Yes. If you know in advance that you have more than one client you need to communicate with who speak the same language, you should submit a single booking request for the appointments.
When you send the request ensure you:
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list each non-English speaker on the request
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list in the special requirements field that the booking is for multiple appointments
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request the interpreter for enough time to cover the multiple appointments.
In an effort to create a streamlined and paperless booking process TIS National no longer accepts booking requests sent by fax.
On-site interpreter bookings must be requested through TIS Online.
Pre-booked phone interpreter requests must be submitted using our online interpreter booking form.
TIS National’s policy is to allocate work to interpreters on the basis of their:
This ensures that clients receive the most qualified available interpreter.
In some circumstances, limited additional factors such as those outlined below may be taken into account in determining allocation. However, the highest available credential level always remains a primary criterion.
Gender:
TIS National accepts that there are sometimes circumstances where an interpreter of a specific gender is required. For example, this may be necessary for sensitive matters, especially those of a medical nature. To facilitate this, clients can indicate the gender of interpreter required (where this is important). TIS National will then allocate the highest credentialed available interpreter of that gender, wherever possible.
Working with Children’s Check:
Occasionally, clients may advise TIS National that they require an interpreter with a Working with Children’s Check (or equivalent). Such requests are made in order to comply with relevant legislation and TIS National will therefore give such requests priority when determining allocation. In these circumstances, allocation will be to the most highly credentialed available interpreter who holds the required Check.
Specific Interpreter Requests:
TIS National strongly encourages clients to avoid requesting specific interpreters where possible.
Such requests:
- limit TIS National’s ability to supply an interpreter, particularly for urgent requests (the specified interpreter may not be available when requested); and
- may not result in allocation of the most highly credentialed interpreter available for your appointment.
In exceptional circumstances, TIS National may agree to fulfil a client’s request for a specific interpreter. However, the client must first clearly demonstrate what exceptional circumstances apply to warrant allocation outside of normal policy.
Whilst such requests are assessed on a case by case basis, they are more likely to be considered favourably where a client can demonstrate that allocation of the nominated interpreter is:
- essential to maintaining the quality and continuity of care or service; and
- of clear benefit to the non-English speaking client.
Clients will be required to complete an acknowledgement of requirements for the provision of a specific interpreter form, including details of the exceptional circumstances which apply, before TIS National will consider a specific interpreter request.
Specific interpreter requests must generally be made at least three business days prior to the appointment date. Requests made less than three business days in advance will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and will generally result in an interpreter being allocated in accordance with standard TIS National interpreter allocation policy.
If a specific interpreter request is declined, the client will be offered the highest credentialed interpreter available at the time. Where a client chooses not to accept the interpreter allocated in this manner and decides to cancel the request, this must be done with sufficient notice, in accordance with TIS National’s Cancellation Policy in order to avoid charges. Cancellations must be made in TIS Online or in writing, as appropriate.
No other considerations are ordinarily taken into account when allocating assignments.
TIS National:
- does not keep records on interpreters’ ethnicity, nationality, country of birth, religion or political affiliations and is unable to allocate interpreters based on these considerations
- will not provide a specific interpreter simply to meet the personal preferences of the client or non-English speaker (NES)
- will not agree to allocate a specific interpreter outside of the usual allocation policy where there is no evidence to substantiate a history or continuity of care or service.
Yes. The non-English speaker may feel more comfortable using an interpreter of a particular gender only. This could be due to:
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a sensitive health issue
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domestic issues
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cultural differences
If you require an interpreter of a particular gender, please advise TIS National when you submit your booking request.
The interpreter may travel in your vehicle in exceptional circumstances where:
- the NES is also travelling in the vehicle
- it is likely that the NES will require interpreting services during the journey, and
- there are no other practical or appropriate options (such as the interpreter using their own car or taking public transport).
Wherever possible, you must provide advance notice of any requirement for an interpreter to travel in your vehicle during a job. This can be noted in the ‘Additional requirements’ section of the booking form in TIS Online.
In order for TIS National to approve a request for an interpreter to travel in your car, you must first submit a completed declaration form, available from the Channel Support Operations team. You are responsible for providing safe travelling arrangements for the interpreter in accordance with this declaration.
Occasionally, you may need to make a request for an interpreter to travel in your vehicle only once they have arrived at the initial site location. In these circumstances, you must telephone Channel Support Operations on 1300 655 082 to seek verbal approval prior to undertaking the proposed travel.
TIS National understands that clients will occasionally need to cancel a booking.
Required notice periods vary depending on the type of assignment, as set out in the TIS National cancellation policy.
TIS National agency clients operating in high-risk settings such as health, disability, aged care, or dedicated vaccination centres may have a requirement for an on-site interpreter who is vaccinated against COVID-19.
