The most common mistake on this route is applying one rule to every case. A visitor visa, a student visa and an immigration process are three different regimes: the first two are much more flexible, the third is strict and formal.
Below we look at all three separately, plus a detail nobody usually tells the client about: the visual format of the translation.
Certificate of Translation - what it must say
Under the American standard, a foreign-language document must be accompanied by a full English translation and the translator's certification. This is a signed statement that confirms three things.
Three essential statements
- The translation is complete and accurate
- The translator is competent in both languages
- The translator's name, signature and date
When a notary is added
- In immigration processes - almost always
- When the document will also be used at a Georgian authority
- When the consulate says so itself
- When the document also needs an apostille
What is not needed
- Official "sworn translator" status - the US has none
- A translation made in the US
- An apostille on the translation itself
- Accreditation by the consulate
The practical line: for visitor and student visas the certification is usually enough. In an immigration process - the DV Lottery, a family petition - the package is prepared with notarization and often with an apostille. If in doubt, choose the stronger form: notarization may be an extra cost, but it is never a reason for refusal.
Which documents must be translated
The list depends on the visa type, but five documents come up most often.
Birth certificate. Mandatory for every immigrant visa and the green card. Rarely for a visitor visa, mainly when a minor is travelling. Marriage or divorce certificate. To prove your family status. In an immigration process both are needed if you had a previous marriage. Criminal record certificate. For almost every immigration process, usually with an apostille. Bank statement. For financial stability on visitor and student visas. Translated in full, never in part. Employment letter and contract. To show ties to Georgia on a visitor visa. For a student visa add the diploma and supplement, the school certificate and the sponsor's financial documents.What is specific about the green card (DV Lottery)
If you won the DV Lottery, approach the package with a different standard. Every Georgian-language document must be translated into English and, in Georgian practice, notarized.
The list for the interview is usually longer than people expect: birth certificate, marriage or divorce certificates, criminal record certificate, a diploma or school certificate to meet the education requirement, military service documents for men, and often court decisions if you had any.
A critical detail that is often overlooked: the documents of every family member must be consistent within one package. If the spouse's surname is written one way in the birth certificate and another way in the marriage certificate, the consul will have a question. So one translator does the DV package, in one spelling, for the whole family.
On timing: the DV interview date is known in advance, so an urgent service is almost never needed here - starting on time is enough. The most common problem is that someone does not have one of the documents at all, and obtaining it takes several weeks in itself.
Format - the detail nobody talks about
One practical feature of the American route is that the consul often puts the translation and the original side by side and compares them. This is not a formal requirement, but it is the reality.
So our approach is this: the translation should also look like the original. If the original has a table, so does the translation. If the stamp is in the lower right corner, it is noted in the same place in the translation. If the document has two pages, so does the translation.
This saves the consul time and raises no suspicion. The opposite case - a two-page certificate turned into continuous text on one page - is not an error in itself, but it causes extra questions at the interview.
A full description of what we check before delivery: translation quality control.
Five mistakes we see most often
1. Translating part of the document. The client asks for "only the main page" to save money. For the consul that is an incomplete document. The American standard says it plainly: the translation must be complete. 2. Different spellings of names between family members. When four people's documents sit in one package and the surname is spelled two ways, it raises a question exactly where you do not want one. 3. An old document. The criminal record certificate and the bank statement have a shelf life. A certificate obtained six months ago is often out of date by the interview, however good the translation. 4. The apostille after the translation. A classic sequencing error: the document was translated first, then apostilled, and the apostille does not appear in the translation. As a result people pay twice. 5. Starting late. The DV interview date is known months ahead, but preparation often starts in the final weeks. If you do not have one of the documents at all, obtaining it can itself take several weeks.How to prepare the package
Define the visa type
Visitor and student - a more flexible regime. Immigration - strict: notarization and often an apostille. This decides both the price and the deadline.
Check you have every document
For the DV the list is long, and obtaining a missing document can take weeks. Settle the list first, then start the translation.
All family documents together
Send the whole family's documents as one package. One translator does everything, and surnames and names read the same everywhere.
Format following the original
The translation repeats the original's structure - tables, stamp positions, number of pages. You can compare this yourself on delivery.
Price and deadline
English is our largest direction, so its deadlines are the shortest: a standard certificate the same or the next day, a multi-page bank statement one or two days, and a full DV package usually several days depending on the number of documents.
The price is set by agreement after we see the material and is fixed before the order starts. The notary fee and, if needed, the apostille state fee are separate components - we give you all three in one reply so you know the total budget in advance. Guide figures: translation prices.
On a visitor visa, where a notary is often not needed, the total cost is noticeably lower. In an immigration process the apostille follows the state agencies' schedules (the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the criminal record certificate, the Public Service Hall for civil status records) and should be planned in advance.
Applying for a US visa or won the DV Lottery? Send us photos of your documents - we will tell you which form each needs and whether it can be done in time.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
Does a US visa need notarization?
Usually not for visitor and student visas - a Certificate of Translation is enough, that is, the translator's signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate. For immigration processes, including the DV Lottery, documents are prepared with notarization in Georgian practice and often with an apostille.
I won the DV Lottery. Where do I start?
First settle the full list: birth certificate, marriage or divorce certificates, criminal record certificate, an education document and military service papers. Then check which ones you do not have - obtaining them can take weeks. Only then start the apostille and translation. You know the interview date in advance, so an urgent service is usually not needed.
Must the bank statement be translated in full?
Yes, in full. A partial translation - only the balance or a few pages - is a ground for refusal. The consul looks at the pattern of transactions, not just the final figure. The bank's stamp and signature must also appear in the translation.
Will I need an apostille?
Usually not for visitor and student visas. In an immigration process often yes, especially on the criminal record certificate and the birth and marriage certificates. The apostille goes on the original and always before translation - that order matters. Full explanation: notarization or apostille.
I had a different surname before marriage. What should I do?
This is a common and important situation. The package must include a document linking the two surnames - usually the marriage certificate. In the translation both forms come over exactly as in the originals. We correct nothing and merge nothing - that is for the consul to assess.
Should I translate my military card?
In immigration processes this is usually needed for men. Military documents contain specific terminology - ranks, unit names, service status - and a mechanical translation is often unintelligible. These documents go to a specialist translator.