If you want to adjust your immigration status in the United States, you will have to go through an interview to do so.
Fortunately, the USCIS will usually have a government agent on hand who speaks a person’s native language for an interview. In the event that they do not, it is possible to bring along an interpreter.
An interpreter’s qualifications
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) discusses what you need for your adjustment interview. Of course, an applicant cannot bring just any person into the interview.
The interpreter needs to have several qualifications, first. At the interview, the interpreter needs to present the government officer with a government-issued identity document. They must then sign a privacy release statement and take an interpreter’s oath.
The USCIS states that they prefer a person to bring along an unrelated third-party interpreter. This person will thus act without bias toward the individual’s situation, which is important in an interview.
However, in certain situations, it is impossible to find an interpreter with the right qualifications in time. In such situations, the USCIS allows applicants to request a family member or even a friend to act as an interpreter.
The possibility of rejection
It is also possible for the USCIS to reject an interpreter, though. They may do so if the interpreter displays ethical problems, or if they do not seem to have the competency needed to properly translate from one language to another.
Thus, it is important for a person to make a good selection when choosing their personal interpreter.
