129F and G325A Ukraine to English translations

[alaskanicelander 2]

Okay, I've tried to read as many topics about this as possible, but meanwhile the clock is ticking on this process. I sent my fiance in Kharkov (Kharkiv) the papers. Yesterday she was getting documents translated and the government place she went to reviewed her the forms and said they were done incorrectly, (see below for examples). I have an attorney, but the information turnaround with him is rather slow. Of course my fiance is getting frustrated and if she is not happy, I am not happy. She also referenced a new change in translation that took affect in 2010, but I have yet to read this for myself. Here is some examples the clerk in Kharkov said were wrong with the forms:

Kharkov needs to be "Kharkiv"

Daugthers name Yana, should be Iana

her father's name Aleksandr should be Oleksandr

So after reading some pre 2010 posts, everyone says the same thing, the names are not that big of a deal, but a local government translation agency says they are wrong. Would be nice for someone who has went through this with a Ukrainian finance recently to help clear up all these local experts that we are running into. If by chance it has to be correct, can someone refer me to a company that can get these right? I've already paid one lawyer and depending upon the responses, I may have to hire someone else.

Thanks in advance everyone!

Gary

Anchorage Alaska

[Meghan&Andrey 51]

My fiancé is Russian so its not exactly the same but I see no one else has responded yet. Does your fiancé & her daughter have an International passport that has parts in English? My fiancé & I both spell his name Andrey yet in his passport it was translated to be spelled as Andrei. I don't think the parent's name really matters but I'm sure the city name & daughter's name matter a little more. All the references I found on the US Embassy page spelled it Kharkiv & actually only one thing popped up for Kharkov & it was some random thing like a German Consulate location or something lol

[alaskanicelander 2]

Her daughter is grown up and married with a child, so her daughter (Yana) or Iana has her new married last name, so that may or may not confuse things even more. Hopefully I will get some more feedback from this forum...thanks

[Loving_girl 38]

Okay, I've tried to read as many topics about this as possible, but meanwhile the clock is ticking on this process. I sent my fiance in Kharkov (Kharkiv) the papers. Yesterday she was getting documents translated and the government place she went to reviewed her the forms and said they were done incorrectly, (see below for examples). I have an attorney, but the information turnaround with him is rather slow. Of course my fiance is getting frustrated and if she is not happy, I am not happy. She also referenced a new change in translation that took affect in 2010, but I have yet to read this for myself. Here is some examples the clerk in Kharkov said were wrong with the forms:

Kharkov needs to be "Kharkiv"

Daugthers name Yana, should be Iana

her father's name Aleksandr should be Oleksandr

So after reading some pre 2010 posts, everyone says the same thing, the names are not that big of a deal, but a local government translation agency says they are wrong. Would be nice for someone who has went through this with a Ukrainian finance recently to help clear up all these local experts that we are running into. If by chance it has to be correct, can someone refer me to a company that can get these right? I've already paid one lawyer and depending upon the responses, I may have to hire someone else.

Thanks in advance everyone!

Gary

Anchorage Alaska

I guess this "place" is translation agency. As you know not all of the translators are good professionals. So,

Kharkiv - is correct (as far as its transliteration from ukrainian)

Yana - the name should be in all forms as it is written IN HER FOREIGN PASSPORT if it's written Iana (than so to put, but if it's Yana than put like that). Any ways all the info as in her travel document.

Aleksandr - is transliteration from Russian (Oleksandr is transliteration from ukrainan) I assume that if you fill out G-235A form you can put Oleksandr (as far as official language is ukrainian), but if her birth certificate was issued in USSR times, probably the info about parents will be in russian (take into account when she will be in the USA she needs to have her birth certificate translated into English, and if it's in russian, i would but Aleksandr as far as it's most accurate translation, and thus put Aleksandr in G-325A form). Just in case, if you put her patronimic (father name as a middle name in I-129F and G325A bare in mind the approval will have her full name (first name, middle name (patronimic) last name), that will not match her name in the travel document (foreign passport) cos we have it like that: First name Last name (no patronimic). In general it's not a big deal, you decide if to put patronimic as middle name in forms or not.

I am a translator with a degree, so explanation i gave you is the most accurate.

[Loving_girl 38]

I have an attorney, but the information turnaround with him is rather slow.

i would advice you to reconcider this, we did all without any help of attorney and it was fine. all is not as complicated as it seems at first, and you save some extra money and less headache, cos lot's of time guys with attorney do not recieve accurate feedback or they delay the process by doing "stupid mistakes".

[LenaR 0]

Unfortunately, names ARE big deal, but as Loving_girl already said, your fiancee and her daughter should already have foreign passports.

So you should use those names. Even if there was a mistake when they were translated. Name on documents and in pasport just have to match so there will be no problems on PoE etc.

She can always change her name however she wants during AoS, but for now it's important to use the name from her foreign passport.

It didn't matter earlier, but around 5 years ago there was a law that ALL documents have to be done and translater from Ukrainian landuage only.

