Canada is home to more than 200 languages spoken across its cities, suburbs, and rural communities — and no city reflects that reality more sharply than the Toronto-Hamilton corridor. At Professional Interpreting Canada, we provide certified translation and professional interpreting across 200+ languages, matching every client with a native-speaking, ATIO-certified professional who has been tested in their specific language pair. Whether you need a sworn document translation for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or a skilled interpreter for a legal proceeding, a medical consultation, or a multinational conference, the language you need is almost certainly in our network.
This page explains the full scope of our language coverage — organized by region and language family — so you can quickly locate the service you need, understand what ATIO certification means for your specific language pair, and learn how we handle both the most-requested languages and the rarest ones. If you already know what you need, the fastest path is always a free quote.
Why Language Coverage Matters for Certified Services in Canada
Canada’s two official languages are English and French, but the country is linguistically one of the most diverse on earth. According to Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census, more than 4.6 million Canadians — about 12.7 percent of the population — speak a non-official language predominantly at home. In Toronto specifically, 42.5 percent of residents have a mother tongue other than English or French, and immigrants make up nearly half the city’s population. The result is a constant, high-volume need for certified interpreters and translators who are not just bilingual but professionally trained and credentialed.
The credential that matters most in Ontario is ATIO certification — granted by the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario, the only body in Ontario mandated by provincial law to certify translators, interpreters, and terminologists. A critical detail many clients miss: ATIO certification is granted per language pair. A translator certified for English–Spanish is not automatically certified for English–Portuguese, and a conference interpreter certified for French–English holds a different credential from one certified for English–Mandarin. This is not a bureaucratic quirk — it reflects the reality that professional proficiency in one language pair does not transfer automatically to another. When you work with us, we confirm that the professional assigned to your file holds active ATIO certification specifically for your language combination.
Our certified translations are accepted by IRCC for immigration applications, by the World Education Services (WES) for academic credential assessments, and by Ontario courts and tribunals. Our interpreters serve courts in Hamilton and across the region — learn more on our dedicated court interpreters Hamilton page.
How We Match You to the Right Professional
When you submit a request, our intake process captures three core data points: your source language and target language (and the direction of service — translation is directional), the subject domain (legal, medical, immigration, technical, business), and your deadline and delivery format. We then match your file to a native-speaking professional who holds ATIO certification for that pair and has demonstrated expertise in the relevant domain. For rare languages where ATIO certification does not yet exist, we follow the IRCC-recognized affidavit route, described in detail later on this page.
Native-speaker assignment is not a marketing phrase for us — it is a quality standard. A native speaker has internalized the register, idiomatic variation, and cultural context of a language from childhood in a way that advanced second-language learners rarely match. In legal and immigration contexts especially, a mistranslated term of art or a misinterpreted nuance can have material consequences. We do not compromise on this.
For conference interpretation engagements, we also evaluate the interpreter’s booth experience, consecutive vs. simultaneous capability, and familiarity with the subject domain of the event. Consecutive interpreting — where the speaker pauses and the interpreter renders the segment — and simultaneous interpreting — where the interpreter works in real time — are distinct professional skills, and our roster includes specialists in both modes. For questions about the distinction, see our FAQ on the difference between an interpreter and a translator.
The Most-Requested Languages in Canada: A Detailed Guide
The following languages represent the most frequent requests we receive, drawn from Canada’s immigration patterns and community demographics. For each, we note the community context, the types of services most commonly requested, and any certification or specialist considerations.
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin is the most widely spoken non-official language in Canada, with approximately 531,000 speakers nationally according to the 2021 Census, and it is the second-most common mother tongue in Toronto after English. The Chinese community in the Greater Toronto Area is large, established, and spread across multiple generations and regions of origin — Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia. Written Mandarin uses Simplified Chinese characters (standard in Mainland China) or Traditional Chinese characters (used in Taiwan and by many heritage communities in Canada). Our translators are clear on which script a client’s document requires, and we treat Simplified and Traditional as distinct services rather than assuming interchangeability.
Common Mandarin requests include IRCC immigration document translation, business contract translation, court interpretation, medical interpretation at hospitals and specialists, and conference interpretation for trade delegations and academic events.
