Translations for documents

[russ 1]

I think you would find to be really complete it takes a lot of work. I did one for another forum and it was not easy. The forum I did it for is a general forum for men in relationships with Russian Women and I did thier offical guide to the k-1 visa. After I finished I kept thinking of so many things I missed that I could have spent a few more hours on it but it is pretty complete.

A sticky FAQ would be useful. The research is really just looking over the questions here from the last year. I suppose I could put that together, if anyone cares to fact check it for me.

It is only the Russia-specific stuff that matters, so the scope is small enough.

If I'm ambitious, I'll try translating it to Russian as well. Practice is good for me.

[Turboguy 6]

If This is of any use as a starting point it is the Moscow (and Kiev) part of the K-1 guide I did for the other forum. Perhaps someone would like to use this as a starting point, we can talk about changes or addtions and repost it and get it as a sticky. Look it over and see what you think.

THE FOREIGN EMBASSY LEVEL

Once your file arrives in Moscow (or Kiev), You need to be making your final preparations. The Police report that is required sometimes takes a while to get. It is good for one year from the date it is issued so getting it early is a good idea.

The procedure is different for each Embassy. Many Embassies have a packet 3 and a packet 4. Kiev does it that way but Moscow combines them. Those using the Kiev embassy will receive a packet 3 and a check list. Once she returns the KEV-1 form notifying them she is ready they will set an interview date usually in 4-5 weeks. Moscow will send a packet with the date already assigned.

For Moscow the online K-1 Visa Schedule is at http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/wwwhci10.html

Ukraine does not post he schedules online but more information can be obtained at

http://kiev.usembassy.gov

She will need to provide the following at the interview.

1. A valid International Passport with a photocopy of the first page. They will keep this and return it with the visa fixed inside.

2. An original birth certificate with along with a photocopy and an English translation.

3. A police report in all names as well as all dates of birth ever used. Police certificate must contain references to each place in which the applicant lives or has lived for more than six months since attaining the age of 16.

4. Evidence of termination of prior marriage (if applicable), original, photocopy and translation into English.

5. Accompanying child requires a valid passport (or may be included in the parent's passport), a birth certificate and a medical examination. If a child is 16 years of age or over, police certificates are required. Translations of the indicated documents are required as well.

6. (3) black-and-white or color photos taken against a white or off - white background (5 x 5 sm) for visa which are basically passport style photos.

7. (3) photos of passport size for medical exam.

8. Visa application fee of $100 (or the ruble equivalent) per person, payable at the Embassy on the day of interview. Must be in cash.

9. A new letter of intent to marry from both addressed to the Embassy.

10. Documents confirming relationship: photos of Petitioner and Beneficiary together, letters to each other, phone bills, airplane tickets, emails, etc.

11. Results of Medical Examination in a sealed envelope. (clinic info following)

12. A prepaid DHL mailer. (There is a DHL office on the lower level of the building to the right of the north entrance of the US Embassy in Moscow. Ukraine applicants need a FedEx mailer and it can be purchased at the Embassy at the time of the interview.

There is information that she will need from you at the time of the interview. They include:

1. A letter from your employer stating position, salary, likelihood of your continued employment.

2. A letter from your bank stating your balance, your average balance, how long you have had your account (or the last 12 months bank statements)

3. A copy of the last year’s tax return if you are an employee or the last three years returns if you are self employed.

4. W-2’s for the last year.

5. Three consecutive recent pay stubs.

6. I-134 Affidavit of Support, signed and notarized.

7. A new letter of intent to marry addressed to the Moscow embassy.

American Embassy Moscow

Consular Section

21 Novinskiy Bulvar

123242 Moscow

Russia

U.S. Embassy Consular Section

Immigrant Visa Section

6 Pimonenko Street

01901 Kiev

Ukraine

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

She should receive her visa in about one week following the interview. The embassy always will tell you not to buy any airline tickets until after the visa is in hand. That is very good advice. Problems and delays can happen.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS.

1. Visa denial! With K-1 visa applications denials are not common. It can happen but usually only when they believe visa fraud is probable.

