Criminal Record Certificate Translation for the USA

Which application it goes into, and who reads it

In the USA the criminal record certificate is most often required in immigration matters, the green card process above all, and in some visa procedures, in the shape of a police clearance from each country the applicant has lived in for a given period. An applicant who has lived in Türkiye submits the Turkish criminal record certificate for that purpose; which country the document is being provided for, and under which form, has to be confirmed from the application guidance. The certificate is read alongside the application form and the passport, and the name must be spelled the same way on all three.

Turkish special characters converted inconsistently can make one and the same person look like two, and that generates needless queries. The translation carries names and identity details across in step with the official documents, without interpreting them.

Where there is an entry, every line is translated in full

If the certificate does record an entry, every line is translated exactly, the nature of the offence, the judgment given and the date included; nothing is summarised and nothing is softened. USCIS may take the view that an incomplete or selective translation has damaged the integrity of the document. The translation does not interpret the legal consequence; it renders what the document says accurately and in full, and leaves the assessment to the US authority concerned. Because this document is short, the certificate of accuracy is easily left out, yet without that certificate the translation counts as being of uncertain origin.

The safeguard that gets missed on a one-page document

A criminal record certificate is generally a short, single-page document, and that brevity can cause the formal safeguards around the translation to be overlooked. Leaving out the certificate of accuracy because the document is short is a frequent mistake; without it the translation counts as being of uncertain origin, and USCIS or the consulate may find the submission incomplete. In the same way, the heading, the details of the issuing body, the date and any verification code have to be carried across in full, short document or not. At the submission end, what matters is placing the document in the right part of the application package; the translation is presented together with its source, in a way that makes clear what it belongs to. Even a short document adds to the overall credibility of an application when it is whole, whereas a translation that is partial, or that comes with no certificate behind it, raises an unnecessary question mark over a file that is otherwise sound.

“No record” is carried across word for word

In most cases the one substantive item the certificate carries is that the person has no entry. The wording “adli sicil kaydı yoktur” is rendered plainly in English, in terms that convey “no criminal record”; anything vague can lead the USCIS officer to treat the document as incomplete. Where there is an entry, every line is translated exactly. The name of the document is given with its proper distinction as well: the criminal record certificate and the criminal record archive certificate cover different ground, and the English description has to reflect that difference.

The Turkish certificate is not an FBI record

A US recipient will sometimes have in mind an “FBI Identity History Summary” or a state police clearance from their own system. The Turkish criminal record certificate does not stand in for either; it is a separate document showing a person’s record in Türkiye, and it is presented with that identity. The translation does not dress the document up as a US one, and keeps its source, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Türkiye, plainly in view. Confirming from the application guidance which country’s record is being asked for prevents the wrong document being submitted.

The signed certificate of accuracy

Since the USA has no sworn translator system, the one formal assurance behind a criminal record translation is the signed certificate of accuracy attached to it. It states that the translation is complete and accurate, and carries the translator’s name and contact details, the date and a signature. Some applications ask for that signature to be notarised as well; putting the question at the outset does away with the trouble of drawing the certificate up a second time.

Currency, the apostille and common mistakes

The certificate shows a position as at a given date, and most applications expect a recently issued copy, so having the translation made while the document is fresh is the safer course. Rather than fixing on a number of days, work to the test of a recently issued document. To keep the document whole:

• Check that the certificate of accuracy has been attached to the translation.
• Check that the “no record” wording has been carried across plainly.
• Obtain the apostille before the translation; the USA is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention.

Confirm the apostille position from the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other types of document need in our document guide, upload your document for a quote and review the cost on our pricing page. The document required and the level of certification can differ from one institution to another, so ask in advance.