This type of translation is commonly required for submission to U.S. Immigration (USCIS), universities, courts and many local, state, and federal governments.
The translation must be a literal (word-for-word) translation of all visible text to satisfy the complete requirement. Translators cannot add/remove text or interpret the meaning behind the text. For vital documents such as birth certificates that requirement doesn't typically prove to be noticeable, but for other types of documents that contain full sentences with more nuance it can undoubtedly be. This requirement is vital for your receiver so that they can have confidence that the translation exactly represents the original source material.