Cantonese
Cantonese is the language of origin for a large portion of Canada’s established Chinese community, particularly those who came from Hong Kong, Guangdong province, and through earlier waves of immigration from Southern China. In Toronto alone, approximately 74,845 people speak Cantonese as a home language. While written Cantonese uses the same Traditional Chinese script as Mandarin in its formal register, spoken Cantonese is mutually unintelligible with Mandarin — a Mandarin interpreter cannot interpret Cantonese and vice versa. We maintain separate rosters for Cantonese and Mandarin interpreters and translators.
Punjabi
Punjabi is the second most commonly spoken non-official language in Canada nationally, with roughly 520,000 speakers according to the 2021 Census — and among the fastest-growing, having increased by approximately 49 percent between 2016 and 2021. The Indo-Canadian community, concentrated heavily in the Greater Toronto Area, Brampton, and Surrey, B.C., predominantly speaks Punjabi (Gurmukhi script). Immigration applications, school board communication, healthcare interpretation, and legal proceedings are the most common service categories. We also serve the smaller population of Punjabi speakers who use the Shahmukhi (Perso-Arabic) script, predominantly from Pakistani Punjab.
Hindi and Urdu
Hindi grew by approximately 66 percent between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, making it one of the fastest-expanding immigrant languages in Canada. Hindi and Urdu share substantial spoken vocabulary — both descend from Hindustani — but they diverge in script (Devanagari for Hindi, Nastaliq/Perso-Arabic for Urdu) and in formal register, where Hindi draws on Sanskrit vocabulary and Urdu draws on Persian and Arabic. For written translation, Hindi and Urdu must be treated as distinct language pairs. For interpreting, a bilingual Hindi-Urdu speaker can often serve both communities in conversational contexts, but our professionals are assigned specifically to the language pair and register the client needs.
Tagalog (Filipino)
The Philippines is the top country of origin for immigrants in the City of Toronto, and approximately 51,355 Toronto residents speak Tagalog at home. Tagalog-speaking clients frequently need immigration document translation for IRCC, interpretation at healthcare appointments and WSIB proceedings, and community services communication. We work with interpreters who understand both formal Tagalog and the Filipino English code-switching that characterizes everyday communication in the community.
Arabic
Arabic is a complex target for professional services because it encompasses a formal written standard — Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) — and a range of spoken dialects that are not always mutually intelligible: Egyptian, Levantine (Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian), Gulf, Maghrebi (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian), and others. Written translation typically uses Modern Standard Arabic and can be served by a qualified professional from any Arabic-speaking country. Interpreting, however, requires matching the interpreter’s dialect background to the client’s spoken dialect. We ask clients about their specific dialect when booking interpreting services, and our intake team will guide you if you are unsure. Arabic speaker numbers in Canada grew by approximately 28 percent between 2016 and 2021, reflecting significant arrivals from Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Spanish
Spanish is spoken by approximately 317,000 Canadians as a home language according to the 2021 Census, representing immigration from Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Argentina, and many other Latin American countries, as well as Spain. Spanish document translation and legal interpretation are among our most-requested services. Spanish is one of the language pairs with the deepest pool of ATIO-certified translators and interpreters, which means turnaround times tend to be fast and specialist coverage (legal, medical, financial) is robust.
Portuguese
Portugal and Brazil are both significant sources of immigration to Canada, and Portuguese ranks among the established heritage languages in Toronto, with a significant community presence in west-end Toronto neighbourhoods. Clients often specify whether they need European Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese — the two varieties differ in spelling, vocabulary, and spoken register, and we assign accordingly. Common requests include document translation for immigration and notarization, business translation, and interpretation for community services and healthcare.
French
French is Canada’s second official language and holds a unique status in our service portfolio. French-English is the most common ATIO-certified language pair, and our translators and interpreters serve the full range of French-language needs: legal documents for federal courts, simultaneous interpretation at bilingual conferences and government events, translation of official records, and community interpretation for Francophone newcomers across Ontario. For details on conference-level simultaneous French interpretation, see our FAQ on simultaneous French interpretation in Canada. French translation for Canadian legal and immigration purposes is governed by strict accuracy standards — we cover both Québec French and Canadian federal French register.
