APPLICATION PROCESS

How to become an ATIO member.

PATH TO CERTIFICATION

Becoming a certified ATIO member involves several stages:

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Step 1

First you must sign up to receive announcements. At this point, you must register for, and pass, the prerequisite exams. Once you pass the prerequisite exams, you then proceed to Step 2.

Step 2 - Applicant

You must submit an application for membership. At this point you are considered an Applicant while your supporting documentation is vetted and, in the case of translators, an Entrance Exam is taken.

Step 3 - Candidate

After passing the entrance criteria, you are a Candidate for Certification. As a candidate for certification, you have five years to pass the Certification Exam or On Dossier process. As a Candidate for Certification you may also participate in ATIO’s events, workshops and training opportunities.

Step 4 - Certified

Once you have passed the Certification Exam (or On Dossier equivalent) you are then considered a Certified Member.

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ATTENTION

All applications MUST be sent by email to application@atio.on.ca

We will NOT be accepting paper submissions mailed to the office. These will be discarded and destroyed.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

ATIO certifies translators, interpreters and terminologists. Please read the admission criteria for the professional category in which you would like to become certified.

NOTE: The ATIO Secretariat will contact you to process the application fee once your submission is received. We do not accept e-transfers at this time.

Either French or English shall be included in every language combination.
All applicants must be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status.
Applicants must be living in Ontario at the time of application. NOTE: For applicants outside of Ontario, please reach out to the Association of your province.
Applicants must apply separately for each particular language combination except applicants in conference interpreting.

Any documents not already in English or French must be translated by an ATIO Certified Translator.

You are eligible to apply in translation if you meet any of the following criteria:

Hold a Canadian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in translation.

Hold a foreign bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in translation.

Hold a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or a doctorate in any domain, awarded by a Canadian or foreign institution plus two years of full-time* translation experience in the language combination for which you are applying.

Have the equivalent of four years of full-time* translation experience in the language combination for which you are applying.

* Full Time Experience is considered approximately more than 100,000 words per year or at least 30 hours per week.

Foreign academic credentials must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org/ca/) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (http://www.icascanada.ca/).
Your translation experience must be from within the last five years and must be attested to by a recent letter of reference from an employer or from two or more clients (each providing a letter) if you work as an independent/freelance translator.
If your application is accepted, you will be invited to write the Translation Entrance Exam. You must pass this Entrance Exam to join the Association.
Volunteer experience is NOT acceptable.

You are eligible to apply in conference interpreting if you meet any of the following criteria:

Hold a Canadian bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a doctorate in conference interpreting or have successfully completed a Canadian postgraduate program in conference interpreting.

Hold a foreign bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a doctorate in conference interpreting or have successfully completed a foreign postgraduate program in conference interpreting evaluated by World Education Services (WES) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS).

Substantiate 100 days of experience as a conference interpreter, at least 50 days in each active language [A, B] for which you are applying and at least 30 days from each passive language [C] for which you are applying.

Foreign academic credentials must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org/ca/) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (http://www.icascanada.ca/).
Your conference interpreting experience must be from within the last five years and must be attested to by letters of reference from employers or clients.

Disclaimer: There is no certification exam for conference interpreters. Candidates must apply for certification by on-dossier.

You are eligible to apply in court interpreting if you meet any of the following criteria:

Demonstrate the achievement on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) GENERAL of a level of fluency of at least 7 or the equivalent (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) GENERAL score of 9 or higher is also acceptable) or level C1 on the Test de connaissance du français (TCF) or the equivalent.

AND EITHER

Hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in court interpreting.

Have successfully completed the Language Interpreter Training Program (LITP) or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting (GDGI) at Glendon College plus have 300 hours of court interpreting experience in Canada.

Be accredited as a court interpreter by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General and submit proof of 300 hours of court interpreting experience in Canada.

Substantiate 600 hours of experience as a court interpreter in Canada.

Language Interpreter Training Program certificate from Niagara College, Seneca College, Mohawk College, Humber College, or Conestoga.
Foreign academic credentials must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES) (www.wes.org/ca/) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) (http://www.icascanada.ca/).
Your court interpreting experience must be from within the last five years and must be attested to by letters of reference and/or invoices from employers or clients.

You are eligible to apply in community interpreting if you meet any of the following criteria:

AND EITHER

Hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in community interpreting or post-secondary program in interpreting.

Hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in any domain plus 300 hours of community interpreting experience in Canada in the language combination for which you are applying.

Have successfully completed the Language Interpreter Training Program (LITP) or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting at Glendon College (GDGI) plus 300 hours of community interpreting experience in Canada in the language combination for which you are applying.

Be accredited as a community interpreter by a Canadian certifying body for community interpreters (CILISAT or ILSAT accreditation) plus submit proof of 300 hours of experience as a community interpreter in the language combination for which you are applying.

Substantiate 600 hours of experience as a community interpreter in Canada in the language combination for which you are applying.

Language Interpreter Training Program certificate from Niagara College, Seneca College, Mohawk College, Humber College, or Conestoga.
Foreign academic credentials must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org/ca/) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (http://www.icascanada.ca/).
Your community interpreting experience must be from within the last five years and must be attested to by letters of reference or invoices from employers or clients.

You are eligible to apply in medical interpreting if you meet any of the following criteria:

AND EITHER

Hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in medical interpreting or post-secondary program in interpreting.

Have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate or post-secondary program in health sciences or have been licensed by a health institution plus have 300 hours of medical interpreting experience in Canada.

Have successfully completed the Language Interpreter Training Program (LITP) or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting (GDGI) at Glendon College plus have 300 hours of medical interpreting experience in Canada.

Be accredited as a medical interpreter by a certifying body recognized by the Association and submit proof of 300 hours of experience as a medical interpreter.

Substantiate 600 hours of experience as a medical interpreter in Canada.

Language Interpreter Training Program certificate from Niagara College, Seneca College, Mohawk College, Humber College, or Conestoga.
Foreign academic credentials must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org/ca/) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (http://www.icascanada.ca/).
Your medical interpreting experience must be from within the last five years and must be attested to by Letters of reference or invoices from employers or clients.

CILISAT/ILSAT is not eligible for this category.

You are eligible to apply in terminology if you meet any of the following criteria:

Hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in terminology or translation, with a specialization in terminology.

Substantiate two years of full-time experience as a terminologist.

Foreign academic credentials must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org/ca/) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (http://www.icascanada.ca/).
Your experience in terminology must be from within the last five years and must be attested to by a recent letter of reference from an employer or from each of two clients if the applicant works as an independent/freelance terminologist.

ATTENTION: If you are graduating your program at the end of this term, join ATIO for the information session and prerequisite exams required to become an ATIO Candidate for Certification.

You are eligible to apply as a student if you meet the following criteria:

Submit an official letter of enrollment from a Canadian post-secondary institution stating that you are registered in a degree program in translation, terminology, conference interpreting, court interpreting, community interpreting, or medical interpreting.

*NOTE: You must successfully pass the ATIO Code of Ethics exam before submitting your application.

You are eligible to apply to join ATIO as an Affiliate, Transfer to ATIO, or Update your professional qualifications if you meet any of the following criteria:

You are a Certified Member of a CTTIC Member Society.

If you are a Quebec resident and are not a member of OTTIAQ, you are not eligible to join ATIO.

*NOTE: You must successfully pass the ATIO Code of Ethics exam before submitting your application.

You are eligible to apply to join ATIO as an Affiliate, Transfer to ATIO, or Update your professional qualifications if you meet any of the following criteria:

You are a Quebec resident who is a Certified Member of OTTIAQ and received your title by way of on-dossier certification in the format used prior to 2020 and have passed the ATIO Code of Ethics exam.

If you are a Quebec resident who is a Certified Member of OTTIAQ and were granted your title after 2020 solely because you have a degree, ATIO will permit Quebec residents to join ATIO subject to the following conditions:

