Form I-485 · Part 11 (Interpreter) & Part 12 (Preparer)
I-485 Interpreter (Part 11) and Preparer (Part 12): Who Signs in 2026
Who fills in the interpreter and preparer sections at the end of Form I-485, when you actually need an interpreter, and what a preparer is.
Quick answer
If you filled out your own I-485 in English with no one translating for you, leave both Part 11 and Part 12 blank. Part 11 is only for an interpreter who read the form to you in another language. Part 12 is only for a preparer, meaning someone other than you (a friend, a paid preparer, or an attorney) who completed the form for you. Doing it yourself with software does not make you your own preparer.
Summary
Part 11 and Part 12 sit at the end of Form I-485 (your application to adjust status, meaning to become a green card holder from inside the U.S.), right after you sign in Part 10. They are for two different helpers, and most people who complete their own form leave both empty. Part 11 (Interpreter) is filled in by a person who translated the questions and Instructions for you into a language you speak, then it is that interpreter who signs. Part 12 (Preparer) is filled in by a person, other than you the applicant, who actually completed the form on your behalf, and it is that preparer who signs. You are the applicant here: on a marriage case that is the immigrant spouse (the person applying for the green card, whom USCIS calls the beneficiary), not the U.S. citizen or green card holder who filed the petition. If no one interpreted for you and no one else filled out the form, neither section applies and you leave them blank.
| Part 11 (Interpreter) | For a person who read the form and its Instructions to you in a language you are fluent in. The interpreter fills in their own name and contact details and signs. Leave it blank if no one translated for you. |
| Part 12 (Preparer) | For a person, other than you, who completed the form for you (a friend, a paid preparer, or an attorney). The preparer fills in their own details and signs. Leave it blank if you completed the form yourself. |
| You did it yourself, in English | Both sections stay blank. You already certified and signed your own application in Part 10. |
| Interpreter vs preparer | An interpreter translated the questions and your answers out loud. A preparer typed the form for you. They are separate roles and separate sections. |
| The same person did both | One helper who both translated and filled out the form completes both Part 11 and Part 12 and signs each. |
| Software counts as a preparer? | No. Completing your own form with self-help software does not make you a preparer. The preparer section is for a different person who fills out the form for you. |
Who this page is for
This page covers who completes the two administrative sign-off sections on Form I-485: Part 11 for an interpreter and Part 12 for a preparer. It does not cover who may interpret at your USCIS interview (the officer decides that on the day), and it is not about the legal questions in Part 9. These sections only record who helped you with the paperwork and are not where legal advice happens.
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What Parts 11 and 12 look like on the form
Part 11 (Interpreter) and Part 12 (Preparer) each collect a helper's name, contact information, certification, and signature. They come right after Part 10, where you sign your own application.
Verbatim · Part 11 Interpreter (Form I-485 Instructions, edition 01/20/25, page 10)
If you used anyone as an interpreter to read the Instructions and questions on this application to you in a language in which you are fluent, the interpreter must fill out this section and sign and date the application.
Verbatim · Part 12 Preparer (Form I-485 Instructions, edition 01/20/25, page 10)
The person who completed your application, if other than the applicant, must sign this section. If the same individual acted as your interpreter and your preparer, then that person should complete both Part 11. and Part 12. A stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable.
Always complete the current edition from uscis.gov/i-485; USCIS rejects outdated editions.
The fields in each section
Both parts have six items with the same shape: the helper's name, business (if any), contact details, and a certification the helper signs. The helper fills these in, not you.
Part 11 · Interpreter
| Items | Field | What goes here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interpreter's Full Name | The interpreter's family name and given name. This is the person who translated, not you. |
| 2 | Interpreter's Business or Organization Name | Fill in only if the interpreter works through a business or agency. A friend or relative leaves it blank. |
| 3-5 | Interpreter's Contact Information | The interpreter's daytime phone, mobile phone (if any), and email (if any). |
| 6 | Interpreter's Certification and Signature | The interpreter names the language, then signs and dates. By signing, the interpreter certifies they are fluent in English and that language and read every question and answer to you. |
Part 12 · Preparer
| Items | Field | What goes here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preparer's Full Name | The preparer's family name and given name. This is the person who filled out the form for you. |
| 2 | Preparer's Business or Organization Name | Fill in only if the preparer works through a law firm, agency, or business. A friend or relative leaves it blank. |
| 3-5 | Preparer's Contact Information | The preparer's daytime phone, mobile phone (if any), and email (if any). |
| 6 | Preparer's Certification and Signature | The preparer signs and dates. By signing, they certify they prepared the form at your request and that it reflects only the information you provided. |
Interpreter vs preparer: the plain difference
The two sections trip people up because one person often does both jobs, but USCIS keeps them separate. An interpreter is about language: someone read the English questions and Instructions to you in a language you are fluent in, and read your answers back, so you understood what you were signing. A preparer is about who did the typing: someone other than you actually completed the form. A relative who both explained the questions in your language and filled in the boxes is an interpreter and a preparer, and completes both parts. A friend who typed your answers but spoke to you the whole time in English is only a preparer. And when you read the form yourself in English and filled it in yourself, no one is your interpreter or your preparer, so both sections stay empty.
How to decide what to fill in
Four quick checks settle it for almost every filer.
Did anyone translate the form for you?