So for the rest name just use Ukrainian equivalents

Харкiв - Kharkiv

Олександр - Oleksandr

(and you may need Київ - Kyiv)

You don't need patronyms tho, because there's no analog for that in USA and no one will ever use them.

Btw, don't forget to put N/A(just empty) and NONE(like for second name or prior spouse) to all empty fields in G325A. So there will be no questions if she forgot to put some information and no questions in embassy when they will check if all paper were filled. Will take 5 minutes now, but saves her some time and nerves later =)

Edited May 17, 2014 by LenaR

[LenaR 0]

And juuuuuuuust in case if your fiance doesn't have foreign passport yet (she never left Ukraine and you come to visit her here or passport was lost ) - you need to make passport first.

She will need it everywhere, her local passport will not be asked even once.

She needs to show it on medical and to enter embassy... and to put visa there, of course.

Considering situation in Crimea it will take a while, beacuase people used to go to have vacation at the sea side there and since it's sort of not awailable now cuz of military conflict they have to make foreign passports to go overseas. So there are huge lines there for pasports.

Just warning =)

Sometimes visa process may happen faster that it takes for making foreign passport right now in Ukraine (took 49 days for us)

[Loving_girl 38]

Unfortunately, names ARE big deal, but as Loving_girl already said, your fiancee and her daughter should already have foreign passports. - when i said not a big deal, i meant patronimic as a middle name (i had my patronimic as middle name in G-235A and in the result it was shown in NOA2, and it was ZERO problem at the Consulate or POE as far as when you file for visa, you put your name as in foreign passport, that is when i indicated name without patronimic, and it was double checked with the Consulate in Kyiv, before i filed for visa at all, they said as soon as First and Last names match passport in NOA2 and in visa application form, there will be no problems at any stage, so as a result in visa application form i puted only name and last name. But again, it's just my experience and info i had from official source.)

It didn't matter earlier, but around 5 years ago there was a law that ALL documents have to be done and translater from Ukrainian landuage only. So for the rest name just use Ukrainian equivalents - Agree if the original document is arranged in ukrainian, than transliteration should be as from ukrainian, but if the document was arranged in russian, than transliteration should be from russian. If you can send a link as for that law, i would apriciate it.

Харкiв - Kharkiv

Олександр - Oleksandr

(and you may need Київ - Kyiv)

You don't need patronyms tho, because there's no analog for that in USA and no one will ever use them. - I agree in this, nobody uses partonimic name, unless she really want it to be shown in US documents......wich will cause bunch of problems, cos local people will not pronounce or spell it right.

Agree with Lena R in the other issue, IF YOUR FIANCEE DOES NOT HAVE A FOREIGN PASSPORT, FIRST YOU DO PASSPORT AND ONLY THAN FILE FOR K-1 VISA. Over here there were already cases when guys were filling for visa and ladies did not even had passports.

[alaskanicelander 2]

Thanks for all the help, she has two passports, one for travel and one for identification (not sure what that one is used for). She tried to explain, but it was confusing. The problem with translating is that neither of us know what the correct translation should look like in english version of the ukrainian word. Maybe I should have her fill out the forms in Cyrillic and email them to me and have them translated here in the states. And it is too late for the nerves, it is already starting to cause some stress with her. Her second husband lived in Kalingrad and because she was there with him, she needs to travel back there to get the police report. Thanks again everyone

[LenaR 0]

Her second husband lived in Kalingrad and because she was there with him, she needs to travel back there to get the police report. Thanks again everyone

She may order this sertificate through some agency online and ask them to send it. Just will cost some money. Or ask some friends there to do it. (here's some info for youw fiancee http://embrus.org.ua/ru/consulate_certificates)

Could be cheaper and less stress then traveling there and staying in a hole while doing it.

it takes around month in Russia to make police certificate. Ukrainian can be done just in few days (one day if pay for expedited).

As for names - just tell her to print a scan from her curent foreign passport and just insist to use those names in all translations. That's all =) no need to send it anywhere, just do this and it will be alright )

(Here's a passport page example. There's a plastic page in that passport. Your fiancee has the same one. Those names SHOULD be correct because they were translated by governement ).

Trust me =) I have a weird last name and name too, where in different landuages (russian and ukrainian) I have some letters changing (from E to O and from I to Y) =)

Here's aslo official transliteration table

But agan, bor names like her daughter's (where there are two official options) - the only right chiose is to use the one from passport cuz that will be the document she will show everywhere.

Good luck!!!

[Sunshine91 0]

Hello everyone!

Still being concerning about one thing: I put information in G-235A province Kharkov, but not Kharkiv, and Patronymic Olegovna, not Olegivna. Birth Certificate in Russian, local passport in Ukrainian/Russian.. So is it OK? And which is correct - OleHovna or OleGovna?
And how the Birth Certificate translation looks like? Any stamps?
Thank you!

Edited May 18, 2014 by Sunshine91

[LenaR 0]

Hello everyone!

