Certified Document Translation in San Jose
Any Language, Done in Person

No. USCIS requires a certified translation — a signed statement from the translator confirming the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent in both languages. Notarization is not part of that requirement. Our $75 includes the certificate of accuracy, which is what USCIS asks for. The $50 notarization is for other authorities that do require it.

Four things, in our experience. The certificate of accuracy was missing or unsigned. The translation summarised rather than translating everything, including stamps, seals and marginal notes. The layout did not mirror the original, so the reviewer could not match them up. Or names and dates were transliterated inconsistently with the applicant’s other documents. Bring the rejection notice and the original and we will identify which it was.

Not for USCIS. The translator must be someone other than the applicant, and must certify their competence in both languages. A bilingual friend or relative technically can, but if their certification is thin or their English is imperfect, you risk a Request for Evidence that costs months — which is usually more expensive than the translation.

Yes, and this is where cheap translations fail. Seals, stamps, registry numbers, marginal annotations and handwritten notes all get translated or noted, and the layout mirrors the original so a reviewer can follow it page for page.

Common with transliteration from Vietnamese, Spanish, Korean, Arabic or Chinese. We translate what the document says and note the variation rather than quietly “correcting” it — silently changing a name is what triggers questions later. Tell us how your name appears on your passport so we can flag the difference properly.

$75 per document under 250 words, which covers most birth, marriage, death and single status certificates and most diplomas. Add $50 if you need the certificate of accuracy notarized. Anything longer or multi-page is quoted individually — send a photograph and we will price it.

Because they are a different product. A $25 online translation arrives as a PDF by email, and if it comes back rejected you are emailing a queue. You are paying us for a person who looks at your original certified copy across a desk, tells you whether you actually need notarization, sequences the notary and apostille correctly, and hands you the finished document the same day. If all you need is a PDF for a USCIS packet and you have time to spare, an online service is a reasonable choice and we will say so.

The words in the source document, including names, dates and the text inside stamps and seals. Most vital records fall well under it. If yours is borderline we will tell you before starting, not after.

Multi-page documents — court transcripts, academic records, medical files, contracts — are quoted individually rather than multiplied by a page rate. Bring them in or send photographs and you will have a figure before you commit.

No. There is no rush surcharge and no shipping fee, because you collect it here. What can add time is the apostille step, which depends on the tier you choose rather than on us.

Any language. Spanish and Vietnamese are handled in-house by Quinnie and our partner Rosa. Everything else runs through our translator network, which is why turnaround for a less common language can differ — tell us the language and we will give you a real timeframe rather than a generic promise.

Yes, both directions. Documents going to Mexico, Vietnam, Korea, Spain, the Philippines or anywhere else frequently need an English document translated out, notarized and apostilled — which is the full sequence we do in one visit.

The document itself, and ideally the certified original rather than a photocopy if it is also going for apostille. Tell us where it is going and what for — that single detail decides whether you need the certified version, the notarized version, or the full apostille package.

For translation alone, yes — send clear photographs or scans and we return the certified translation. Notarization and apostille need the physical document, so those steps require either a visit or mailing the original to us.

434 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123, with free parking. Walk in Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM — no appointment needed. If your document also needs same-day apostille, arrive by 10 AM.

Yes, in person rather than through a phone interpreter. Quinnie handles Tiếng Việt and our partner Rosa handles Español, which matters when the questions are about your own family records.