Quick Answer: If your degree is in French, USCIS requires a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. French degrees most often appear in employment-based immigration (EB-2, EB-3, H-1B), where the diplôme establishes the qualifications the petition depends on. Most degrees are a single page, so the typical cost is $25, delivered in 24-48 hours, with the hand-signed certification included.
A French degree submitted to USCIS needs a certified English translation — and because a degree usually underpins the qualification an immigration petition rests on, getting the translation right matters. This guide explains when a French degree translation is required, which credentials it covers, and exactly what a USCIS-compliant translation must include.
When USCIS Needs a French Degree Translation
Unlike birth or marriage certificates, which appear across many family-based filings, a degree most often comes up in employment-based immigration, where an applicant must prove they hold the education a job or visa classification requires. If that degree is in French, USCIS requires a certified English translation submitted alongside it. Common contexts include:
- EB-2 — for professionals holding an advanced degree or its equivalent
- EB-3 — for skilled workers and professionals where a degree establishes qualification
- H-1B — where the specialty occupation requires a specific degree
In each of these, the degree is evidence that the applicant meets the educational requirement — so a complete, accurate certified translation is not a formality but a core part of the petition.
Which French Degrees This Covers
French higher education uses its own credential names, and a certified translation renders any of them into English. The most common French degrees and diplomas (diplômes) include:
- Baccalauréat — the secondary-school leaving diploma
- Licence — the undergraduate degree (roughly a bachelor's)
- Master — the graduate degree
- Doctorat — the doctoral degree
- Other institutional diplomas and professional qualifications
These credentials are issued not only in France but across the Francophone world — Canada, Belgium, and many countries in Africa and beyond. Whatever the issuing institution or country, if the diplôme is in French, it needs a certified English translation for USCIS.
Note that a certified translation is a faithful rendering of what the diploma says — it is not a credential evaluation. Translating the degree is separate from an agency assessing its U.S. equivalency. For the academic and credential-evaluation side, see our guide: Diploma Translation for University Applications and Credential Evaluation.
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Get a Free Quote →What a USCIS-Compliant Translation Must Include
For a French degree, a compliant certified translation has two required components:
1. A complete English translation of the entire document — the institution name, the degree awarded, the field of study, the date, the mention or honors if any (mention), and all seals, stamps, and signatures. Nothing is omitted.
2. A signed Certificate of Accuracy from a competent third-party translator, attesting that the translation is complete and accurate.
For the full requirements, see: USCIS Certified Translation Requirements. For what the certification itself must contain, see: What Is a Certificate of Accuracy?
Do You Also Need Your Transcript Translated?
Employment-based petitions often require the academic transcript in addition to the degree, since the transcript documents the coursework behind the qualification. If you need both, the transcript is priced separately by page count because transcripts usually run several pages. See: Academic Transcript Translation.
Cost and Turnaround
Certified translation is $25 per page. Most degrees and diplomas are a single page, so the typical cost is $25, with the hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included. Standard delivery is 24-48 hours, and rush delivery within 24 hours is available for a flat $35 if your filing has a deadline. For a full cost overview, see: How Much Does a Certified Translation Cost in 2026?
Can You Translate It Yourself?
No. USCIS requires the translation to come from a competent third party — not the applicant — who certifies its accuracy. Even fluent French speakers cannot certify their own translation, and AI tools such as Google Translate are not accepted because they cannot provide a signed Certificate of Accuracy. For the language service itself, see our French certified translation page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A French degree or diploma requires a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. It most commonly appears in employment-based immigration, where it establishes the applicant's qualifications.
Most commonly employment-based petitions — EB-2, EB-3, and H-1B — where the degree proves the education required for the position or classification. The translation is submitted alongside the original French diplôme.
All of them — the baccalauréat, licence, master, doctorat, and other diplômes issued in France, Canada, Belgium, and other Francophone countries. A certified translation renders the full document into English.
$25 per page. Most degrees are a single page, so the typical cost is $25 with the hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included.