Name Spelled Wrong in a Certified Translation: What to Do

Where the inconsistency comes from

The same name can be written in Latin letters in several ways. A name like Yuri can be spelled Yuriy, Yurii, Iurii, or Yury, and every one of these is formally correct. Trouble starts when the birth certificate says one thing, the passport another, and the translation a third.

The officer sees three spellings and isn't required to guess that they belong to one person. That's how people end up with a Request for Evidence and weeks of delay.

Sometimes one person's documents were issued in Russian, Ukrainian, or another language where the name itself is different, like Aleksandr in Russian and Oleksandr in Ukrainian. Those versions need to be matched up before translation, along with the reason they differ.

A simple rule

The spelling in your international passport, the one you travel with, comes first. If the name in a document is in Cyrillic and the only question is how to write it in Latin letters, the translation follows your passport, even if the translator thinks a different transliteration is more accurate. If your passport says Aleksandr, the translation says Aleksandr too.

If your documents were already filed with the same spelling as your passport, stick with it. If the filed documents don't match your passport, don't just repeat the mismatch: talk to your attorney or the agency where you filed about how to correct it.

When one spelling doesn't fit

Consistency doesn't mean every difference can be smoothed over. If the original already shows the name in Latin letters, a different last name, or a factual error, the translator doesn't quietly replace it.

A document issued under a previous last name is translated with that last name. When needed, the original spelling is kept or explained in a translator's note: the translator's job is to render the document accurately and explain how names are spelled, and changing your personal details isn't part of it.

If the mistake is already in the translation

• If you catch the mistake before filing, don't file the document yet: fixing a translation is cheaper and faster than answering a Request for Evidence.
• Contact whoever did the translation and ask for a corrected version with a new certification.
• If you've already filed and received a request, send the corrected translation with a short note explaining that both spellings refer to the same person.

If the mistake is in the original document

This is a different and more serious case. For USCIS, federal regulations require a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, so the translator has to render exactly what the document says, even when it's wrong. The original has to be corrected by the authority that issued it. For documents from your home country, that's done through a representative acting under a power of attorney.

What to send before translation

The page of your international passport with your name in Latin letters. If your documents have already been filed with USCIS or another agency, tell us which spelling appeared in those applications and in earlier translations. It's better to sort out differences before the translation than to find them after you file.

How we work

Before we start a translation, we ask how your name is spelled in your international passport and in documents you've already filed, check the versions against the originals, and keep the agreed spelling across the whole set.

If the mistake is ours, we fix it and issue a new translation with a new certification.