Still being concerning about one thing: I put information in G-235A province Kharkov, but not Kharkiv, and Patronymic Olegovna, not Olegivna. Birth Certificate in Russian, local passport in Ukrainian/Russian.. So is it OK? And which is correct - OleHovna or OleGovna?

And how the Birth Certificate translation looks like? Any stamps?

Thank you!

No, it's not OK. Since your visa will be issued in Ukraine at the end - all names and places need translation from Ukrainian language.

Yeah, all birth sertificates obtained at USSR are in Russian, but translation in English still needs to be done from Ukrainian.

If you gonna translate your documents anyway, wait thise few days untill it is done and take all names from there.

So it doesn't matter if you want it or not, it has to be Kharkiv, Olegivna (but there's no line for this in G325a, it's not a second name) =)

Most translations for birth certificate look like:

page 1 - scan or copy of page

page 2 - just lines with text in same order they go in sertificate

(Like: "Citizen: [name] ; Born on : [date]": etc .... It just has to contain all information and has to be readable)

Translation is signed by person that did it.

page 3 (or just other side of page 2) - has some note from a lawyer, like (in Ukrainian or both languages):

"I, [name], [date] certify that signature of translator [name] is real and was done in my presence.

The identity, competence and qualifications of translator was verified and approved.

Was registred as [number]

Notary [name] + [signature] + [pesronal stamp of this person]"

All pages will be sewn together, have paper seal and several stamps on borders of seal saying how many pages it contains, date and who sealed it + signature.

Something like this. It may not be exactly like this, but something like it (depends on agency where translation was done and their blanks).

Just needs to be readable, have all info, signature and verification from notary, stamps.

Edited May 18, 2014 by LenaR

[Sunshine91 0]

No, it's not OK. Since your visa will be issued in Ukraine at the end - all names and places need translation from Ukrainian language.

Yeah, all birth sertificates obtained at USSR are in Russian, but translation in English still needs to be done from Ukrainian.

If you gonna translate your documents anyway, wait thise few days untill it is done and take all names from there.

So it doesn't matter if you want it or not, it has to be Kharkiv, Olegivna (but there's no line for this in G325a, it's not a second name) =)

Most translations for birth certificate look like:

page 1 - scan or copy of page

page 2 - just lines with text in same order they go in sertificate

(Like: "Citizen: [name] ; Born on : [date]": etc .... It just has to contain all information and has to be readable)

Translation is signed by person that did it.

page 3 (or just other side of page 2) - has some note from a lawyer, like (in Ukrainian or both languages):

"I, [name], [date] certify that signature of translator [name] is real and was done in my presence.

The identity, competence and qualifications of translator was verified and approved.

Was registred as [number]

Notary [name] + [signature] + [pesronal stamp of this person]"

All pages will be sewn together, have paper seal and several stamps on borders of seal saying how many pages it contains, date and who sealed it + signature.

Something like this. It may not be exactly like this, but something like it (depends on agency where translation was done and their blanks).

Just needs to be readable, have all info, signature and verification from notary, stamps.

So if my fiance sent to the USCIS letter with Russian words Kharkov and Olegovna, will they inform me that i made a mistake?

Later, here in Ukraine, when i will put personal data in DS-160 form like Olegivna and Kharkiv, will they inform me that i made a mistake? How Can I change it? In this case, how to be?

And could you advice some web-site with an done example of DS-160?

Thank you!

Edited May 18, 2014 by Sunshine91

[LenaR 0]

So if my fiance sent to the USCIS letter with Russian words Kharkov and Olegovna, will they inform me that i made a mistake?

Later, here in Ukraine, when i will put personal data in DS-160 form like Olegivna and Kharkiv, will they inform me that i made a mistake? How Can I change it? In this case, how to be?

And could you advice some web-site with an done example of DS-160?

It will be considered as typo.

In case if your petition will go through - you're lucky and just tell the CO at embassy before your interview that you made an apparent typo on your original form.

If they will see it as incorrect information - they will send you RFE and ask to send correct documents. Which is OK and not a big deal, but it takes time, so you gonna wait for approval longer because they will need to check all documents once again.

There's also such a thing as E-Request when you call to USCIS and fix typos in your petition, but I've no idea how to do it =)

[Loving_girl 38]

Dear Lena R, i am not sure what is your knowledge in translation or transliteration, but the way you transliterated names is not accurate according to ukrainian standart. Please, all interested check the LEGALY ADOPTED WAY OF TRANSLITERATION FROM UKRAINIAN INTO ENGLISH http://zakon2.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/55-2010-%D0%BF (and by the way, i asked to send a link as for the "law" that says to translate documents arranged in russian in ukrainian way....and still havent seen any response).

Thus, AS A TRANSLATOR i repeat to all who are interested: if document (for example birth certificate was made in russian, transliteration of names and cities (spelling of the word with english letters) should be done from russian, if the document was made in ukrainian, name transliteration should be from ukrainian into english - see what english letter stands for ukrainian on the link i sent.)

And OleGivna is incorrect, it should be Olehivna.

Please, LenaR, do not make people stress out for no reason, and do not give false information.