Required Translation for Daughter's Scholarship

[LaoDing]

My daughter just received a scholarship to study Chinese here in Henan. She is dual-citizen (Japan-U.S.), but as we know China does not recognize dual citizenship, and she came to China as a U.S. citizen. 

 

She graduated from high school in Japan, and while that is not a problem in itself, I have to translate her Japanese document into English (I'm qualified), and then it must be notarized. Does anyone know how that works? 

To really complicate matters though, her mother and I divorced eight years ago and she has two last names now, a Japanese surname and an American surname (in other words an a.k.a.). I'm hoping that her passports will suffice as proof, or even her birth certificate (which I have), and that they don't ask for the document denoting her change in name. That document is a REAL hassle to get. Probably no one knows how to handle this, but I just thought I'd throw it out there anyway. 
Thanks.

 

 

[vellocet]

Don't translate it yourself, there are registered translators in your city that do such jobs.  They are the only ones allowed to do it for legal documents, unless you are likewise certified.

 

Just make sure the name on the documents matches the name on the passport and there will be no problems. 

[LaoDing]

I hold the JLPT 1, which makes me qualifed to translate in Japan. But I guess I'd have to get certtified in China, right? In any case, a notarization will force us through that chute anyway.

 

The name is the problem. My daughter has two surnames. China does not recognize dual citizenship. She graduated from a Japanese high school where her name matches here Japanese passport but not her U.S. passport. I hope her Japanese passport will serve as proof enough for identity (a legitimante a.k.a., if that be the right way to say it), even though it is not a valid document for her citizenship in PRC as she came in as a U.S. citizen.

 

I look forward to reporting how all this works out!

[vellocet]

Well, she may need to re-enter China under that passport.  China is usually a real stickler for matching names correctly, to the letter.  I remember during the Beijing Olympics, a bunch of foreigners couldn't pick up their pre-purchased tickets because the name their first and last names as entered on the tickets didn't match their passports.  Of course, the Chinese government, in its wisdom, had no idea that people could have middle names or suffixes and thus didn't provide any way to enter this when the tickets were purchased online.  Good luck on your trip through bureaucracy. 

[LaoDing]

With due respect, I'm trying to find out 'how' to get this done- not to feel like giving up or forcing my daughter's hand into being a Japanese citizen the rest of her life. I've been through Chinese bureaucracy enough times now to know how hard the paperwork can be, but there's always a way.

 

I guess that the document showing her name change would suffice. You mentioned that there are registered translators that can do this. I have birth records, marriage records, everything. That would have to work. I'm surprised there aren't more people who have had to deal with such a problem.

 

Sorry if I sound curt. I'm just trying to find solutions. It took a lot to get my daughter here as a U.S. citizen- we're not about to give up now.

[LaoDing]

Well, my FAO just shrugged it off said it's no problem. We do need it notarized, but she knows where to do that. So we'll just go ahead! 

 

In my experience in China, which is by no means very extensive, what is strict on paper is often far more lenient in reality. An example is the med check. In Japan it was a huge ordeal that took a week and cost $300. Here, I was tested again and passed nearly every test except the blood tests, which took three days. The school paid but it wasn't much.

 

Mileage may vary I'm sure, but I should have sat down with my FAO before posting. On the other hand, maybe this info will help someone in the future. I'll post what happened when my daughter has the X visa in her U.S. passport.