To request a COVID-19 vaccinated interpreter, agency clients must state this requirement in the Instructions for Interpreter field of the on-site booking request form in TIS Online.
This information should include:
- whether one or both COVID-19 vaccination doses are required
- whether evidence of COVID-19 vaccination is required
- what type of evidence (if required) the agency client will accept.
An interpreter is obliged to read these instructions and accept the assignment only if they meet these requirements.
Requests for the pre-booked phone service should be sent using the online interpreter booking form.
Please submit pre-booked phone interpreting requests at least 48 hours prior to the time and date you require the interpreter.
Failure to provide at least 48 hours' notice for pre-booked phone interpreting requests may result in TIS National being unable to service your request.
We endeavour to allocate an interpreter to your request within three days of receiving your request. Once an interpreter has been allocated to the assignment you will receive a booking confirmation by email including the appointment details. This confirmation includes the details you need to follow at the scheduled booking time to connect with your interpreter.
Bookings will only be accepted for appointments up to 90 days in advance of the date of request.
To use the automated, voice prompted, immediate phone interpreting service (ATIS), you need to have an account and access numbers (these are different to a TIS National client code). To request an ATIS account and access numbers, complete the ATIS application form or contact a Client Liaison account manager.
ATIS cannot create a conference call for you. Check you are using a phone that has conferencing ability to call your non-English speaker or that the phone has a speaker if they are with you.
Call 1800 131 450 to connect to ATIS. You will be asked to say and confirm the language interpreter you need, before entering the preferred gender of your interpreter and your ATIS account and access numbers.
Once ATIS connects you with an interpreter you will be provided a job number. Write this number down as a record of the call in case you have any follow up enquiries.
If you experience issues during your ATIS interpreting session, press 0 on your keypad and you will be connected to a TIS National operator for assistance.
You can also view the ATIS help sheet for more information about using the service.
TIS National provides access to immediate phone interpreters 24 hours, every day of the year. Call the TIS National contact centre on 131 450 at any time of day or night to access an immediate phone interpreter.
When you call 131 450 for immediate phone interpreting the TIS National operator will ask you for the following information:
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language required
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your client code
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your agencies name and the section you work in
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your name and phone number
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the non-English speakers name and phone number
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any required information your agency has requested be recorded by TIS National (for example, an identification number or claim number)
To help our operators process your request as quickly as possible, please have this information ready to provide when requested.
On-site appointments are usually booked by the organisation that needs to communicate with their non-English speaking client.
You can easily request and manage all of your on-site interpreter bookings through TIS Online. Using TIS Online allows us to secure an interpreter for your request in the shortest possible time frame. All agencies registered with a TIS National account are automatically registered to use TIS Online. Find out more about TIS Online or visit the TIS Online login page to get started.
A Full Day On-site assignment is any job scheduled for 6.5 hours or more. Assignments under 6.5 hours are Standard On-site assignments.
View types of on-site assignments.
If TIS National has not been able to find a phone interpreter for your request, the following tips and hints may help.
Credential level - On your original request you may have asked us to only consider interpreters with a Certified Interpreter/Professional level credential from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). It may be helpful to re-assess whether it is crucial that you only use an interpreter with this credential, as considering using a lower or nil-credentialed interpreter can significantly improve your chances of securing an interpreter. TIS National’s procedure when filling requests is to always allocate the highest credentialed available interpreter first. Also note, NAATI certification/accreditation is not available in all languages. We will be unable to fill your request in these languages if you have requested we only consider certified/accredited interpreters.
Other languages spoken by your client - Does your client speak more than one language other than English? If they do, it may improve your chances of securing an interpreter if you request an interpreter in another language they speak as it increases the pool of interpreters we can contact and the likelihood of an interpreter being available.
Have the information ready - Having all of the necessary information with you when you call TIS National for an immediate service assists our operators to source the required interpreter as quickly as possible, allowing them to answer as many calls from clients as possible each day. When you call 131 450, you can assist our operators by having the following information with you:
- your client code
- your agency's name and the section you work in
- the language required
- your name and contact phone number
- the non-English speaker's name (you can choose to keep this confidential)
- the non-English speaker's phone number (if you need us to call them)any required information your agency has requested be recorded by TIS National (for example, an identification number or claim number).
Off-peak times - High demand for interpreting services during peak times can affect the amount of time it takes for our clients to connect with an operator and be allocated an interpreter when using our immediate service. To avoid lengthy wait times and improve your chances of being connected with an available interpreter it may be helpful to call TIS National during our quieter times. If you have the ability to call during our off-peak times between 8 am and 10 am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) from Monday to Thursday and all day on Friday, you may have a better chance of finding an available interpreter.