You must be a certified member of OTTIAQ in good standing for the current fiscal year.
You must maintain your annual membership at OTTIAQ to continue being an ATIO professional. Should you choose not to renew your membership at OTTIAQ for the next membership year, beginning April 1, you will not be permitted to remain a member of ATIO. ATIO staff will periodically search the OTTIAQ directory for verification. Failure to maintain your membership results in:
1. Any application in progress is suspended;
2. Candidates for Certification will not be permitted to register for certification exams; and,
3. Certified Members will not be permitted to pay dues at renewal.
You are only permitted to use the titles granted by ATIO in Ontario. You cannot use the certified titles of ATIO’s six professional categories in Quebec without likewise being certified by OTTIAQ in those categories.
You are willing and able to meet ATIO’s requirements and follow all policies and processes for admission and certification, including required prerequisite exams, entrance exams, and certification requirements in accordance with Part V and Part VI of the ATIO By-laws.
Should you wish to add additional professions and language combinations, you are subject to ATIO’s conditions for admission and certification under Part V and Part VI of the ATIO By-laws.
During ATIO’s renewal each year, you must prove that your membership with OTTIAQ is valid (Example, for 2025, you must prove that you are in good standing for 2024-2025 or 2025-2026).
You must pay the full amount of ATIO annual dues by the renewal deadline and are subject to the same rules as apply to all ATIO professionals. You are not eligible for discounted dues under the reciprocity agreement.
You are not permitted to transfer your primary membership to ATIO unless you can prove that your primary permanent residence is in the Province of Ontario.

Important:

An ATIO Professional is either a Candidate for Certification or a Certified Member. Only Certified Members may call themselves a member.
We do recognize that the individual is certified in OTTIAQ’s jurisdiction, the province of Quebec.
Affiliation policies from the Reciprocity/Mutual Recognition Agreement do not apply to OTTIAQ members certified after 2020.
ATIO does not recognize certification granted by OTTIAQ where the title was granted solely due to having a degree.

This policy enables Quebec residents to join ATIO and seek certification in Ontario without breaking Quebec’s laws or overstepping OTTIAQ’s authority.

This policy went into effect on March 25, 2024.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

NOTE: Only applicants who successfully pass the mandatory prerequisite exams will be invited to join the Association. The ATIO Secretariat will contact you to process the application fee once your submission is received. We do not accept e-transfers at this time.

Application for Candidacy: $130.00 plus Tax* / Category and Language

In order to join ATIO you must submit an application and pay the non-refundable administrative fee.
ATIO staff will provide the results of our assessment of your application submission within 30-days upon receipt of payment. This time may be extended should additional documents be requested.
Please note: “category” refers to the following categories: translation, conference interpretation, community interpretation, medical interpretation or terminology. If you are interested in joining in more than one of ATIO’s categories, you must submit a separate application for each of the categories (and language combination) you are interested in joining.
Please note: By “language” we mean language combination/pair. For example in translation, French TO English is one language combination, while English TO French is another. For interpretation, French AND English is considered one language pair.
* Provincial taxes are applied according to the tax rate in your province of residence.

Application forms are available in the sections below.

Any documents not already in English or French must be translated by an ATIO Certified Translator.

All applications must include the following:

Signed and completed application form.
Your curriculum vitae.

(Choose one) Submit the following supporting documents according to the criteria under which you are applying:

Hold a Canadian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in translation.

A copy of your Canadian degree in translation.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses in translation.

Hold a foreign bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in translation.

A copy of your foreign degree in translation.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses in translation.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation.

Hold a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or a doctorate in any domain, awarded by a Canadian or foreign institution plus two years of full-time* translation experience in the language combination for which you are applying.

A copy of your degree.
A copy of your transcripts.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation (if degree is foreign)
Letters of reference from at least one employer or two or more clients (if freelance) indicating full-time experience in the language combination for which you are applying.

Have the equivalent of four years of full-time* translation experience in the language combination for which you are applying.

Letters of reference from at least one employer or two or more clients (if freelance) indicating full-time experience in the language combination for which you are applying.

Application Form – Translation

Any documents not already in English or French must be translated by an ATIO Certified Translator.

All applications must include the following:

Signed and completed application form.
Your curriculum vitae.

(Choose one) Submit the following supporting documents according to the criteria under which you are applying:

Hold a Canadian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in conference interpreting.

A copy of your Canadian degree.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses and grades.

Hold a foreign bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in conference interpreting.

A copy of your foreign degree.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses and grades.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation.

Substantiate 100 days of experience as a conference interpreter, at least 50 days in each active language [A, B] for which you are applying and at least 30 days from each passive language [C] for which you are applying.

Letters of reference from two or more clients indicating number of days of conference interpreting experience in your active [A, B] and passive [C] languages.

Disclaimer: There is no certification exam for conference interpreters. Candidates must apply for certification by on-dossier.

Application form – Conference Interpreting

Any documents not already in English or French must be translated by an ATIO Certified Translator.

