Australian-based, Translation agency to do the translation. can be a lengthy process. There are many hurdles to cross before receiving the appropriate visa, whether this is a temporary residence visa to enable the holder to work in Australia for a limited time or the coveted permanent residence visa which allows the holder and his or her family to stay and work in Australia on a much more unrestricted basis. 

While all intending migrants generally find the immigration process quite challenging, those migrants from countries where English is not the official language will generally have to work harder to satisfy official requirements. This is mostly because any documents that must be submitted for approval must be first translated into English, Australia’s one and only official language. There are definite benefits of using a local, i.e. Australian-based, Translation Agency to do the translation. In this article, we explain why.

When do families require translators?

Migrant families who are from countries where the English language is spoken, e.g. from Britain, Ireland, Canada, and the United States, will automatically have personal documents printed in English. These can be submitted to the relevant government department, e.g. the Australian Home Affairs Dept., without any need for translation. For everyone else, personal documents are most likely to be printed in a language other than English. Official Australian government policy is that these documents must first be translated into English by a certified, professional translator before they will be reviewed and their acceptability assessed. 

The benefits of hiring local translation services for families

While not strictly necessary, it is wise for any intending migrant family to use a local translation agency to translate their documents into English. By “local” it meant a translation agency based in Australia which has accreditation with Australia’s only agency for translators and interpreters, the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). 

Within Australia, few professional translators would ignore the obvious merits of NAATI accreditation. NAATI translators are trusted by all government agencies because they must have shown their ability to competently translate documents from one language to another to gain accreditation. It is not good enough in Australia just to have fluency in a language other than English. Competency in the skills of a translator must be shown to pass the various tests that NAATI’s assessment body uses to determine whether someone can gain accreditation.

This is not to decry non-Australian-based translators, many of whom may be just as competent as their Australian counterparts. It’s just that Australian government departments, employers, and educational institutions cannot realistically be expected to know which foreign translation agencies are competent and trustworthy and which are not.  Migrant families will find that using a local NAATI translation agency will probably reduce any risk of having their translated documents rejected and therefore speed up the immigration process.

Locations where translators can help families

NAATI translators can readily be found in every state or territory capital, i.e. Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra, and Darwin, but as most translation agencies have an online application process, location is unlikely to be an impediment to finding a translation agency.

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