Ukrainian and Russian
Canada has one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora communities in the world, and Ukrainian-language services have seen sharp increases in demand since 2022 due to the large-scale arrival of Ukrainian nationals under emergency immigration programs. Ukrainian and Russian are related but distinct Slavic languages — a Ukrainian interpreter is not interchangeable with a Russian interpreter, and many Ukrainian clients specifically require Ukrainian rather than Russian services. We maintain a dedicated roster of Ukrainian-language professionals and can serve Ukrainian-language document translation for IRCC, educational institutions, and legal proceedings. Russian-language services are similarly available for document translation, business communication, and interpretation.
Polish
Poland is a significant historical source of immigration to Canada, and Polish-language services remain in steady demand for document translation, estate and notarial documents, immigration matters, and community interpretation. Our Polish translators work with formal and colloquial register across legal, personal, and business contexts.
Farsi (Persian) and Dari
Farsi (also called Persian) is the primary language of Iran and a significant diaspora language in Canada, with a substantial community in the GTA. Dari is the variety of Persian spoken in Afghanistan and is one of that country’s two official languages. The two varieties are mutually intelligible in most contexts but differ in vocabulary, accent, and some grammatical forms. For document translation, Farsi and Dari are often served by the same certified translator. For interpreting — particularly in refugee determination hearings and social services — clients may request a Dari-specific interpreter, and we honour that. We also serve Pashto, the other major language of Afghanistan.
Tamil
The Tamil-speaking community in the GTA is one of the largest outside South Asia, predominantly composed of Sri Lankan Tamil families who arrived during and after the decades of conflict in Sri Lanka. Toronto has approximately 40,825 Tamil home-language speakers. Tamil is a classical Dravidian language with a distinct script and a formal written register that differs significantly from spoken Tamil — our translators are trained in the written standard and our interpreters understand the Sri Lankan Tamil spoken variety that predominates in the GTA community. Tamil-language services are frequently requested for immigration documents, school board communications, and healthcare interpretation.
Bengali (Bangla)
Bengali is spoken primarily by immigrants and their descendants from Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It is among the fastest-growing immigrant languages in Canada, with speaker numbers increasing by approximately 22 percent from 2016 to 2021. Our Bengali services cover document translation for IRCC and WES, interpretation for healthcare and legal proceedings, and business translation.
Korean
The Korean-speaking community in the GTA is well-established and continues to grow through both immigration and international student intake. Korean document translation, business translation, legal interpretation, and conference services are in regular demand. Korean is a language isolate — not related to Chinese or Japanese despite geographic proximity — and has its own phonetic script, Hangul. Our Korean translators are fluent in the formal register required for official documents.
Vietnamese
Vietnamese is a tonal Mon-Khmer language with a Romanized script, and it has been present in Canada for decades following the post-1975 refugee arrivals from Vietnam. The Vietnamese community in the GTA requires document translation, healthcare interpretation, legal services, and community-services interpretation. Vietnamese has regional variation between Northern and Southern dialects; our interpreters are assigned based on the client’s regional background when relevant.
Somali
Somali is a Cushitic Afro-Asiatic language and the mother tongue of a significant East African diaspora community in Toronto and across Canada. Somali-language services are most frequently requested for immigration and refugee proceedings, healthcare interpretation, and school board communication. We provide both document translation and in-person or remote interpretation in Somali.
Amharic and Tigrinya
Amharic, the official working language of Ethiopia, and Tigrinya, spoken in Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia, are Semitic languages written in the Ge’ez script (Ethiopic script). Both have growing speaker communities in Canada, largely composed of refugees and recent immigrants. We provide document translation and interpretation in both languages, including for immigration hearings, refugee determination proceedings, and healthcare settings.
Italian
Italian is one of the historical heritage languages of Toronto, with a large Italian-Canadian community that has been present for generations. Italian-language services today include translation of estate and legal documents, notarized translation for Italian institutions and consular services, and interpretation for community members who are more comfortable in Italian. Italy is also within the European Union, so documents may require additional apostille or consular certification beyond our standard certified translation — our team can advise on those requirements.
Language Coverage by Region and Family
Below is an organized overview of the language groups within our 200+ language network. This is not an exhaustive list of every language we cover — it is a structured reference to help you locate your language family quickly. If your language is not listed by name, please contact us: the chance that we can assist is high.
