I have a French extrait. Should I get the copie intégrale?

French Translation

French to English Certified Translation for USCIS

Certified French-to-English translation of birth, marriage, and civil records from France, Canada, and Francophone Africa.

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French-language USCIS filings come from France, Quebec, Belgium, Switzerland, and most of Francophone Africa. The civil-registry vocabulary varies — France uses 'extrait d'acte de naissance', DR Congo uses 'acte de naissance', Senegal often uses 'extrait des minutes' — but the underlying USCIS standard is the same.

Source countries we cover: France, Canada, DR Congo, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal.

Documents we translate by country

France

Acte de naissance (extrait or copie intégrale) — request copie intégrale for USCIS
Acte de mariage
Livret de famille

Francophone Africa (DR Congo, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal)

Acte de naissance (often handwritten or typewritten)
Jugement supplétif (court-issued late birth registration)
Casier judiciaire

8 CFR §103.2(b)(3)

What USCIS requires for a foreign-language document

Full English translation
Every word, stamp, seal, and marginal note on the foreign document must be rendered into English — not summarized.
Signed Certificate of Accuracy
The translator certifies, in writing, that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the source language to English.
Original visible alongside translation
USCIS expects the certified English translation to be submitted together with a legible copy of the original foreign-language document.
Independent translator
The translator cannot be the applicant or beneficiary. Self-translations are routinely rejected, even when accurate.

Common pitfalls with French documents

Extrait vs. copie intégrale

USCIS often needs the 'copie intégrale' (full copy) for French births. The shorter extrait omits parental detail.

Jugement supplétif documents

Many West African births weren't registered timely and were established by court order. Both the order and the resulting birth certificate must be translated.