The Program-Specific Procedures for Using Interpreters

The type of application plays a significant role in determining when and how officers can use the services of an interpreter.

For Temporary and Permanent Residence Applications Made in Canada

• When to use an Accredited Interpreter
• Officers would need to use accredited interpreters for interviews that could have a significant impact on the client
• Therefore, officers would need to ensure that they use accredited interpreters for clients such as (non-exhaustive list):
• Individuals likely to be subject to a removal from Canada
• Pre-removal risk assessment hearings
• Victims of abuse subject to conditional permanent residence
• Sponsorship interviews e.g. marriages of convenience
• Officers would need to ensure that they make accredited interpreters available to applicants in situations such as those mentioned above
• Typically, officers would need to determine the necessity of an accredited interpreter once they schedule a client for an interview, where the client requests for an interpreter
• If the officers determine that the outcome of the interview would not have a significant impact, they would inform the client within a reasonable time period that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would not be providing an interpreter
• Thereafter, if they find that the client still wants an interpreter, the officers would need to notify the client that the client would need to find a suitable interpreter
• Typically, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would need to use interpreters accredited by the Immigration and Refugee Board
• Local offices usually bear the costs of the interpreters
• When to use a Non-accredited interpreter
• Officers would be well within their rights to not use the services of an accredited interpreter for:
• Any situations that have not been described above or,
• Any situations that do not expose the client to the same degree of impact in terms of the decision
• However, if a client still wants to use an interpreter, the client would need to:
• Find a suitable interpreter and,
• Pay the associated expenses
• The interviewing officers would need to assess the quality of the communication between the client and their interpreter
• Thereafter, they would need to validate the interpreter’s impartiality with respect to the client’s statements
• Please refer to the section above titled ‘The Requirement of Interpreter Services’ for obtaining further information on this

Forms and Templates 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration