Dual Administrative Systems
Tibetan documents may come from PRC authorities (bilingual Chinese-Tibetan) or the Central Tibetan Administration in exile (Tibetan with English). These follow completely different formats, and translators must identify the issuing authority and apply the correct conventions.
Tibetan Script & Transliteration
Tibetan script has complex stacking syllable structures. Names can be transliterated using Wylie transliteration, THL phonetics, or various ad-hoc romanizations — passport name matching requires careful verification.
Refugee & Asylum Documentation
Many Tibetans in the U.S. arrived as refugees or asylum seekers. Their documents may include CTA Green Books, Indian IC (Identity Certificate) passports, or handwritten monastery records — each requiring specialized handling.
Calendar System Variations
Tibetan documents may use the Tibetan calendar (based on lunar cycles with 60-year cycles), the Chinese calendar, or the Gregorian calendar. Some CTA documents use multiple dating systems simultaneously.