I've been doing document translations for immigration and legal paperwork, and the same 3 mistakes keep coming up — sharing in case it saves someone a rejected submission:

1. "Word-for-word" isn't the same as accurate.

Certificates and legal docs have formatting conventions (dates, seals, stamps, official titles) that need to be represented correctly, not just translated literally. A translation that reads fine but drops the seal/stamp description often gets flagged by the receiving institution.

2. Missing certification statement.

Most immigration and academic offices require a signed statement from the translator confirming accuracy — not just the translated text. If you're getting documents translated for USCIS, university admissions, etc., always ask if this is included.

3. Formatting mismatch with the original.

If the translated doc doesn't visually mirror the layout of the original (tables, sections, seals in the same place), reviewers sometimes bounce it back for "unclear correspondence between original and translation."

If you're navigating this and need a hand, I do certified document translations (certificates, contracts, legal papers) — happy to answer questions even if you don't end up working with me.