So you’re putting together your Partner Visa, but you have a whole lot of documents that aren’t in English – what do you do!?
In this blog, I’ll be talking about what to do with documents not in English, what you need to have translated, and who can translate documents for you.
What documents need to be translated?
When it comes to Partner Visas, most of the time one of the parties (usually the applicant) is from a non English speaking country, so of course they’re going to have documents not in English. It’s important that you have the right information with what to do about these documents.
I’ve seen people post on different forums and groups that the Department will just assign your case to someone who is from that country so they can translate and understand the documents but that simply is not true.
Immigration is pretty strict when it comes to having documents translated. For now, we are talking about more ‘official’ documents such as:
- Birth Certificates;
- National identity cards;
- Household register books;
- Marriage certificates;
- Police Clearances
These are just some of the documents that will need to be accompanied by an official translation.
Who can translate documents?
Definitely not ‘Google Translate’. I’ve seen a few of these before and having official documents translated by Google Translate or even a friend or family member who doesn’t hold the required qualifications is a big no no.
If you are translating your documents from inside Australia then you will need to find a NAATI accredited translator. They are the only authorised translators in Australia so be sure to search through the website and select someone you think may be a good fit for your case.
If you’re having your documents translated outside Australia then the rules are slightly different. Your translator doesn’t need to be accredited, but they must do the following:
- Include their full name;
- Address and telephone number;
- Qualifications and experience in the language they are translating
Is it cheaper to have documents translated from inside or outside Australia?
In my experience, it can be cheaper to have documents translated outside Australia but in saying that, be very careful with who you select to translate documents. If you’re having documents translated and paying a fee, you want to have it done right the first time.
Although having documents translated outside Australia can be cheaper, my preference has always been to have them translated by a NAATI accredited translator.
Pro tip: we’ve found it can be much more cost effective to contact translators directly for a quote (their contact details can be found on the NAATI website) rather than using third party websites that work with translators for you.
Does evidence of my relationship need to be translated?
If budget wasn’t a factor then I would say you should have everything that’s not in English accompanied by an official translation. But oftentimes this isn’t realistic, especially if a couple has spent years living together abroad.
When it comes to evidence of relationship, this can be assessed on a case by case basis and determined by one of our Registered Migration Agents during your evidence planning session. In some cases where a couple has years worth of lease agreements, insurances, bank statements all not in English, it may not be feasible to have every single page of every document translated.
Do messages between my partner and I need to be translated?
Yes they do! But whether or not we would recommend they are translated officially will also depend on the evidence of your relationship. This is something that we would need to get more clarity around before answering during an evidence planning session.
In some cases where evidence is light on, I have recommended an official translation of all evidence of communication, while in other cases, an unofficial translation is just fine.
What if I lodge my Partner Visa and don’t provide translations?
I would recommend lodging a decision ready application to avoid receiving further requests for more information.
Knowing what you know after reading this blog, you should hopefully be having all of you official documents translated before lodging the application.
On a final note, remember that you need to provide the translation along with the original.
Still looking for some help? Reach out to us.
IMPORTANT: Please note, this does not constitute Immigration advice. Always seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent before applying for an Australian Visa. Migration Law is constantly changing. This information is accurate only at the time of publication.
