Fact Sheet 91 - Translating and Interpreting Service
On this page
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship operates TIS National – a Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS).
TIS facilitates contact between non–English speakers and interpreters, enabling access to government and community services. It provides services in more than 120 languages and dialects.
TIS National provides a 24 hour a day, seven days a week telephone interpreting service to all states and territories in Australia.
To access a telephone interpreter, clients call TIS National on 131 450 for the cost of a local call (call charges from mobile phones may vary). Special nation–wide telephone conference call facilities allow a three–way conversation between the English–speaking and non–English–speaking (NES) people and the TIS National interpreter. TIS National also provides on-site interpreters for face–to–face assignments.
TIS National has established priority telephone lines for emergency service organisations, some parts of the department, and medical practitioners in general practice. When contacted, these lines assume priority within the call centre queue.
TIS National routinely handles 2900–3100 calls a day. During 2005–06, the highest demand languages and dialects were Vietnamese, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish, Korean, Persian and Greek.
User charges
TIS National provides interpreting on a fee–for–service basis to individuals, the Australian Government and state and territory government agencies, community organisations, and private sector businesses. The TIS National schedule of client service charges is available through the department's website.
See: TIS National charge structure
Fee–free services
Some individuals and organisations may be eligible to receive fee–free telephone interpreting and limited on–site interpreting services to facilitate their communication with NES permanent residents and citizens of Australia.
These include private medical practitioners undertaking Medicare rebatable services, emergency services, trade unions, parliamentarians, some local government authorities, and non-government, non–profit community based organisations providing services for settlement purposes.
For more information on fee-free services including details on how to qualify for fee-free services, see our website.
See: Free services
ATIS
The Automated Telephone Interpreting Service (ATIS) allows English speaking clients to directly connect to interpreters in 18 high–demand languages. Users can access ATIS by entering their account and access numbers and selecting the required language. ATIS will automatically conference an interpreter in that language.
A 10 per cent discount on the TIS National scheduled charge will be offered to ATIS users. Further information on ATIS can be obtained on 1300 655 820.
Translating
The department provides eligible clients with fee–free extract translations into English of certain personal documents necessary for their settlement in Australia. Eligible migrants (some permanent residents and Australian citizens) from NES backgrounds during their first two years of residency in Australia can lodge a request for translation through any Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) service provider in Australia.
More details on the translation policy, lists of eligible visa sub–classes and documents and addresses of participating AMEP centres are available from our website.
See: Help with Translations
Professional standards
TIS National helps the Australian Government and state and territory government agencies meet access and equity obligations to non–English–speaking Australians as set out in the Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society.
For example, TIS National's female clients may access female interpreters if they wish, particularly when discussing sensitive areas such as reproductive health, torture and trauma counselling and family violence.
TIS National services are provided by a panel of about 1500 professional interpreters in more than 120 languages and dialects. Each interpreter is contractually obliged to conform to the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) professional code of ethics.
The professional accreditation of interpreters is the responsibility of the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). In allocating assignments, TIS National gives preference to contractors with professional skills formally accredited or recognised by NAATI.
For further information visit our website.
See: Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National
Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au
The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.
Fact Sheet 91. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 15 October 2007.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2007.