European Languages
West Germanic: German, Dutch, Afrikaans, Yiddish, Luxembourgish
North Germanic (Scandinavian): Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic
Romance: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Catalan, Galician
Slavic — West: Polish, Czech, Slovak
Slavic — East: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Slavic — South: Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovenian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Baltic: Lithuanian, Latvian
Celtic: Welsh, Irish Gaelic
Hellenic: Modern Greek
Albanian, Armenian, Georgian
A note on Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian: these three varieties were until the 1990s treated as a single standardized language (Serbo-Croatian). They remain largely mutually intelligible in spoken form, but they have been standardized as distinct official languages in their respective countries, and clients from those communities often have strong preferences for a professional from their own linguistic tradition. We ask and we accommodate.
South Asian Languages
Indo-Aryan: Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi (Gurmukhi & Shahmukhi), Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Nepali, Sinhalese (Sinhala), Kashmiri, Odia (Oriya), Sindhi, Assamese, Maithili, Dogri, Konkani
Dravidian: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam
South Asian languages collectively represent some of the most in-demand services we provide, given the scale of South Asian immigration to Canada. Each of these languages is distinct — Tamil and Telugu, for instance, are both Dravidian but are not mutually intelligible, and a Tamil interpreter cannot interpret Telugu. We have certified professionals for the major South Asian language pairs and experienced professionals for the less-common ones.
East Asian and Southeast Asian Languages
Sino-Tibetan: Mandarin (Simplified & Traditional), Cantonese, Shanghainese (Wu Chinese), Hokkien, Hakka, Tibetan, Burmese (Myanmar)
Japonic: Japanese
Koreanic: Korean
Austronesian: Tagalog (Filipino), Cebuano, Ilocano, Indonesian, Malay, Javanese
Mon-Khmer / Austroasiatic: Vietnamese, Khmer (Cambodian)
Tai-Kadai: Thai, Lao
Hmong-Mien: Hmong
For Japanese, Korean, and the Chinese varieties, our translators are specific about script and register. Japanese, for instance, uses three interlocking scripts (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji) and formal documents require the appropriate polite or honorific register. For Southeast Asian languages such as Khmer and Lao, which have smaller diaspora communities in Canada, we may require additional lead time to assign the most suitable professional — please plan accordingly for tight immigration deadlines.
Middle Eastern and Central Asian Languages
Semitic: Arabic (Modern Standard & dialects), Hebrew, Aramaic, Amharic, Tigrinya, Tigre, Somali (Cushitic)
Iranian: Farsi (Persian), Dari, Pashto, Kurdish (Kurmanji & Sorani), Balochi, Tajik
Turkic: Turkish, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kazakh, Uyghur, Kyrgyz, Turkmen
Kurdish deserves special mention. Kurdish is not one language but a continuum of closely related varieties, the two most widely spoken of which are Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish, using Latin script and spoken in Turkey, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Iran) and Sorani (Central Kurdish, using a modified Arabic-Perso script and spoken in Iraqi Kurdistan and parts of Iran). We confirm which variety a client speaks before making an assignment, as the differences are significant for interpreting accuracy.
African Languages
Afro-Asiatic / Cushitic: Somali, Oromo, Afar, Tigrinya, Amharic
Niger-Congo — Bantu: Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Shona, Lingala, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Luganda, Chichewa (Nyanja), Tshivenda, Sotho, Tsonga
Niger-Congo — West African: Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Twi (Akan), Fula (Fulani), Wolof, Bambara, Ewe
Nilo-Saharan: Dinka, Nuer, Acholi
African language services have grown substantially as immigration from Sub-Saharan Africa has increased. Languages such as Dinka and Nuer — spoken by South Sudanese refugees — and Tigrinya and Amharic — spoken by Eritrean and Ethiopian communities — are among the most frequently requested of the less-common African languages. We have experienced professionals in these languages and understand the sensitive contexts — often refugee hearings and healthcare — in which they are needed.
Caribbean and Latin American Languages
Spanish varieties: Mexican Spanish, Caribbean Spanish (Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican), Colombian, Peruvian, Argentinian, Central American varieties
Portuguese varieties: Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese
Haitian Creole (Krèyol Ayisyen)
Indigenous languages of Latin America: Quechua, Guarani, Nahuatl
Haitian Creole is spoken by a significant diaspora community across Canada and is not a variety of French — it is a distinct language, and a French interpreter cannot serve a Haitian Creole-speaking client. We provide both document translation and interpretation in Haitian Creole.
