TRANSLATIONS
Anything not in English or French needs to be translated.
IRCC needs every record in one of Canada's two official languages — and the translation has to come from the right kind of translator, with the right kind of sign-off.
WHAT NEEDS TRANSLATING
Every document, including your IDs.
If it's not in English or French, it gets translated. That covers birth, marriage, and death certificates, church and census records, naturalization papers, court documents — and the ID you submit with your application. No document is exempt.
WHO CAN TRANSLATE
A qualified translator — never a family member.
IRCC requires translations from someone with professional standing: a certified translator, or a translator whose work is backed by a sworn affidavit. A translation from a relative is a returned application — not a correction request, returned.
The rule covers anyone related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption — regardless of their professional credentials in any other context.
IMMEDIATE
Parents, children, siblings.
PARTNERS
Spouse, common-law, partner.
EXTENDED
Grandparents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, first cousins.
HOW TO FIND A TRANSLATOR
Two paths, depending on where they practice.
IRCC accepts translations from two sources: certified members of Canadian provincial translation associations, or anyone else whose work is accompanied by a sworn affidavit. The difference determines what paperwork the translation needs.
CANADIAN CERTIFIED
No affidavit required.
Members of provincial translation associations are pre-vetted. Their certification stamp is enough for IRCC — no notary, no sworn statement.
EVERYONE ELSE
Sworn affidavit required.
Translators outside Canada are acceptable, but IRCC has no way to verify their credentials directly. The affidavit — sworn in front of a notary public or commissioner of oaths — is what makes the translation official.
US DIRECTORY, FILTERS & PRICING
The American Translators Association maintains a searchable US directory. Filter by language pair and look for translators with legal or official-document experience. Typical cost for vital records runs $25 to $50 per page, with common languages like Spanish or Italian at the low end.
Unlock the directory →THE AFFIDAVIT
Sworn, not just signed.
If your translator isn't a member of a Canadian provincial association, their translation needs a sworn affidavit. This is the single detail that trips up the most applications.
WHAT IT IS
A signed statement from the translator, sworn in front of a notary public or commissioner of oaths, attesting that the translation is accurate and complete. The notary's stamp or seal appears on the document.
Unlock →THE CONSEQUENCE
A signed-but-unsworn affidavit is a returned application. The translator goes back to a notary, and you resubmit the whole package.
COMMON MISTAKES
Why applications get sent back.
The translation rules are straightforward on paper. The places applications actually get returned are usually in the execution.
01
Using a family member who happens to be qualified.
A cousin who works as a professional translator, an uncle with a certification from his home country, a spouse who is fluent in both languages. None of it matters. The family exclusion is absolute — credentials don't override it.
02
Signing an affidavit without a notary.
A translator types up an affidavit, signs at the bottom, and attaches it. That's not sworn — that's just signed. The affidavit has to be executed in front of a notary public or commissioner of oaths, with their stamp or seal on the document itself.
Unlock →KEEP GOING
Where translations fit in the process.
→ TEMPLATES
Cover letters and summaries
The cover letter template mentions translated documents and explanation letters in its enclosure list — use it alongside the rules on this page.
→ APPLICATION FORM
Fill out CIT 0001
The main application walkthrough, including how to handle translated documents in the enclosure list and how to reference them on the form itself.
→ MAILING
Send your package
Putting translations in the right order, what to include with originals, and how to package everything for shipping to IRCC.
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Get the Resource Hub →Not affiliated with IRCC. Informational only.