ATIS - Using TIS National’s automated voice-prompted immediate phone interpreting service, ATIS, allows agency clients to access an interpreter in a range of high demand languages without assistance from a TIS National operator. ATIS automatically connects you with an interpreter in the requested language allowing you to avoid lengthy call wait times you may experience calling the contact centre for an immediate phone interpreter. Register for ATIS online or call our Client liaison and promotions account managers on 1300 655 820 for more information.
If TIS National has not been able to find an on-site interpreter for your request, the following tips and hints may help.
Credential level - On your original request you may have asked us to only consider interpreters with a Certified Interpreter/Professional level credential from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). It may be helpful to re-assess whether it is crucial that you only use an interpreter with this credential, as considering using a lower or nil-credentialed interpreter can significantly improve your chances of securing an interpreter. TIS National’s procedure when filling requests is to always allocate the highest credentialed available interpreter first. Also note, NAATI certification/accreditation is not available in all languages. We will be unable to fill your request in these languages if you have requested we only consider certified/accredited interpreters.
Other languages spoken by your client - Does your client speak more than one language other than English? If they do, it may improve your chances of securing an interpreter if you request an interpreter in another language they speak as it increases the pool of interpreters we can contact and the likelihood of an interpreter being available.
Send your request in advance – Sending your request approximately two weeks before the scheduled appointment time will generally give you the greatest chance of securing an interpreter. This will increase the pool of interpreters who are available to accept the assignment as they haven’t already made prior commitments. While TIS National can accept on-site booking requests up to 90 days in advance of an appointment, these requests can be difficult to fill as many of our interpreters will not be able to commit to a booking too far in advance. When TIS National receives an urgent job request (i.e. within three business day of the requested time) it will be processed within a 24 to 48 hour period. Booking requests for an interpreter for the same day the request is submitted are actioned immediately. However it’s important to note that in these cases the pool of interpreters available to accept the request will be somewhat limited, as it’s likely our interpreters will have already accepted other bookings at that time.
Schedule your appointments together - If you need an interpreter in a particular language for more than one of your clients, try to schedule your appointments with them on the same day. By scheduling the appointments together, you can book a single interpreter for a longer period of time and use them for multiple client appointments.
Provide an alternative date and time - When sending your booking request, if possible, provide an alternative date and time for your appointment. This will provide our booking team with another option to find you an available interpreter in the case no one is available at your preferred time.
Include accurate booking details - When completing your booking request it is important you include accurate booking details to ensure we can process and complete your booking as required.
Use a phone interpreter instead - If you have been notified that we can’t provide an on-site interpreter for your booking, consider if it would be possible to use a pre-booked or immediate phone interpreter. Using a phone interpreter allows us to draw from a pool of interpreters across Australia, rather than only considering interpreters based in your location. Using a phone interpreter also provides a greater level of privacy for your client, particularly when the only suitable on-site interpreter may be known personally to your client.
If you lose the connection with your client and/or interpreter during a phone service, you can be re-connected by calling 131 450 and quoting your job number.
You must call back within five minutes of being disconnected to continue with the same interpreter and job. Calls can only be reconnected within five minutes to ensure the interpreter is not disadvantaged by being unable to accept other work they may be offered.
You must provide the correct on-site address and include any specific instructions the interpreter needs to be aware of.
The site contact needs to be on time to meet the interpreter at the scheduled appointment time as the interpreter is not permitted to enter the premises without the agency site contact present.
A Service Delivery Form (SDF) is a written record that the interpreter attended an on-site assignment.
Our interpreters need the SDF signed to verify the start and end times of the appointment as agreed with the agency. This helps TIS National calculate what payment the interpreter is entitled to for the assignment.
It is important that you ensure the start and end times are recorded accurately on the SDF and it is signed at the end of appointment. If your appointment ran over time it is important to reflect this time on the SDF.
TIS National understands that clients will occasionally need to cancel a booking.
Required notice periods vary depending on the type of assignment, as set out in the TIS National cancellation policy.
TIS National immediate telephone services are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year by calling 131 450. The amount of time it takes to connect to a contact centre operator is generally shorter in the morning between the hours of 8 am and 10 am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), and all day on Fridays.
ATIS immediate telephone services are also available 24 hours a day, every day of the year by calling 1800 131 450.
Pre-booked telephone interpreting and on-site interpreting requests are monitored 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Most of our business support teams are available between 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday AEST (excluding public holidays). These teams include:
To contact any of the business support teams, visit our contact us page.
High demand for interpreting services can affect the availability of our interpreters. To avoid lengthy wait times and to improve your chance of being allocated an interpreter in our high demand languages it may be helpful to booking the service in advance.
Yes. There are occasions when TIS National may need to cancel a pre-booked telephone or on-site interpreting assignment as no interpreters are available. TIS National will notify the agency contact person listed on the booking request if this occurs.
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