All applications must include the following:

Signed and completed application form.
Your curriculum vitae.
Current IELTS, CELPIP, or TCF test results.

(Choose one) Submit the following supporting documents according to the criteria under which you are applying:

Hold a degree in court interpreting.

A copy of your Canadian degree.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses and grades.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation if applicable

Have successfully completed the Language Interpreter Training Program (LITP) or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting (GDGI) from Glendon College plus 300 hours of court interpreting experience in Canada.

A copy of the LITP certificate or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting (GDGI) from Glendon College.
Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 300 hours of court interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Be accredited as a court interpreter by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) (conditional accreditation is not accepted) and submit proof of 300 hours of court interpreting experience in Canada.

An accreditation letter from the Ministry of Attorney General indicating your status.
Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 300 hours of court interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Substantiate 600 hours of experience as a court interpreter in Canada.

Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 600 hours of court interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Application Form – Court Interpreting

Any documents not already in English or French must be translated by an ATIO Certified Translator.

All applications must include the following:

Signed and completed application form.
Your curriculum vitae.
Current IELTS, CELPIP, or TCF test results.

(Choose one) Submit the following supporting documents according to the criteria under which you are applying:

Hold a degree in community interpreting.

A copy of your degree.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses and grades.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation if applicable

Hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in any domain plus 300 hours of community interpreting experience in Canada in the language combination for which you are applying;

A copy of your degree.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses and grades.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation if applicable
Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 300 hours of community interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Have successfully completed the Language Interpreter Training Program (LITP) or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting at Glendon College (GDGI) plus 300 hours of community interpreting experience in Canada.

A copy of the LITP certificate or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting from Glendon College.
Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 300 hours of community interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Be accredited as a community interpreter by a Canadian certifying body for community interpreters (CILISAT or ILSAT) plus submit proof of 300 hours of experience in Canada as a community interpreter.

A copy of your CILISAT or ILSAT certificate.
Letters of reference from employers or invoices indicating 300 hours of community interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Substantiate 600 hours of experience as a community interpreter in Canada.

Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices indicating 600 hours of community interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Application Form – Community Interpreting

Any documents not already in English or French must be translated by an ATIO Certified Translator.

All applications must include the following:

Signed and completed application form.
Your curriculum vitae.
Current IELTS, CELPIP, or TCF test results.

(Choose one) Submit the following supporting documents according to the criteria under which you are applying:

Hold a degree in medical interpreting.

A copy of your degree.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses and grades.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation if applicable

Hold a degree in health sciences or have been licensed by a health institution plus 300 hours of experience in medical interpreting in Canada.

A copy of your degree or license.
A copy of your transcripts indicating completed courses and grades.
A copy of your WES or ICAS evaluation if applicable.
Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 300 hours of medical interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Have successfully completed the Language Interpreter Training Program (LITP) or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting (GDGI) at Glendon College plus 300 hours of medical interpreting experience in Canada.

A copy of the LITP certificate or the Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting from Glendon College.
Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 300 hours of medical interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Be accredited as a medical interpreter by a certifying body recognized by the Association and submit proof of 300 hours of experience as a medical interpreter.

A copy of your accreditation. CILISAT/ILSAT is not eligible.
Letters of reference from employers or clients, or invoices totaling 300 hours of medical interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Substantiate 600 hours of experience as a medical interpreter in Canada.

Letters of reference from two or more clients (if freelance) or invoices indicating 600 hours of medical interpreting experience in the language pair for which you are applying.

Application Form – Medical Interpreting

Any documents not already in English or French must be translated by an ATIO Certified Translator.

All applications must include the following:

Signed and completed application form.
Your curriculum vitae.

(Choose one) Submit the following supporting documents according to the criteria under which you are applying:

Hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in terminology or translation, with a specialization in terminology.

A copy of your degree in terminology or translation.
A copy of your transcripts indicating courses completed.

Substantiate two years of full-time experience as a terminologist.

Letters of reference from at least one employer or two or more clients (if freelance) indicating two years of full-time experience as a terminologist.

Application Form – Terminology

The following document must accompany this signed and dated application form.

An official letter of enrollment from your post-secondary Canadian institution stating the program of study. This letter should include verification of full-time or part-time status, year level, and the name and length of your program.

