificate (evlilik cüzdanı)
Divorce decree with finality annotation (kesinleşme şerhi)
Criminal record certificate (adli sicil kaydı) where the instructions ask for it
Military status document (askerlik durum belgesi), court decisions
What I need for a quote
The form you are filing (for example I-130 or I-485)
A scan or clear photo of every page, front and back
Name spellings as they appear in the passport
Your filing date, if you have one
My service: a complete certified translation of each document, with the same English spelling of every name across the whole package, matched to the passport.
When a USCIS Request for Evidence asks for a Turkish document, the response needs that document with a full English translation and the translator's certification. USCIS asks for all requested materials to be submitted together in one response (8 CFR 103.2(b)(11)), so I plan delivery around the response deadline printed on the notice.
Typical documents
A document that was filed without a translation
A summary or partial translation that USCIS did not accept
Untranslated stamps, annotations or back pages
Newly requested Turkish evidence, such as court or civil-status records
What I need for a quote
The RFE page that lists the requested documents (you may mask personal details)
The response deadline on the notice
Scans of the Turkish documents
Any earlier translation USCIS questioned
My service: a complete certified translation of every Turkish document the RFE lists, delivered as one consistent set before your response date. The choice of evidence and the RFE response itself stay with you or your attorney.
Turkish bank statements, payslips (maaş bordrosu), tax records and social-security service statements (SGK hizmet dökümü) need the same complete certified translation when you submit them to USCIS. I translate every figure exactly as it appears, in Turkish lira, and keep the table layout so each line can be checked against the original.
Typical documents
Bank account statements (hesap dökümü)
Payslips and employer letters
Tax certificates and income records
SGK service statements
Title deeds (tapu) and vehicle records
What I need for a quote
The statements as PDF (e-Devlet or bank download is ideal)
How many pages and months they cover
Whether you need all pages or the pages you plan to submit
My service: complete translations of multi-page statements with the column layout preserved. I price long statements after I see them, not by multiplying a single-page price.
Family-based and marriage-based petitions usually rely on Turkish civil-status records: the nüfus kayıt örneği, the birth record, the marriage certificate and, after a previous marriage, the divorce decree with its finality annotation. Each record you submit needs a full certified English translation, and I keep every name spelled identically across all of them.
Typical documents
Nüfus kayıt örneği, including the detailed vukuatlı extract
Birth record (doğum belgesi, Formül A)
Marriage certificate or international family booklet
Divorce decree with kesinleşme şerhi
Name-change or adoption decisions
What I need for a quote
Scans of every record, front and back
Passport spellings for every family member named
The petition type (for example I-130 or I-751)
My service: certified translations of the whole family file, with consistent names, dates and place names, so that the records read as one set.
For Form N-400 and other USCIS applications, the same translation rule applies to every Turkish supporting document: a full English translation with the translator's certification. Typical examples are court records, name-change decisions, criminal record certificates, military records and diplomas, depending on what your form instructions or USCIS asks for.
Typical documents
Court decisions and case records
Criminal record certificate (adli sicil kaydı)
Military records
Diplomas and transcripts
Name-change decisions
What I need for a quote
Scans of each document
The application type
Your filing or interview date, if set
My service: complete certified translations of court and official records, including case numbers, seals and finality annotations.
FCorrecting an incomplete translation or certification
A translation that summarises the document, leaves out stamps, annotations or the reverse side, or lacks the translator's statement of accuracy and competence does not meet the USCIS translation rule; the USCIS Policy Manual states that a summary translation is unacceptable. I prepare a new complete translation from the Turkish original with a full certification.
Typical documents
Summary or extract translations
Translations without stamps, annotations or back pages
Translations without a certification of accuracy and competence
Translations with inconsistent name spellings
What I need for a quote
The Turkish document (all pages)
The earlier translation
The USCIS notice, if there is one
My service: a new, complete certified translation made from the Turkish document. Spelling, name or number errors in a translation I delivered are corrected free of charge.
Send your Turkish documents for USCIS. You get a written quote before you pay.
Source document
English translation
Certificate of accuracy
1
The Turkish source document
Send a scan or photo of each document, and the RFE page if you have one. I translate every page, including the reverse side and blank-looking pages with stamps.
2
A complete English translation
Stamps, seals, signatures and handwritten notes are described in brackets; e-Devlet barcode numbers and verification codes are kept exactly.
SampleTurkish source document
BelgeNüfus Kayıt Örneği
Düzenleyen kurum[İlçe] Nüfus Müdürlüğü
Adı soyadı
Doğum yeri ve tarihi
Medeni hâliEvli
ŞerhAslı gibidir.
KaşeT.C. [İlçe] Nüfus Müdürlüğü
e-Devlet barkod numarasıXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
↓ English translation
SampleEnglish translation
DocumentCivil Registry Record
Issuing authority[District] Civil Registry Office
Full name
Place and date of birth
Marital statusMarried
AnnotationTrue copy of the original.