Sign Languages
We provide American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) interpreting services. These are the two primary sign languages used in Canada; ASL is dominant in English Canada and LSQ in Quebec. Sign language interpreting is provided by specialized professionals and is booked separately from spoken-language interpreting. Please note that different national communities use different sign languages — British Sign Language, for instance, is distinct from ASL despite both originating in English-speaking countries. Contact us about your specific needs.
Indigenous Canadian Languages
According to Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census, more than 70 distinct Indigenous languages are currently spoken by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada. The most widely spoken belong to the Algonquian language family — including Cree languages, Ojibwe/Anishinaabemowin, and Oji-Cree — as well as Inuktitut in Inuit communities across the North. Other significant families include Athabaskan languages (Dene), Iroquoian languages (Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga), and the languages of the Pacific Northwest (Haida, Tlingit, Salishan languages). In the 2021 Census, approximately 243,155 people reported the ability to speak an Indigenous language well enough to conduct a conversation.
Providing professional interpreting services in Indigenous languages involves challenges that do not arise in the same way with other language pairs. Qualified interpreters who also understand legal or medical terminology may be scarce for many languages, and ATIO certification does not currently exist for most Indigenous language pairs. Additionally, cultural considerations affect how interpreting should be conducted — simultaneous interpretation, for instance, is culturally inappropriate in some Indigenous communities, and a skilled interpreter must navigate those norms rather than simply treating the work as mechanical language transfer.
We approach Indigenous-language requests with care. We maintain relationships with qualified community-based interpreters and can assist with some Indigenous-language needs. However, we are transparent about the limits of our current roster for highly localized or endangered languages. In cases where a certified interpreter is not available, we will advise on the appropriate path — which may include community-based interpretation or, for document translation, the affidavit route described below. For deeper context on these challenges, see our FAQ on the challenges of interpreting for Indigenous languages.
Rare and Less-Common Languages: The Affidavit Route
For some language pairs — whether rare African languages, less-widely-spoken languages of Central Asia, or some Indigenous languages — ATIO certification does not exist because the volume of certified professionals has not historically been sufficient to support the certification infrastructure. This does not mean we cannot help you. IRCC explicitly recognizes an alternative path for these cases.
When a certified translator is not available for a particular language pair, IRCC accepts a translation accompanied by an affidavit. The affidavit is a sworn statement by the translator confirming two things: that the translation is a true and accurate rendering of the original document, and that the translator has the language proficiency to make that confirmation. The translator signs the affidavit before a commissioner of oaths or notary public. This is a recognized legal process and produces a document that IRCC will accept for immigration applications.
Important restrictions apply: the translator cannot be the applicant, a family member of the applicant, or anyone with a direct interest in the application’s outcome — even if that family member happens to be a certified translator or lawyer. IRCC treats such translations as self-serving and will not accept them. Our professionals are independent of your application and can produce compliant affidavit translations for rare language pairs. We can also advise on whether your specific language pair qualifies for the affidavit route or whether ATIO-certified options exist. See our guide to getting documents translated for IRCC for a full walkthrough of the IRCC requirements.
ATIO Certification and What It Means for Each Language Pair
ATIO is the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario — the only body in Ontario mandated by provincial legislation to certify translators, interpreters, and terminologists. Certification is not a general credential; it is a language-pair credential. An ATIO-certified translator holds certification for a specific combination, such as Spanish to English. A separate certification is required for English to Spanish, and another for French to English, and so on. This specificity is a strength, not a limitation — it means that when you receive a document bearing an ATIO certification stamp, you know the certifying professional was tested and found competent in that exact direction of that exact language pair.
ATIO requires that at least one of the two languages in any certified pair be English or French — the official languages of Canada. All applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and Ontario residence is required at the time of application. The annual CTTIC certification exam costs $725 plus HST per language combination, reflecting the rigor of the credential. Our certified translators in Toronto hold active ATIO membership and carry certification specifically for the language pairs in which they are assigned.
