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About NAATI Services
NAATI sets and maintains high national standards for the translating and interpreting sector, and it is the only organisation to issue credentials or certification to people who wish to work in this profession.
NAATI is a public, not-for-profit company that is jointly owned by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.
Mission
Our mission is:
- to set and maintain high national standards for the translating and interpreting sector
- to enable the existence of an adequate supply of appropriately certified translating and interpreting professionals, responsive to the changing needs and demography of Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse society.
Achieving this mission will maximise people’s ability to engage and participate in Australian society.
Vision
A connected community without language barriers.
Services
To deliver on our mission, we offer a range of services to the community. This page provides a snapshot of our services, which you can read about in more detail elsewhere on our website.
Certification of translators and interpreters
We uphold the standard expected of translators and interpreters through our Certification System. NAATI certifies people wishing to work as a translator or interpreter if they apply and meet certain prerequisite and testing requirements. NAATI certification is the industry standard for working as a translator or interpreter in Australia.
Our Certification System is unique. It is the only universal, national system in the world to certify practitioners in so many languages and credential
types.
There are over 10,000 translators and interpreters holding more than 15,000 credentials in over 175 languages, including Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and signed languages.
NAATI offers various credentials to reflect the changing needs of our multicultural community: from Recognised Practising credentials for languages which have low demand for certification testing and languages of new and emerging communities where testing is not available, up to highly specialised credentials for more complex interpreting assignments requiring advanced interpreting skills or specialist knowledge.
NAATI offers specific support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Language interpreters through our Indigenous Interpreting Project funded by the Commonwealth Government.
To support the ongoing professionalism of the industry, any translator or interpreter wishing to maintain a NAATI credential after its three-year validity period must apply to NAATI to recertify with evidence of work practice and professional development.
What is a translator or interpreter?
To translate or interpret means to accurately convey meaning of what is written, spoken or signed from one language into another. Translators and interpreters are highly skilled professionals, with a specific skill set learnt through formal training and experience.
Translators deal with the written word. They translate written content from one language to another.
Interpreters deal with the spoken word or signs (such as Auslan). They interpret what each speaker is saying or signing into the other person’s language.
Skills assessing authority
NAATI is the skills assessing authority for the translator and interpreter occupations on the Department of Home Affairs’ skilled occupations list, which means NAATI provides direct support to aspiring migrants.
Translator and interpreter are on the Department of Home Affairs’ skilled occupations list, which means that aspiring migrants can apply to work as a translator or interpreter on a skilled migration visa. Someone wanting a migration skills assessment needs to gain a NAATI certification through testing.
There are several skilled migration visas in Australia that require applicants to score a minimum number of points to qualify for a permanent visa. Aspiring migrants can gain points towards one of these visa applications if they demonstrate they have overseas qualifications or skilled employment experience as a translator or interpreter.
Once someone has been awarded a successful skills assessment (see above), they can apply to NAATI to provide an opinion about the comparable Australian level qualification of an interpreting or translating qualification obtained at an overseas institution or an assessment of verifiable skilled employment as a translator or
interpreter undertaken in the last ten years.
Aspiring migrants can gain points towards a skilled migration application, known as the Credentialed Community Language (CCL) points, by proving their language abilities at a community level. People can gain these points by either holding a NAATI certification as a translator or interpreter, or passing a CCL test with NAATI.
Community language aide testing
A community language aide (CLA), or bilingual worker, is someone who uses their language other than English (LOTE) in the course of their work to assist customers or clients.
NAATI’s CLA test enables people to demonstrate their basic oral communication skills in a language other than English. The CLA test assesses a candidate’s ability to communicate in a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. This gives businesses and government departments confidence that their multilingual staff can effectively and competently communicate to non-English speaking clients, students or stakeholders in a two-way conversation.
NAATI also delivers an online CLA Knowledge Competency Course designed to increase understanding of the complementary but different roles played by interpreters and community language aides in the delivery of language services.
CLA communicating with clients
One language: LOTE only
Two-way conversation between the client and the CLA
Subject matter is simple & known to staff. Low risk and non-critical.
Interpreters supporting client communication
Two languages: English and LOTE
Conduit between two people
Complex subjects or documents. May involve legally binding or higher risk
situations.