If a person read the I-485 questions and Instructions to you in a language you speak, that person is your interpreter and completes Part 11. If you read and understood the form in English on your own, leave Part 11 blank.
Did someone else fill out the form for you?
If a person other than you typed or wrote your answers onto the form, that person is your preparer and completes Part 12. If you completed the form yourself, even using software or a template, leave Part 12 blank. You are not your own preparer.
If one person did both, they sign both
When the same helper both translated and filled out the form, the Instructions say that person completes both Part 11 and Part 12, signing each section separately.
The helper signs in ink; a typed name is not enough
The interpreter or preparer must physically sign. The Instructions state a stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable. Your own signature stays in Part 10.
Can your spouse be your interpreter or preparer?
A common question on marriage cases is whether the U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse can be the interpreter or the preparer. Nothing on the form bars a spouse from either role. If your sponsoring spouse translated the questions into your language, your spouse is the interpreter and completes Part 11. If your spouse filled out the form for you, your spouse is the preparer and completes Part 12. If your spouse did both, your spouse completes both. Keep in mind these sections are administrative: the person just records who helped and signs. They are not where any legal advice happens, and using a family member as your interpreter for the paperwork is separate from who may interpret at the USCIS interview, which the officer decides on the day.
Filling out your own I-485 and not sure whose name goes where?
Our software walks you through your own I-485 in plain questions and handles the interpreter and preparer sections correctly, so you know exactly what to leave blank when you complete the form yourself.
Start FreeWhat USCIS does with these sections
These sections tell USCIS who, besides you, touched your application, and they put that person on record under penalty of perjury. The interpreter's signature is USCIS's assurance that a non-English speaker actually understood the form they signed, which protects you if a translation was wrong. The preparer's signature holds a paid preparer or helper accountable for completing the form honestly from the information you gave them. If a section is left blank, USCIS reads that as: no interpreter was used, or no one other than you prepared the form. That is the correct result when you completed your own application in English, so a blank here is normal and expected, not a missing answer.
Common mistakes
These are the ones that show up most often on the interpreter and preparer sections.
- 1
Signing the interpreter or preparer box yourself
You are the applicant. Your signature belongs in Part 10. Do not put your own name in Part 11 or Part 12. Those sections are for a different person, and completing your own form does not make you your own interpreter or preparer.
- 2
Filling in a section that should be blank
If no one translated the form and no one else completed it, both sections stay empty. There is no need to write your own details there or mark them in any special way.
- 3
Using an interpreter but leaving Part 11 blank
If someone read the form to you in another language, Part 11 must be completed and signed by that interpreter. Leaving it blank when you did use an interpreter leaves the certification unsigned.
- 4
Treating interpreter and preparer as one section
When one person both translated and filled out the form, that person completes both Part 11 and Part 12. Signing only one of the two leaves the other certification incomplete.
- 5
Typing the helper's name instead of signing
The Instructions say a stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable. The interpreter or preparer has to physically sign the box.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I fill out Part 11 and Part 12 if I completed the I-485 myself?
No. If you read and completed the form yourself in English with no one translating for you, leave both Part 11 (Interpreter) and Part 12 (Preparer) blank. You certify and sign your own application in Part 10. Completing your own form, even with software, does not make you your own preparer.
What is the difference between the interpreter and the preparer section?
An interpreter (Part 11) read the English questions and Instructions to you in a language you are fluent in and read your answers back. A preparer (Part 12) is a person other than you who actually completed the form for you. One person can be both, in which case they complete both sections.
Can my U.S. citizen spouse be my interpreter or preparer on the I-485?
Yes. Nothing on the form stops a spouse from being the interpreter, the preparer, or both. If your spouse translated the form, your spouse completes Part 11; if your spouse filled it out for you, your spouse completes Part 12; if both, your spouse completes both sections and signs each.
What does a preparer actually certify by signing Part 12?
By signing, the preparer certifies under penalty of perjury that they prepared the application at your request and with your consent, and that the form reflects only information you provided and that you reviewed. It does not make the preparer responsible for your case or turn them into your legal representative.
Does using self-help software make the software company my preparer?
No. When you complete and file your own form, you are the applicant, and the preparer section is left blank. Part 12 is for a person, other than you, who fills out the form on your behalf, such as a friend, a paid preparer, or an attorney.
The same person translated and typed my form. What do they sign?
Both sections. The Instructions state that if the same individual acted as your interpreter and your preparer, that person completes both Part 11 and Part 12 and signs each one. A stamped or typed name is not acceptable in either section.
Key takeaways
- ✓
Part 11 is for an interpreter who translated the form for you; Part 12 is for a preparer who filled it out for you. Both are at the end of the form, after you sign in Part 10.
- ✓
If you completed your own I-485 in English with no help, leave both sections blank. That is the normal, expected result.
- ✓
An interpreter is about language; a preparer is about who did the typing. One person can be both and then completes both sections.
- ✓
Completing your own form yourself, including with software or a template, does not make you your own preparer.
- ✓
Your U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse can serve as your interpreter, your preparer, or both, and signs the matching section.
- ✓
The interpreter or preparer must physically sign; a stamped or typewritten name is not acceptable (I-485 Instructions, page 10).
This page is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. Immigration law and USCIS policy change frequently. For advice on a specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney. Form I-485, edition 01/20/25. Last verified August 2026.
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