What the National Visa Center requires for the documents you upload to CEAC — and why the “official language of your country” exemption does not help applicants from Uzbekistan.
Consular processing does not follow the USCIS rule. The National Visa Center works to a different standard, and the difference has trapped a lot of applicants from Uzbekistan into uploading documents that came straight back.
| USCIS (petition stage) | NVC / consulate (visa stage) | |
|---|---|---|
| Governing rule | 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) | State Department civil-document instructions plus the country reciprocity schedule |
| When translation is needed | Any document not in English | Any document not in English or in the official language of the country where you are applying |
| Who may translate | Anyone competent, who certifies it | Same standard in practice |
| Notarization | Not required | Not required |
The trap. That second column looks like a gift to an applicant in Tashkent: Uzbek is the official language of Uzbekistan, so surely Uzbek documents are exempt. They are not. The State Department’s reciprocity schedule for Uzbekistan says plainly that all documents, regardless of the language, must be translated into English — and the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent’s own instructions require that anything uploaded to CEAC and not in English carries a certified English translation. The country page overrides the general carve-out.
This catches people out separately from the translation question, so it is worth stating in one place. NVC does not treat every civil document the same way.
| Document | What NVC expects |
|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Original or certified copy |
| Marriage certificate | Original or certified copy |
| Divorce or death certificate ending a prior marriage | Original or certified copy |
| Court and prison records | Original or certified copy |
| Police certificate | Photocopy is accepted |
| Military records | Photocopy is accepted |
| Passport biographic page | Photocopy is accepted |
Every one of them still needs the English translation attached, whichever form the document itself takes.
CEAC takes uploaded files, so what you need from us is a clean digital packet: the translation, the signed Certificate of Accuracy, and the source document, in one PDF per document, at a resolution that survives the upload. That is what we send by default — digitally signed PDF, $35 a page, with the certificate and notarization included. If your interview is at a post that wants paper as well, we mail a wet-signed, sealed hard copy for $15.
We are not attorneys and we do not advise on your case. What we can tell you precisely is what the published instructions say, and what a translation has to contain to satisfy them. If your question is whether a particular document proves a particular relationship, that is a question for your attorney or an accredited representative.
Yes. USCIS requires a translation of any document not in English, under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). The State Department’s consular standard requires translation of any document not in English or in the official language of the country where you are applying. That second clause does not exist at USCIS, and it is where most of the confusion comes from.
No. The general carve-out is overridden by the country-specific reciprocity schedule for Uzbekistan, which states that all documents, regardless of language, must be translated into English. The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent requires a certified English translation with anything uploaded to CEAC that is not already in English.
Police certificates, military records and the biographic page of your passport are accepted as photocopies. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce and death certificates ending prior marriages, and court or prison records are expected as originals or certified copies. All of them still need an English translation attached.
No. The requirement is a certified translation — a signed statement from the translator that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent in both languages. We notarize every packet anyway at no extra cost, because some posts and some foreign authorities do ask for it.
A clean PDF containing the translation, the signed Certificate of Accuracy and the source document, one file per document. That is what we send by default. Keep the file legible after upload compression — a scan that is unreadable at CEAC’s size limit causes the same delay as a missing document.
Usually yes — the translation itself does not expire and the certification standard is the same in substance. What changes is the document set: NVC asks for police certificates and, often, military records that were never part of the USCIS petition, so most people need additional pages rather than replacements.
$35 a page with certification and notarization included. A single applicant with a birth certificate, a marriage certificate and one police certificate is three pages — $105. Add a prior divorce, a military book and a spouse and it is typically six to nine pages.
Twenty-four hours on orders up to three pages. Larger sets take a little longer; tell us your NVC deadline or interview date when you upload and we confirm the delivery date before you pay. Rush 12-hour service is $15 a page extra.
Last reviewed 29 August 2026. Every rule quoted on this page links to its primary source. If a figure here is out of date, email orders@certifiedtranslationcenter.com and we will correct it.
Uzbekistan sends more Diversity Visa selectees than any country on earth. What the Tashkent consulate needs translated.
The short list of what actually needs translating, and what the good-moral-character questions add.
Two filings, two document sets, and what a full packet costs.
WES forbids self-translation. ECE permits it and sells an $85 waiver. Both rules, quoted.
Upload your document, see the exact price on screen, and pay in the same minute — $35 a page with notarization included, delivered in 24 hours on orders up to 3 pages. No waiting on a quote.
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