I have successfully filled out my DS-260 and now I have to upload a bunch of "Civil Documents". Some of them are in my native language (German), such as:
- Birth Certificate
- Military Records
According to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html, these documents must include certified translations.
According to various sources (e.g., https://citizenpath.com/faq/certified-translation/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_translation#United_States_of_America) there are no strict criteria about who a translator may be.
Has anyone needed to do this before and has some advice?
- Clearly I am fluent in English and German myself. Can I do the certified translation myself? Even if it's allowed, would be be advised?
- Can it be someone from my family (e.g. sister)?
- Should the translator have any proof (TOEFL score or similar) or is the signed statement enough?
- What is the best form to do such a translation? For example, a birth certificate consists of multiple tables etc. Is it enough to just type the information in English into a word file? Or is it better to reproduce the original layout? Or is it better to take a copy of the original and write each word translated on top of the original?