Obtaining certified translation for wife's birth certificate in Phuket.

[PhuketAmerican]

Hello,

My wife just got a letter from the US government concerning her I-485 Green Card application. They were asking me to include a certified translation. She is here in America with me since she already had a visitor Visa, and we had her sister scan the original birth certificate in Thailand and email to me which I printed and submitted digitally.

 

My question is where do I need for them to take it to have a certified translation done I'm sure it cannot just be any place I want to make sure to follow the steps exactly because they want this document by May 2nd. If my sister-in-law takes the original to a certified translator in Phuket which I assume is probably a lawyer from a list, then they can mail it here and I can submit it. 

 

Any guidance on this matter from someone who has made a green card for their ties spouse and had to get the certified birth certificate translation sent over would be appreciated.

 

 

 

[RAZZELL]

Does it not have to be translated and then get an official stamp from the MFA in Bangkok?

 

RAZZ

[theoldgit]

16 hours ago, RAZZELL said:

Does it not have to be translated and then get an official stamp from the MFA in Bangkok?

 

I'm pretty sure that it's just Thailand that require the MFA stamp, other countries just need certification by the person doing the translation.

[Puccini]

On 2/18/2022 at 7:07 AM, PhuketAmerican said:

...Any guidance on this matter from someone who has made a green card for their ties spouse and had to get the certified birth certificate translation sent over would be appreciated.

I haven't had any personal experience with this myself, but I am trying to remember how this worked when certified translations of certain documents were required by some countries in international trade. I believe for your case it would work like this:

 

1. At the bottom of the translation, or on the reverse side of the sheet if there is insufficient space on the front side, the translator puts a statement something like this:

Certified true and correct translation from Thai to English

<signature>

<typed name>

<date>

 

2. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) certifies the signature of the translator.

 

3. The US embassy certifies the signature of the MFA official.

 

I suggest that you contact the US embassy for accurate information about the currently used procedure.

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Puccini

[PhuketAmerican]

Thank you everyone I will check into getting the MFA stamp at Bangkok, sounds very complicated I will have to send someone from Phuket I hope there is an agent I can pay because we are both in USA and I have to give it to the office in Chicago before May 4th. I can't believe there's no one reading this site has done it in the last year or so.

[MajorTom]

I used Bangkok Translation Office in Phuket town. They will fix everything with MFA if thats required.

[jerrymahoney]

next to US Embassy Bangkok on Wireless -- can do everything y9u need remote including courier to MFA/CW.

 

alanguagelover.com

[bbko]

On 2/22/2022 at 1:44 PM, PhuketAmerican said:

Thank you everyone I will check into getting the MFA stamp at Bangkok, sounds very complicated I will have to send someone from Phuket I hope there is an agent I can pay because we are both in USA and I have to give it to the office in Chicago before May 4th. I can't believe there's no one reading this site has done it in the last year or so.

Get the birth certificate translated in Phuket and use MFA's mail in service to get the official government stamp;

http://m.mfa.go.th/main/th/services/1303/24762-Procedure-of-Document-Authentication-by-Mail.html

[Huckfi]

On 2/22/2022 at 1:44 PM, PhuketAmerican said:

Thank you everyone I will check into getting the MFA stamp at Bangkok, sounds very complicated I will have to send someone from Phuket I hope there is an agent I can pay because we are both in USA and I have to give it to the office in Chicago before May 4th. I can't believe there's no one reading this site has done it in the last year or so.

You do not need an MFA stamp or anything done in Thailand for this process. A certified translation can be done at any translation company in the US. "Certified" simply means that the person translating the document says they are competent in both languages and that they certify the translation as true. They will place a stamp on each translated document with their certification and signature as well as include a translation certificate. This is all relatively inexpensive and if there isn't any companies near you to do this, there are plenty online.

 

Edit: If you or her are fluent in both languages, you can even do the translation yourself and certify it!

Edited February 25, 2022 by Huckfi