Seal[Seal: Republic of Türkiye, [District] Civil Registry Office]
e-Devlet barcode numberXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Personal details are hidden; the document, seal and signature are representative. The barcode number is kept exactly in the translation. Rows marked with a green line are the elements most often left out of incomplete translations: annotations, seals and verification details.
3
Certificate of accuracy and digital delivery
The certificate sits at the end of each translated document in the PDF. You see a watermarked preview before payment; after payment, I send the watermark-free, signed and stamped PDF, ready to upload or print.
I certify that the English translation of the attached document is complete and accurate, and that I am competent to translate from Turkish into English.
TranslatorUğur Arı
Signature · date
Stamp
What a complete certified translation includes
A complete certified translation renders every element of the Turkish document in English, not only the main text, and ends with the translator's signed certification.
Every page, including the reverse side and blank-looking pages with stamps.
Stamps, seals, signatures and handwritten notes, described in brackets, for example [Seal: Kartal Civil Registry Office].
Annotations such as the finality annotation on a court decision.
e-Devlet verification text, with barcode numbers and verification codes kept exactly; the barcode image itself is not translated.
Names, dates and places spelled consistently and matched to the passport.
The translator's certification of accuracy, completeness and competence.
Representative image.
Common Turkish documents by application context
The Turkish documents most often translated for USCIS are civil-status records, court decisions, criminal record certificates, diplomas and financial records; your form instructions decide which of them you submit.
Common Turkish documents for USCIS, with the translation tariff
Prices are per document, set in Turkish lira; dollar figures are approximate and your written quote states the amount to pay.
RFE translation and document-deficiency workflow
For a USCIS Request for Evidence that involves Turkish documents, I translate exactly the documents the notice lists and deliver them as one certified set before your response deadline.
You send the RFE page that lists the requested documents, the response deadline and scans of the Turkish documents.
I quote in writing: documents, price and delivery date set against your deadline.
I translate every listed document completely and send a watermarked preview.
You pay and receive the signed, certified PDF set.
You or your attorney assemble the response. USCIS asks for all requested materials together in one response, and an online response is uploaded through your USCIS account.
The translation answers the language requirement only; whether the evidence satisfies the RFE is decided by USCIS.
Turkish financial records submitted to USCIS need complete certified translations, and long statements are priced by written quote after I see them rather than by multiplying a single-page price.
Figures, account details and dates appear exactly as in the original, in Turkish lira.
Multi-page bank statements keep their column layout, so each line can be checked against the Turkish page.
For several standard documents I compare the per-document total with the package prices on the U.S. price list and quote the lower amount.
An eligible USCIS order with a translation fee of 10,000 ₺ or more receives the USCIS 10% discount. The discount is not combined with package prices; when both apply, I quote the lower of the two. Notary, apostille and courier costs are not discounted.
Certificate of Translation Accuracy and example delivery
A Certificate of Translation Accuracy for USCIS states that the English translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate from Turkish into English, and it carries the translator's name, signature and date.
My certificate contains those statements together with my contact details, my sworn-translator stamp and the details of my oath record at the Kartal 12th and Gebze 19th Notary Offices. It sits at the end of each translated document in the PDF.
What you receive
Before payment: a watermarked preview of a suitable part of the translation.
After payment: the watermark-free, signed and stamped PDF, ready to upload or print.
On request: a signed paper copy by international courier; the recipient pays the courier fee.
Pricing, timing, payment and optional physical delivery
A standard single-page Turkish document costs 850 ₺ (≈ $17.99) and an academic document from 1,150 ₺ (≈ $23.99); court decisions, long statements and RFE packages receive a written quote after review.
Standard single-page document
850 ₺ ≈ $17.99
Birth record, nüfus kayıt örneği, marriage certificate, passport page, criminal record, single-page bank statement.
Academic document
From 1,150 ₺ ≈ $23.99
Diploma, single-page transcript.
Long documents and packages
Written quote
Court decisions and multi-page statements; RFE packages and family files get one written total from the per-document tariff.
Timing
Standard single-page documents: certified PDF within 24 hours. Long documents and packages: the delivery date is stated in your quote.
Payment
After you accept the written quote: by card through a secure payment link in US dollars, by international bank transfer to my IBAN, or by Western Union where delivery to a bank account is available from your location.
Notarisation
Not part of the USCIS translation rule. If another authority asks for it, the notary fee is quoted separately.
Physical copy
Optional signed paper copy by international courier; the recipient pays the courier fee.
The tariff is set in Turkish lira; dollar figures are approximate and the written quote states the amount and currency to pay. Terms of service
Notarisation, apostille and common misconceptions
The USCIS translation rule asks for the translator's certification of accuracy and competence; it does not ask for a notarised translation or an apostille on the translation.
