We have recently heard back from one of our contacts at a local solicitors’ firm who deals with immigration matters. She too was directed to a webpage: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points/sponsoringmigrants/supportingevidence/

Here it is stated that “Any documents […] that are not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation. The translator’s credentials should be provided, along with their official confirmation that the translation is accurate”.

Surely ‘translator’ as stated here can equally mean ‘translation provider’? If so, then there is no need for us to issue two certifications, one signed by a TransAction Translators’ director and the other by the translator him or herself. On our declarations we provide our “credentials” – that we are a long-established member of the Association of Translation Companies – as well as the qualifications of the translator. We then give our “official confirmation that the translation is accurate” to the best of our knowledge and belief, and the declaration is signed, dated and stamped.

We would be very interested to hear from any individuals, translators or translation companies who have experienced any problems with the Home Office’s requirements. To date we have not had any negative feedback from our clients, however we are still very wary of whether or not we are correctly following the guidelines.

If we are not completing the translation in-house, it is complicated and impractical to obtain the original signature of the translator. It is especially difficult at the moment to ensure deadlines are met due to the imminent postal strikes, and we still have received no answer as to whether or not electronic signatures are acceptable.