2. 221-G (also called intent to deny) This is a blue slip when something is lacking in the interview. It may be a form that is missing or that they are not convinced you have proven a continuing relationship. Usually the 221-G will spell out what they want or what they want more proof of. You have 60 days to produce the evidence and it can be dropped of at the 221-G box at the north gate of the Moscow embassy from 2-4 pm any working day or mailed to the embassy. If you fail to provide proof it becomes a denial and the file is returned to NVC where you may appeal. Instructions for Kiev are printed on the 221-G

3. Administrative processing / Administrative Review. Something that has been happening more frequently since the IMBRA laws have been passed has been a long delay between the interview and mailing the visa which is caused by FBI security checks not being completed. This delay can be weeks or months. It can also occur at the NVC level if either name gets a hit on any of the data bases the check. Delays at the NVC level can be much longer. Currently there are 235,000 cases in A/R with 65 % lasting more than 90 days and 38% taking more than one year.

MEDICAL EXAMS

The clinics approved for K-1 visa applications from Russia are

International Organization for Migration, telephone (7-095) 797-8723,

AO Meditsina, telephone (7-095) 250-9186 or 250-8899.

Children's Hospital no. 1, Vladivostok. Tel. (4232) 40-13-35 or (4232) 45-24-26.

IOM has results the same day and is $ 90.00. AOM has results the following morning and is $ 100.00. The reports are that people are treated much better at AOM

The clinic approved for K-1 visa applications from Ukraine are:

Clinic for Oil-Refining Industry of Ukraine

9, Spusk Protassov Yar

Kyiv, Ukraine

Telephone: 044-244-8941, 044-277-4181

Per-person fee for a medical exam is no more then $75 for adults and children. The Clinic performs medical examinations any

Working day (Monday through Friday), between 8.00am and 12.00pm.

TIP, Have her ask for a copy of her vaccination records. It will save you time and money in the USA later.

ONCE THE VISA IS APPROVED.

Once the visa is approved she has 180 days to come to the United States and 90 days to either get married or return to her country. She can not leave the country during this time. Do not plan a marriage or honeymoon in the Bahamas or Mexico or make any plans to leave the country.

About 2-3 weeks after she arrives you should apply for a social security number for her. Once you are married you must apply for AOS (adjustment of Status)

IMBRA - HOW IT AFFECTS THE K-1 VISA

As part of the Violence against women act the International Marriage Broker Act of 2005 (IMBRA) went into effect on March 6th of 2006

The parts of the law that affect the K-1 visa include new disclosure regulations that require K-1 visa petitions to provide information on his criminal convictions for specified crimes, including violent offenses, domestic abuse and sexual assault.

At the interview the fiancée is given a pamphlet on domestic abuse and any criminal background in your record is discussed with her. Her being unaware of episodes in your life is grounds for denial of the visa application.

For the first time there are now limitations placed on the filing of K Visa petitions. There are two types of limits.

You are allowed only two K-1 visas in your lifetime.

You can not apply for a K-1 visa for a different fiancée within two years of the filing of a previously approved K-1 visa.

The option to apply for a third visa or for a visa within 2 years of the previous application is to petition homeland security for a visa waver. This is done with the K-1 visa application and is basically a letter giving all the statistical information and providing a reason you should be granted a waver. The examples provided by the USCIS are rather harsh.

Until spring 2007 visa wavers seemed to be automatic. Now there are starting to be denials of K-1 visa applications with wavers included. Obtaining an approval with a waver may become much more difficult as time passes and the guidelines for the new laws are implemented. It is far better to be sure when doing a K-1 visa.

Here are some links with more information:

Here is a blog with a lot of good information about IMBRA

http://usaimmigrationattorney.com/nucleus/index.php

Here is a link to the actual law.

http://usaimmigrationattorney.com/images/IMBRA2005.pdf

[mendeleev 68]

Who ever did the translation should make a note at the bottom of the translation stating that they are conversant in foreign language, and English, at the the translation is accurate, and print name sign and date the translation. Doing that certifies the translation, the person doing the translation certifies their translation.

Just to add a caveat... What YuandDan describe above is the USCIS standard for translations. This standard may or may not be acceptable by the consulate. It is best to understand if the individual consulate prescribes something different.

USCIS requires that translations be certified -- and in my experience Russians often misinterpret this to mean that this needs to be done by a third party who has a license and a stamp to verify that the translation into English is accurate.

My wife's degree is in English and, as part of her job, she translates legal documents from English into Russian and vice versa for her Institute. She is fluent in both languages.

I asked Moscow if she could translate her own documents. A few days later, the consulate emailed back, saying she may do her own translations.

According to Russian rules, she may not apply her official translation stamp to a document that she translates for her own personal benefit. What the US government means by "certification" is quite different from what the Russians I know think it means.

I leave aside the controversy over whether Police Certificates need to be translated to others, since I have no insight on that.

