Becoming a TIS National interpreter

TIS National interpreting assignments

TIS National may offer you the following types of interpreting assignments:

  • immediate and pre-booked phone assignments.

  • video remote interpreting assignments

  • on-site assignments

Assignments depend on the requests we receive from our clients. The duration of assignments, the location of assignments and the type of client you are providing services to will vary depending on the request.

See assignment information for interpreters for more information.

TIS National provides interpreting services to over 60,000 agency clients, including the Department of Home Affairs.

TIS National assignments come from a range of clients and agencies including:

  • emergency services

  • medical and health practitioners

  • government departments

  • legal services

  • telecommunications companies

  • utility companies.

  • settlement and community service providers.

As an interpreter the amount you can earn will depend on the number of assignments offered, accepted and completed by you, so the payment you receive will vary each pay cycle. 

TIS National offers assignments to available interpreters with the highest level of National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) credential first.

Requirements to interpret for TIS National

TIS National is currently seeking to appoint interpreters to meet the ongoing growth in demand for interpreting services in Australia. 

We encourage interpreters to have certification from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) at the Certified Interpreter level where available.

To be eligible to join the TIS National panel of service providers you must:

  • be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia

  • be 18 years of age or older

  • hold the required credentials for the language you wish to interpret in 

  • be able to provide a certified copy of a National Police History Check/National Police Certificate (NPC) dated within the past 12 months

  • be able to provide a current Working with Children Check from your state or territory of residence, where required (Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and South Australia)

  • be able to provide certified copies of 100 points of identification documentation

  • have reasonable availability to provide services between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. 

For more information please see our Frequently Asked Questions for interpreters.

Applying to become a TIS National interpreter

If you are interested in becoming a TIS National interpreter view our career opportunities for interpreters for information about our priorities for appointing new service providers, NAATI certification requirements and an application form.

The TIS National interpreter appointment process

TIS National uses the following process to appoint new service providers:

  1. You submit your application to TIS National via the online application form.
  2. A decision will made based on your qualifications, experience and availability about whether your application will progress to the next stage. Due to the large number of applications we receive each week, the assessment of your application may take some time.
  3. We may conduct an interview with you. You can prepare for your interview by developing your understanding of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) Code of Ethics and preparing some of your own examples to demonstrate your understanding of the code.
  4. TIS National will email you about the outcome of your application.
  5. If your application has been found suitable you will be progressed to the next stage of our appointment process. TIS National will send you a Deed of Standing Offer to sign and paperwork which you need to complete and return to TIS National.
  6. Upon receipt of your correctly executed deed and further documentation you will be invited to attend a one on one telephone induction with a TIS National Interpreter Liaison Officer. The induction is a process that every interpreter joining the TIS National panel of service providers must complete. Induction helps our new interpreters to gain knowledge about completing assignments, how to use our systems and other important information. You will also find out about your TIS National Interpreter Liaison Officer.
  7. After you complete the one-on-one induction session you will be added to our interpreter panel and can start accepting assignments from TIS National.