Student Application Form

All applications must include the following:

Signed and completed application form. For multiple professions, a new form is required for each, even if submitted simultaneously.
A copy of your official letter attesting that you are a member in good standing with a professional association under CTTIC.
A signed and complete copy of Appendix A of the Mutual Recognition Agreement for each language combination/pair and profession.

Application FAQs

How do I prove my experience?

Your professional experience must be from within the last five years and must be attested to by a reference letter from an employer or client. Reference letters must indicate the language combination(s) that you worked in and the timeline that you worked. Please know that reference letters must be written in either English or French. Reference letters written in any other language will need to be translated into English or French by an ATIO-Certified Translator. In the case of translation, ATIO requires an average of 100,000 words/year translated in each language combination. Please note that, for example, French to English is one language combination and English to French is another. To measure experience in the other professional categories, please see their respective admission criteria.

What should my letters of reference include?

A letter of reference attests to your experience. It should be written by an employer or a client, someone who is familiar with your work. These letters should be written on the company letterhead, signed and dated by the referee and include his or her contact details. Reference letters must indicate the language combination(s) that you worked in and the timeline that you worked. Please know that reference letters must be written in either English or French. Reference letters written in any other language will need to be translated into English or French by an ATIO-Certified Translator.

How do you measure years of experience?

In the case of translation, ATIO requires an average of 100,000 words/year translated in each language combination. Please note that, for example, French to English is one language combination and English to French is another. To measure experience in the other professional categories, please see their respective admission criteria.

What degrees do you recognize?

ATIO recognizes Canadian university degrees and foreign university degrees evaluated by World Education Services or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) that are relevant to the category for which the applicant is applying. For translation, we recognize bachelor’s, master’s or doctorates in translation. We do not recognize translation certificate programs. In Ontario, York University (Glendon College), and the University of Ottawa are the only universities that offer recognized degree programs in translation. (Outside of Ontario: Université de Saint-Boniface, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Université Laval, McGill Univeristy, Concordia University, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Université de Moncton, Université de Sherbrooke and Université de Montréal). For conference interpretation, we recognize the master’s degree from York University (Glendon College) and the University of Ottawa. For community, medical and court interpretation, we recognize the Language Interpreter Training Program certificate from Niagara College, SenecaCollege, Mohawk College, Humber College, St. Clair College, or Conestoga. For questions regarding programs completed outside of Ontario, please contact us for more information.

My degree is from abroad, is a credential assessment by World Education Services (WES) mandatory?

Yes. All foreign academic credentials included in your application must be evaluated by WES (“Course-by-Course evaluation”) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) (“Postsecondary Comprehensive Assessment Report”).

Why can’t you tell me NOW if my application will be accepted? I want to be sure that it will be accepted before sending my documents.

The assessment of application is a careful and thorough process. The Secretariat has 30 days from the date the application is received to review and assess documents. We process applications on a first come first serve basis. Additionally, the Association has to make sure that applicants in the different language categories fulfill all requirements. This is in line with the Association’s purpose of promoting a high level of competence and protecting the public.

What is the Entrance Exam and why should I write it? I am a professional already.

The Entrance Exam is an assessment of an approved applicant in translation’s language and translation skills to test if he or she is qualified to sit the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council Translation Certification Exam. The Entrance Exam does not make an applicant certified. It is a two hour long translation exam where approved applicants in translation are required to translate a short general text in the language combination(s) they applied for. The Entrance Exam is held multiple times a year in both Ottawa and Toronto and online. The exam dates are posted on the News and Events page on the ATIO website.

Can I appeal a decision regarding the Entrance Exam?

Yes. To proceed with an appeal, applicants must advise ATIO in writing within four weeks of receiving their results letter. The appeal decision is final. Applicants who do not receive a passing mark of at least 70% must wait one (1) year to register to rewrite the Entrance Exam. If they are unsuccessful a second time, they must wait at least six (6) months and then submit a new application package to the association.

I am already a member of OTTIAQ or of a member organization of CTTIC. How can I become an affiliate member with ATIO?

If you are a member of OTTIAQ or of a member organization of CTTIC, you are eligible to become an affiliate member of ATIO in the same language combination(s) and category. Please submit an application along with an official letter from your primary organization attesting that you are indeed a member in good standing. Affiliate members only pay 50% of annual membership dues.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

Get in touch with the Secretariat at info@atio.on.ca and we will get back to you as soon as possible!