Document translations necessary?

[visaveteran1 33]

OK...I have a friend who just brought his foreign wife over via the CR-1 route. He told me you don't have to get documents translated if they are in the language of the country from which the application is being made. In my case that would be Russia. We're applying to bring my wife's son to the USA.

I am looking for verification that this is true. So...do I have to get documents like birth certificates, etc. translated or not?

Thanks.

[Rob_Lesya 4]

OK...I have a friend who just brought his foreign wife over via the CR-1 route. He told me you don't have to get documents translated if they are in the language of the country from which the application is being made. In my case that would be Russia. We're applying to bring my wife's son to the USA.

I am looking for verification that this is true. So...do I have to get documents like birth certificates, etc. translated or not?

Thanks.

What you heard is correct. For a CR-1 visa, when you send the civil documents to NVC, if they are in the language of the country in which the application is being made (in your case Russia/Russian), a translation is not required.

For those who might have sent translations to the NVC in CR-1 cases, there is certainly no harm in sending them, but again, they're not required.

[Rob_Lesya 4]

Remember to also send a photocopy of each of the civil documents to NVC as well, along with the originals. After the visa interview, these photocopies will remain in the file and the original documents should be returned to the applicant.

[visaveteran1 33]

What you heard is correct. For a CR-1 visa, when you send the civil documents to NVC, if they are in the language of the country in which the application is being made (in your case Russia/Russian), a translation is not required.

For those who might have sent translations to the NVC in CR-1 cases, there is certainly no harm in sending them, but again, they're not required.

Thank you!

[Neonred 3,575]

I'll add that the NVC understands that some original documents such as the birth certificate cannot be sent from inside Russia so they will accept a photocopy. They also told me they will accept a scanned and e-mailed copy of the police certificate and the bio pages from the passport. Of course they will need to bring the originals to the interview.

We are doing this now for my step daughter.