Procedures for using interpreters for specific programs.
Applications for permanent residency are submitted in Canada.
When is it permissible to use an accredited interpreter?
The use of certified interpreters limited to interviews can have a significant impact on applicants, such as (this list is not exhaustive).
- Interviewing individuals who are likely to be deported from Canada;
- risk assessment and elimination hearings;
- Interviewing victims of abuse;
- Sponsorship interviews (for example, sham marriage).
It is essential to ensure that certified interpreters are readily available when requested in the above circumstances. When an applicant is scheduled for an interview and requests an interpreter, the case officer will determine whether a certified interpreter is needed. If the officer determines that the outcome of the interview will not have a significant impact, the client will be informed within a reasonable timeframe that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not provide an interpreter. If the client still wishes to have an interpreter, they are responsible for finding one.
IRCC must use interpreters accredited by the Migration and Refugee Commission. Local offices cover the costs.
For more information on this, please refer to Using an accredited interpreter service .
When to use an unaccredited interpreter?
Any situation not described above, or that does not subject the client to a decision-making level of influence, does not require the presence of a certified interpreter.
If an individual wants to use an interpreter, they must find one themselves and pay the associated costs.
The interviewer must assess the quality of communication between the client and their interpreter and verify the interpreter's impartiality in the client's statements.