An apostille authenticates the origin of a public document; the USCIS translation rule does not mention one. Other authorities and consular posts may set their own requirements. Apostille and USCIS translations
“The translator needs a U.S. licence.”
The rule asks for a translator competent in both languages. My Turkish sworn-translator oath record is a Turkish notarial record, not a U.S. licence, and USCIS does not require a specific licence.
“DS-260 and USCIS use the same procedure.”
DS-260 immigrant visa cases are handled by the U.S. Department of State and the embassy or consulate processing the case, not by USCIS. Follow the civil-document and translation instructions that the Department of State and that embassy give for your case.
Frequently asked questions
Does USCIS require certified translations?
Yes. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any document containing a foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, together with the translator's certification of competence to translate into English.
Can a Turkish sworn translator prepare a USCIS certified translation?
Yes. USCIS asks for a translator competent in Turkish and English who certifies the translation as complete and accurate. As a Turkish sworn translator, I provide that certification with my signature, stamp and contact details; USCIS does not require a U.S. licence.
Does a USCIS translation need notarization?
No. The USCIS translation rule, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), asks for the translator's certification of accuracy and competence and does not mention notarization. My signed certification is part of every USCIS translation I deliver. Notarization in Türkiye is a separate service, quoted only if another authority handling your case asks for it.
Does USCIS require an apostille?
The USCIS translation rule, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), does not mention an apostille for the translation. An apostille authenticates the origin of a public document such as a Turkish court decision; whether a specific case needs one depends on the form instructions or the request for that case, not on the translation rule.
What must a Certificate of Translation Accuracy contain?
A Certificate of Translation Accuracy for USCIS states that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English. Mine also gives my name, signature, date, contact details and sworn-translator stamp.
Can USCIS reject an incomplete translation?
Yes. 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires a full English translation, and the USCIS Policy Manual states that a summary translation is unacceptable. A translation that leaves out stamps, annotations or pages can lead to a Request for Evidence or affect how USCIS weighs that evidence, so I translate every element of the document.
What should I do if my USCIS RFE requests translated evidence?
Send me the RFE page that lists the requested documents, the response deadline and scans of the Turkish documents. I quote in writing, translate each listed document completely and deliver a certified set; USCIS asks for all requested materials to be submitted together in one response.
Do bank statements and payslips need complete translations when submitted?
Yes. Turkish bank statements and payslips submitted to USCIS fall under the same rule as any foreign-language document: a full English translation with the translator's certification. I translate every line and figure as it appears, in Turkish lira, and price multi-page statements by written quote after I see them.
Do I need to translate my Turkish family registry?
If you submit a Turkish nüfus kayıt örneği (family registry extract) to USCIS, it needs a full certified English translation. Whether you submit it depends on your form instructions; it is commonly used to show birth and family relationships. A single-page extract, including the detailed vukuatlı version, costs 850 ₺ (≈ $17.99).
Can I submit a scanned certified translation PDF?
Yes, for online filing. USCIS asks online filers to upload the original document, the certified English translation and the translator's certificate for each document, as PDF, JPG or JPEG files of up to 12 MB. For a paper filing, print the signed PDF.
How quickly can I receive a certified translation?
A standard single-page Turkish document is delivered as a certified PDF by email within 24 hours. For court decisions, long statements and RFE packages, I state the delivery date in the written quote, planned against your filing date or the response deadline on your USCIS notice, before you pay anything.
How is a multi-document RFE translation priced?
A multi-document RFE translation is priced per document: single-page documents from the tariff (850 ₺ standard, from 1,150 ₺ academic) and long documents such as court decisions or bank statements after review. You receive one written quote with the total and the delivery date before paying.
Are USCIS and DS-260 translation procedures identical?
No. USCIS applies 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) to petitions and applications filed with USCIS. A DS-260 immigrant visa case is handled by the U.S. Department of State and the embassy or consulate processing it, so follow the civil-document and translation instructions that the Department of State and that embassy give for your case.
Must the original Turkish document accompany the translation?
The Turkish document must accompany its translation, but it does not always have to be the original: you submit the original or a photocopy as your form instructions say (8 CFR 103.2(b)(4)), and USCIS may request the original at any time (8 CFR 103.2(b)(5)). Online, you upload the document, translation and certificate together.
USCIS: Tips for Filing Forms Online — upload of the original document, certified translation and translator's certificate; 12 MB file limit.
Checked 28 October 2026. This page explains the translation requirement and my service; it is general information, not legal advice. Your form instructions and USCIS decide what evidence a case needs.
Send your Turkish documents for USCIS. Written quote before you pay.
Send a scan or photo of each document, and the RFE page if you have one. I reply with a written quote: scope, price, delivery date and format. Standard single-page documents: certified PDF within 24 hours.
From 850 ₺ (≈ $17.99) per standard single-page document · payment after the written quote and a watermarked preview
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