Interpreting service charges

TIS National provides interpreting on a fee-for-service basis.

Calculate the cost of your booking

Estimate what a booking will cost using our cost calculator.

Should you require a quote for a booking, please contact the Client Liaison team.

Book an interpreter

On-site interpreters can be requested through the TIS Online automated on-site booking system.

Pre-booked phone interpreters can be requested through the online phone interpreter booking form.

Immediate phone interpreters can be requested by contacting TIS National on 131 450 and quoting your client code.

Booking requests will only be accepted up to 90 days in advance for both pre-booked phone and on-site interpreting jobs. The minimum booking times are 30 minutes for a pre-booked phone interpreter or 90 minutes for an on-site interpreter.

Cancellations

To cancel a booking, you must follow the procedure set out in the TIS National Cancellation Policy below.

Cancellations made without sufficient notice will incur charges. TIS National understands that clients will occasionally need to cancel a booking.

Cancellation of pre-booked phone or on-site assignments must be made in the following manner:

Pre-booked
phone assignments		 On-site assignments
booked on TIS Online

On-site assignments not
booked on TIS Online

In writing to tis.prebook@homeaffairs.gov.au, including the relevant job number

 Through your TIS Online account In writing to tis@homeaffairs.gov.au, including the relevant job number

In exceptional circumstances such as when a client does not have access to email or their TIS Online account and an assignment is scheduled to start within 24 hours, cancellation may be advised by calling TIS National on the following numbers:

During business hours:

Outside business hours:

Pre-booked phone assignment

On-site assignments
1300 655 081

1300 655 082

131 450

However, subsequent notification in writing is still required.

Required notice periods vary depending on the type of assignment, as set out below:

Type of assignment 1

Required minimum notice

Pre-booked Phone

24 hours before scheduled start time

Standard On-site (under 6.5 hours)

24 hours before scheduled start time

Full Day On-site (6.5 hours or more)

48 hours before scheduled start time

IMA Deployment

48 hours before scheduled start time

Extended Travel On-site

Jobs where the 48 hour mark prior to the scheduled start time falls within standard operating hours

48 hours before the scheduled start time

Jobs where the 48 hour mark prior to the scheduled start time falls outside standard operating hours

By the most recent 4pm which is:

  • at least 48 hours before the scheduled start time

    AND

  • ·on a standard operating day (Monday – Friday, excluding public holidays in Melbourne)

1 View more information on the different types of assignments.  

Longer notice periods apply for Full Day and Extended Travel On-site Assignments and IMA Deployments in recognition of the longer periods interpreters must block out when accepting these assignments and the greater administrative complexity of arranging them.

Where notice of cancellation meets the required minimum notice period, this is considered sufficient notice and:

  • no charges will apply

  • the assigned interpreter will not be entitled to payment. 

Where insufficient notice of cancellation is provided, charges apply and the assigned interpreter will generally be entitled to a cancellation fee for the assignment. This ensures the assigned interpreter does not suffer unreasonable financial loss where insufficient notice of cancellation has been provided.

For Extended Travel assignments and IMA deployments involving travel, the scheduled start time is the time that the interpreter leaves their place of residence. This will affect calculation of sufficient notice and may also affect calculation of any applicable cancellation charge and interpreter cancellation fee. When calculating whether a client has provided sufficient notice of cancellation, the determining factor is the time that TIS National receives notification. Rarely, there may be short delays in passing notification onto interpreters.

Applicable cancellation charges and interpreter cancellation fees vary depending on the type of assignment, as set out below:

Type of assignment 1

Applicable cancellation charge and interpreter cancellation fee (where insufficient notice is provided)

Pre-booked Phone

Charges/fee for the full scheduled duration of the assignment

Standard On-site (under 6.5 hours)

Charges/fee for the full scheduled duration of the assignment

Full Day On-site (6.5 hours or more)

Charges/fee for any days of interpreting which were scheduled to have commenced within 48 hours from the time the job was cancelled (calculated in full day blocks)

IMA Deployment

Charges/fee for any days of interpreting which were scheduled to have commenced within 48 hours from the time the job was cancelled (calculated in full day blocks and including applicable interpreter travel costs if travel has already commenced)

Extended Travel On-site

Charges/fee for:

  • any days of interpreting or travel which have already occurred, plus
  • any days of interpreting or travel which were scheduled to have commenced on other relevant days2, plus
  • applicable interpreter travel costs and travel allowance (if travel has already commenced or if travel costs have already been incurred)

    Charges/fees will be calculated as follows.

  • Relevant days where no interpreting or travel was scheduled to occur do not attract any cancellation charge or fee.
  • For relevant days which were originally scheduled to include travel only, the cancellation charge and fee will be:
    • Where travel has occurred - the actual travel time, from the time the interpreter leaves their usual place of residence to the time they arrive at their hotel
    • Where travel has not yet occurred - the expected travel time, as calculated by TIS National on the basis of available information.
  • For all other relevant days, the cancellation charge and fee will be the greater of:
  • the applicable daily minimum, or
  • where such a day involves travel, the amount calculated from the scheduled start time for that day up until the time the interpreter arrives at their hotel (for the outbound journey) or usual place of residence (for the return journey).

1 View more information on the different types of assignments.  

2 ‘Relevant days’ are the day of cancellation and the following two days, plus any days of interpreting or travel which have already occurred.

What is a significant change?

Where a client requests a significant change to an on-site or pre-booked phone assignment with insufficient notice, TIS National will treat this in the same way as a cancellation with insufficient notice and cancellation charges may apply. A significant change could result in a different interpreter allocated and includes changes to the:

  • requested language

  • job location

  • date or time of assignment

  • requested interpreter gender or credential level.

TIS National may also determine that other requests constitute a significant change where they have an impact on the original interpreter allocation.

Immediate phone interpreting assignments commence as soon as the interpreter is connected. Cancellation after this point is not possible and standard TIS National interpreting service charges will apply.