A strong immigration or cross-border file often turns on documents: the right record, from the right office, with the right certification. Our Document Services desk coordinates apostille and certified translation services, civil record requests and powers of attorney so that your papers are accepted the first time by USCIS, a U.S. consulate or an authority abroad.
We do not replace government offices, and we cannot control how long they take. What we do is make sure the correct document is requested, certified and translated in the form the receiving authority expects, and we coordinate the steps so that nothing is ordered twice or expires before it is used. Document coordination is part of our immigration representation and is also available on its own for clients who need papers for use abroad.
USCIS rules require that any document containing a foreign language be submitted with a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, together with the translator’s certification that he or she is competent to translate from that language into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). In practice this means:
We coordinate translations from Turkish, Spanish, Swedish and other languages and review them against the original before they go into your file.
If a U.S. document will be used in a country that is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, it usually needs an apostille. Who issues it depends on the type of document:
Türkiye and the United States are both parties to the Apostille Convention. For countries that are not parties, a different authentication process applies, and we confirm the steps with the receiving country’s requirements before you start.
Many Turkish records can be obtained through e-Devlet or from a civil registry office (nüfus müdürlüğü). The Department of State’s reciprocity page for Türkiye lists the accepted documents, including the Nüfus Kayıt Örneği (Extract of Vital Record) and the Formül A birth, Formül B marriage and Formül C death registration extracts, the International Family Booklet for marriage, court divorce decrees, and the Arşiv Kayıtlı Adli Sicil Kaydı police record, whose e-Devlet version carries a QR code for verification. We tell you exactly which version to order for your case type, then arrange the certified English translation. For more, see our Türkiye and U.S. immigration guide.
Life events in one country often need to be recorded in another. Many countries ask their citizens to register a marriage or birth that took place abroad with their own civil registry, often through a consulate; those rules are set by that country, and we coordinate with the consulate or licensed local counsel when needed. For children born abroad to U.S. citizen parents, the Department of State issues a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), which documents that a child was a U.S. citizen at birth and is available for children under 18. We help families assemble the evidence for these filings and keep the U.S. and foreign records consistent.
A power of attorney lets someone act for you in another country, for example to sell property, open a bank account or obtain records. Receiving authorities are often strict about wording, language and form. We coordinate drafting with local counsel where the document is governed by foreign law, arrange signing before a notary, obtain the apostille from the correct authority, and arrange a translation where required. Some countries may instead expect the document to be executed at their consulate; we confirm which approach the receiving authority accepts before you sign.
We arrange notarization for affidavits, declarations, consent letters for minors traveling abroad and similar documents, in person or, where permitted and accepted by the receiving authority, remotely. A notarized document intended for use abroad usually needs an apostille from the state where the notary is commissioned.
Every client receives a written checklist in English and Turkish tailored to the case, for example:
We give a quote at consultation because scope varies. Government offices set their own processing times, and we do not promise them.
Ozek Law Firm attorneys are admitted in Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. California matters are handled with California-licensed co-counsel. Immigration law is federal, so we represent immigration clients across the U.S. and worldwide.
Tolga Ozek founded Ozek Law Firm and has spent more than 13 years guiding individuals, families, investors and companies through U.S. immigration and business law, in English and Turkish. He is admitted in Washington, D.C., Maryland and New York.
USCIS requires a full English translation with the translator’s certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate. We recommend a translator who is independent of the case, and we review every translation before filing.
A birth certificate issued by a U.S. state receives an apostille from that state’s secretary of state or other designated state office. Federal documents receive an apostille from the U.S. Department of State.
Yes. Türkiye and the United States are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so public documents between them are generally authenticated by apostille.
Many records can be obtained through e-Devlet or a civil registry office. We tell you which version the U.S. authority accepts and arrange the certified English translation.
The State Department lists the Arşiv Kayıtlı Adli Sicil Kaydı. The version obtained through e-Devlet includes a QR code for verification.
Yes. We coordinate the wording with local counsel where foreign law governs, arrange notarization and the apostille, and arrange a translation where needed.
Processing times are set by each state office and the Department of State and they change. We do not promise processing times, but we submit complete requests to avoid rejections.
Yes. Document coordination is available on its own. We give a quote at consultation because scope varies.
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