One of the questions clients have is: do I need an interpreter (sometimes incorrectly called “translator”) for my immigration interview with the USCIS and how do I find one?
According to the USCIS itself, they do not provide asylum interview interpreters, so it is the applicant’s responsibility. Considering how arduous the application process is and the stress you may be experiencing during the interview, we think that having a qualified Russian immigration interpreter is an absolute necessity if you have any doubts whatsoever about your command of English.
Remember that your attorney, a witness testifying in your case or an employee cannot serve as an interpreter. Even if you can find a bilingual English Russian person who would agree to serve as an interpreter during your interview, we do not recommend hiring him or her for a number of reasons.
Language interpreters are skilled and well trained mediators with years of experience and it is their job to help you communicate better and to help you present your case in the best possible way by faithfully and accurately translating orally between the parties. The interview process may involve a lot of language nuances, complex technical terminology, including medical terms, or subtleties of the US culture that may need to be clarified.
Your USCIS officer may ask a variety of very sensitive or difficult questions, and, sometimes, they may be hard to answer even in your native Russian language!
Professional immigration interpreters deal with the difficulties regularly and the stakes are too high to hire an amateur, especially in asylum cases. USCIS recognizes that role by instructing UCSIS officers: “In an interview requiring an interpreter, the role of the interpreter is crucial. Misinterpretations can impede your ability to elicit accurate information and therefore can lead to incorrect determinations of eligibility or dissemination of incorrect information.” Your future life may depend on correct communication! Accurate, complete, adequate, and neutral asylum immigration Russian interpreter is what you need.
Contact InterStar Translations at info@interstartranslations.com or 1-888-501-1633 to discuss hiring a professional Russian interpreter for your immigration interview in San Francisco or the Bay Area of California!