For clients submitting documents to institutions that require certified translation — IRCC, WES, Ontario courts, professional licensing bodies — ATIO certification is the gold standard. Our certified translation package includes the translator’s statement, ATIO membership information, and our agency seal. Learn more about our certified translation services in Toronto.
Translation vs. Interpreting: Choosing the Right Service
These terms are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but they are distinct professional services. Translation is the written transfer of content from one language to another — it works with documents, contracts, certificates, websites, and any other written text. Interpreting is the oral (or signed) transfer of spoken communication in real time — it works in meetings, courtrooms, hospitals, conferences, and hearings.
The skill sets overlap in linguistic knowledge but diverge substantially in execution. A translator works with reference materials, has time to research terminology, and can revise their output. An interpreter must produce an accurate rendering instantaneously, often under pressure, and must handle unexpected vocabulary, cultural references, and emotional intensity without pausing. We treat these as separate professional disciplines and do not assume that a skilled translator is also a skilled interpreter, or vice versa — though many of our professionals are qualified in both.
For a fuller explanation of the distinction, see our FAQ on what is the difference between an interpreter and a translator. For an overview of the specific types of interpreting available — simultaneous, consecutive, whispered (chuchotage), community, and medical — see our FAQ on types of interpreters and their services in Canada.
Language Coverage Table: Selected Language Pairs & Service Types
The table below gives a quick reference for selected language pairs and the service types most commonly provided. This is not exhaustive — contact us for any language pair not listed.
| Language | Script / Variety Notes | Certified Translation | Interpreting | Most Common Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | Simplified & Traditional Chinese | ATIO-certified | Consecutive & Simultaneous | IRCC, WES, Court, Conference |
| Cantonese | Traditional Chinese script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Healthcare, Legal |
| Punjabi | Gurmukhi & Shahmukhi | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Healthcare, Legal |
| Hindi | Devanagari script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, WES, Business |
| Urdu | Perso-Arabic (Nastaliq) script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Legal, Community |
| Tagalog | Latin script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Healthcare, WSIB |
| Arabic | MSA & dialects | ATIO-certified | Consecutive & Simultaneous | IRCC, Court, Conference |
| Spanish | Latin script; regional varieties | ATIO-certified | Consecutive & Simultaneous | IRCC, Legal, Business, Conference |
| Portuguese | European & Brazilian varieties | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Business, Heritage docs |
| French | Quebec & Federal register | ATIO-certified | Consecutive & Simultaneous | Legal, Government, Conference |
| Ukrainian | Cyrillic script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Legal, Emergency services |
| Russian | Cyrillic script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Business, Legal |
| Farsi / Dari | Perso-Arabic script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Refugee hearings, Healthcare |
| Tamil | Tamil script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Healthcare, Legal |
| Bengali | Bengali (Bangla) script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, WES, Healthcare |
| Korean | Hangul script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Business, Conference |
| Vietnamese | Latin-based script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Legal, Healthcare |
| Somali | Latin script | Available (affidavit & certified) | Consecutive | Refugee hearings, Healthcare |
| Amharic | Ge’ez (Ethiopic) script | Available (affidavit & certified) | Consecutive | Refugee hearings, Healthcare |
| Tigrinya | Ge’ez (Ethiopic) script | Available (affidavit & certified) | Consecutive | Refugee hearings, Healthcare |
| Italian | Latin script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | Heritage docs, Consular, Legal |
| Polish | Latin script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Estate docs, Business |
| Turkish | Latin script | ATIO-certified | Consecutive | IRCC, Legal, Business |
| Haitian Creole | Latin script | Available (affidavit & certified) | Consecutive | IRCC, Community services |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you cover languages not listed on this page?
Almost certainly yes. Our 200+ language network extends well beyond any page-length list. If you have a language in mind that you do not see here, submit a free quote request and describe your language pair — our intake team will confirm availability and lead time within one business day. The most common situation is that the language is available but requires a day or two of additional lead time to confirm the right professional assignment.
My language has multiple varieties or dialects. How do you handle that?
This is one of the most important questions in professional interpreting and translation — and it is one that many providers handle poorly by defaulting to the most available professional rather than the most appropriate one. We ask specifically about dialect and regional variety as part of intake. For written translation, formal/standardized written forms often apply across dialects. For interpreting, we match interpreters to clients based on regional variety where the spoken differences are significant enough to affect communication — as with Arabic dialects, Chinese varieties, Kurdish, Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian, and others noted in this page.