Edited July 27, 2007 by novotul

[Milenka 0]

What Novotul said is true, but only if the original document is in Russian. If it's in Polish for instance, it has to be done by a third party, certified, as is said on the embassy website, as far as I understand it...

[Neonred 3,454]

What Novotul said is true, but only if the original document is in Russian. If it's in Polish for instance, it has to be done by a third party, certified, as is said on the embassy website, as far as I understand it...

Embassy says those documents translated from other languages must be notarized.

"Copies and translations of each document into English are required. Translations must be notarized only when the original is in a language OTHER than Russian. (e.g. a translation from Ukrainian into English must be notarized, translation from Russian into English does not need to be notarized)."

[Milenka 0]

I guess I thought that was what certifing the translation meant!...

[Neonred 3,454]

As I understand it a certified translation has a statement that indicates the translation is true and accurate and the person doing the translation is fluent in both languages. A notarized document has been stamped and signed by a notary.

[apgk 0]

As I understand it a certified translation has a statement that indicates the translation is true and accurate and the person doing the translation is fluent in both languages. A notarized document has been stamped and signed by a notary.

This whole thing is bit strange and confusing - my take on the certification and notorization-

Certification would mean that a person who is translating the document is making a statement that he/she is fluent in English and the translation is accurate to the best of his/her knowledge. And this statement is signed for, dated by the the person making the statement. So, statement somewhat like an affidavit.

On top of this certification, then there is a notorization. This would mean that the person who is making the above statement/certification is sworning infront of the notory that the statement is accurate and is signing the statement infront of the notory. Notory also verifies the identity of the individual (validating using a goverment issues ID).

The US embassy website clearly says that Notorization is needed ONLY IF the documents being translation into English language are from language OTHER THEN Russian. So this sounds reasonable to me that if someone is translating documents from Hebrew to English in Russia, one would like to hold it to a higher standard.

Whereas if the document is only being translated to English from Russian language then its a usual practice in Russia and a mere certification and personal statement of the translator would hold good.

[slim 1,514]

Above is correct.

See the wonderful new FAQ sections Russ did an awesome job on.

[mendeleev 68]

The distinction us gringos are making between certification and notarization makes sense to us, partly because we are gringos.

Especially for a Russian who works for the State (like my wife) the whole idea that certification can be someting as simple as "I know both languages and know what I'm doing" without an official stamp (or a half dozen of them) is just plain bizarre.

My wife does have an official stamp she uses to certify that English/Russian translations she makes are correct (or that translations others bring to her for her to certify as correct are in fact correct) but by Russian regulations, she cannot use that stamp for anything having to do with her own personal matters. (I suppose that a US notary can't notarize documents for themselves, either).

But this whole business on certification sure had her going ... far beyond what is necessary. I'm sure she isn't the only one.

[Milenka 0]

Ok, I understand the difference now, thanks I guess I just feel better if something is stamped...

[Barry2005 0]

You would think that the embassy would get tired of answering emails and phone calls about all this and just change their website to make it clearer.

[Satellite 1]

You would think that the embassy would get tired of answering emails and phone calls about all this and just change their website to make it clearer.

Efficiency is not part of the government plan. What is clear to one person might still be confusing to another. And of course some people read but don't understand, and others still just don't read. So maybe it will reduce the volume of calls but not eliminate the need for the person who answers. Plus for those who call the embassy makes a buck on that too.

[Barry2005 0]

You would think that the embassy would get tired of answering emails and phone calls about all this and just change their website to make it clearer.

Efficiency is not part of the government plan. What is clear to one person might still be confusing to another. And of course some people read but don't understand, and others still just don't read. So maybe it will reduce the volume of calls but not eliminate the need for the person who answers. Plus for those who call the embassy makes a buck on that too.

yep I called them twice and I think it costs me about $5 each time.

[dmhweb 0]

You would think that the embassy would get tired of answering emails and phone calls about all this and just change their website to make it clearer.

Efficiency is not part of the government plan. What is clear to one person might still be confusing to another. And of course some people read but don't understand, and others still just don't read. So maybe it will reduce the volume of calls but not eliminate the need for the person who answers. Plus for those who call the embassy makes a buck on that too.

yep I called them twice and I think it costs me about $5 each time.

Nah... never call them unless it's absolutely necessary and even then you won't get to talk to anyone with answers and they will just pass your question on. Most of your questions can be answered buy DOS in Washington using the Visa info line 202-663-1225.