My IRCC application needs a translation of a document in a very rare language. What happens?
IRCC accepts both certified translations (from a recognized translator such as an ATIO member) and translations accompanied by an affidavit when no certified translator is available for the relevant language pair. We handle both routes. If ATIO certification is available for your language pair, we will provide a certified translation. If it is not, we will provide a translation accompanied by a properly sworn affidavit by an independent, qualified translator. In either case, the document will be formatted to meet IRCC’s standards. See our detailed guide to IRCC document translation requirements for more.
What is the difference between a certified translation and a notarized translation?
These terms are used inconsistently in everyday language, so the distinction is worth clarifying. A certified translation is one accompanied by a statement from the translator or translation agency confirming that the translation is a complete and accurate rendering of the original — in Ontario, this typically means an ATIO-certified translator’s declaration. A notarized translation involves the additional step of having the certified translation reviewed and stamped by a notary public, who verifies the translator’s signature and identity (though the notary does not verify the translation content itself). Some institutions — consulates, foreign universities, certain courts — specifically require notarization in addition to certification. We can provide both, and we will advise on which your receiving institution requires if you are unsure.
Can one interpreter serve multiple language pairs in a single event?
In theory, a multilingual interpreter who is qualified in multiple language pairs could do this, but it is rarely advisable for professional engagements. Conference interpreting, for instance, is cognitively demanding to the point that ISO standards recommend working in teams of two for sustained simultaneous interpretation — expecting one interpreter to handle two language pairs simultaneously would be unrealistic and produce poor quality. For multi-language conferences or events, we recommend booking a separate professional for each language pair needed. We can coordinate multi-language teams for conferences and large events — see our conference interpretation services page for details.
Do you offer remote interpretation for less-common languages?
Yes. Remote (over-the-phone and video) interpretation dramatically expands the pool of available professionals for less-common languages, since the interpreter no longer needs to be physically located in Toronto or Hamilton. For languages where qualified interpreters are rare, remote interpretation is often the fastest path to service. We offer remote interpreting in all modes and provide technical support to ensure the connection quality meets the requirements of the engagement.
How long does a certified translation take?
Turnaround depends on the language pair, the volume of text, and the subject domain. For major language pairs with a deep bench of certified professionals — Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, Portuguese, Hindi — standard turnaround for a single document is typically one to three business days. For less-common languages or documents requiring specialist knowledge (legal, medical, financial), allow an additional day or two. Rush services are available for most major language pairs. Contact us with your specific language pair, document type, and deadline and we will confirm availability and timeline at the quote stage.
Are your translations accepted for WES credential assessments?
Yes. World Education Services (WES) requires translations from a certified translator and does not require the translator to be ATIO-certified specifically — but WES Canada does expect translations from a member of a recognized Canadian translators’ association or an equivalent professional body. Our ATIO-certified translators meet this requirement. We prepare WES-format packages that include the original document, the certified translation, and the translator’s declaration on the translation itself. See our document translation services page for the full scope of document types we serve.
What about Indigenous language interpreting for court proceedings?
Indigenous-language court interpreting is a specialized and often underserved area. The challenges include the shortage of qualified interpreters with legal terminology knowledge, the cultural considerations that affect how interpreting should be conducted, and the fact that ATIO certification does not exist for most Indigenous language pairs. Courts in Ontario have a constitutional obligation to provide interpretation to those who require it, but the availability of appropriately qualified professionals varies significantly by language and location. We can provide connections to Indigenous-language interpreters for some languages, and we will always be transparent about the limits of our network for a given language. For more background on the specific challenges, please read our FAQ on the challenges of interpreting for Indigenous languages.
Ready to Work with the Right Language Professional?
Professional Interpreting Canada brings ATIO-certified expertise to more than 200 languages, with a matching process built around native-speaking professionals who hold certification for your specific language pair. Whether you need a single immigration document translated overnight, an interpreter for a complex legal hearing in Hamilton, or a multilingual team for a national conference, the language you need is in our network and the right professional is ready to be assigned.
Submit your request today and receive a no-obligation quote. Our intake team responds within one business day for all requests and same-day for urgent matters. Start here: