Why certification matters in interpreting
Interpreting is not a regulated profession in Canada, which means certification is not legally required to work as an interpreter. In practice, however, the largest employers in Manitoba require it, and there is a clear trend toward greater professionalization of the field. Certification signals that you have acquired the skills, training, and ethical grounding needed to interpret professionally. It also increases credibility with employers and clients, supports quality and consistency of service, and contributes to public trust in interpreting services.
Categories of Interpreters
ATIM recognizes four categories of interpreter:
Conference Interpreter
Conference interpreting is the practice of facilitating accurate, impartial, and high-level spoken communication between speakers and audiences who do not share a common language, typically in multilingual meetings, conferences, and international events. Performed by highly trained language professionals, conference interpreting supports effective communication, informed participation, and decision-making in professional, institutional, and international contexts.
Conference interpreters work primarily in one or more interpreting modes, such as simultaneous or consecutive interpreting, and are accustomed to specialized subject matter and formal discourse. Conference interpreting occurs in a range of settings, including but not limited to:
- international and intergovernmental organizations
- government and public-sector meetings
- conferences, congresses, and symposia
- academic and scientific events
- corporate and industry meetings
- diplomatic, political, and high-level institutional settings
Community Interpreter
Community interpreting is the practice of facilitating accurate, impartial, bidirectional spoken or signed communication between service providers and individuals who do not share a common language. Performed by trained language professionals, community interpreting enables equitable access to public, social, and community services that would otherwise be inaccessible due to language barriers.
Community interpreting occurs across a wide range of settings, including but not limited to:
- public institutions (e.g., local authorities, schools, universities, community centres)
- social services (e.g., employment assistance, refugee boards, support centres)
- business and industry services (e.g., housing, real estate, insurance, financial services)
- faith-based organizations (e.g., rituals and ceremonies)
Court Interpreter (also known as Legal Interpreter)
Legal interpreting is the practice of facilitating accurate, impartial, and bidirectional spoken or signed communication between users of legal services and judicial or legal stakeholders who do not share a common language. Performed by trained language professionals, legal interpreting supports equal access to justice and due process for all parties.
Interpreters working in this setting are familiar with legal terminology and work in range of legal settings, including, but not limited to:
- police stations
- courtrooms and judicial proceedings
- lawyers’ offices
- correctional facilities
Medical Interpreter (also known as Health Care Interpreter)
Health Care interpreting is the practice of facilitating accurate, impartial, and bidirectional spoken or signed communication in health-care settings between patients, accompanying persons, and health-care providers who do not share a common language. Performed by trained language professionals, health care interpreting enhances patient safety, accessibility, equity, and quality of care, contributing to improved health outcomes.
Interpreters working in this setting are familiar with medical terminology and work in a range of health care settings, including but not limited to:
- hospitals
- clinics
- mental health programs
- long term care facilities
- public health
- home care
- oral health, etc.
Become a Certified Interpreter
Starting your path to certification
The first step to becoming certified with ATIM is to join as an Associate member. To apply, fill out the application form and submit it with your resume to certification@atim.mb.ca. Applications are reviewed to assess candidates’ background and potential to become certified.
Approved applicants will be invited to write the ATIM Code of Ethics examination. Candidates who successfully pass this exam are granted Associate member status. Passing this exam is a requirement for certification but does not in and of itself guarantee that your certification will be successful.
Once you have joined as an Associate member, you can apply for certification if you meet the eligibility criteria outlined below. Certification requirements vary, depending on the type of interpreting you practise. If you are a conference interpreter, see the section on conference interpreting. If you are looking for information on community, court, or medical interpreting, see the section for those fields. They share the same general requirements.
1. CONFERENCE INTERPRETING
Conference interpreters may be certified through one of two pathways: portfolio or reciprocal agreement. The conference interpreter exam is not currently available.
Certification by portfolio is available to candidates who meet ATIM’s education and experience requirements, or who hold recognized credentials such as federal Translation Bureau accreditation or International Association of Conference Interpreters (IACA) membership.
Certification by reciprocal agreement is available to conference interpreters who are already certified by another CTTIC-affiliated organization and are members in good standing.
Please refer to the detailed requirements below for full eligibility criteria.
Certification by portfolio
The fee for certification by portfolio is $400.
To qualify, you must meet one of the following sets of criteria:
Option 1
- Hold a master’s degree in conference interpreting from the University of Ottawa or Glendon College (York University), or from another training program deemed equivalent by a qualified conference interpreter trainer
- Have completed at least 100 documented conference assignments in the past two years in the relevant language combination, and
- Provide references from two certified conference interpreters working in the same language combination
Option 2
- Be accredited by the federal Translation Bureau in the relevant language combination
Option 3
- Hold IACA (International Association of Conference Interpreters) membership in the relevant language combination
Certification by reciprocal agreement
To qualify through a reciprocal agreement, you must be certified as a conference interpreter by another CTTIC-affiliated organization, be a member in good standing of that organization, and provide proof of your membership to ATIM’s Director of Certification for approval.
2. COMMUNITY, COURT AND MEDICAL INTERPRETING
Certification in these settings is available through three pathways:
- Examination
- Portfolio
- Reciprocal agreement.
To initiate the certification process through any of these pathways or to obtain more information, please email certification@atim.mb.ca
Certification by examination
Interpreters may obtain certification in their specific setting by passing CTTIC’s Standard Certification Examination. CTTIC is the national federation of provincial translator and interpreter associations, including ATIM. While CTTIC administers the examinations, the authority to grant certification in Manitoba rests with ATIM.
The application fee is $600 + GST per examination.
Certification by portfolio
This pathway is intended for candidates who are unable to pursue certification by examination, for example due to a language combination not currently tested, a documented inability to sit the exam, or other exceptional circumstances. The examination route remains the standard and preferred pathway, as it is more efficient and provides a direct assessment of interpreting skills.
To be eligible for qualification by portfolio, you must meet all the following requirements:
Training
Successful completion of one of the following programs:
- Glendon College’s Graduate Diploma in General Interpreting; or
- Another training program deemed equivalent by a qualified interpreter trainer for the relevant setting, and/or in consultation with Shared Health’s Provincial Language Access Lead.
AND
Language and skills assessment
A valid ILSAT or CILISAT certificate in the relevant language combination, or a Language Line Academy Competence in Language Interpreting English to English certificate for languages for which no ILSAT or CILISAT exists, issued within the past five years, if applicable.
AND
Professional experience
Documented evidence of sufficient interpreting experience in the relevant setting within the past five years, in accordance with the most recent ISO standards for the setting.
The fee for certification by portfolio is $600.
Certification by reciprocal agreement
ATIM offers two ways to become certified by reciprocal agreement.
CTTIC: Interpreters who are certified members in good standing of another CTTIC-affiliated provincial association are eligible for certification with ATIM. Candidates must provide proof of membership to ATIM’s director of certification for approval.
Shared Health/Westman Immigrant Services: Interpreters who have completed the training programs offered by Shared Health and Westman Immigrant Services may be eligible for certification. Please contact these organizations directly for information on eligibility requirements.
Working in Manitoba
Work is available in all four categories in Manitoba, but the amount of work will depend on your language combination, professional connections, and location. As the largest urban centres, Winnipeg and Brandon are where most interpreters live and work. Since the pandemic, however, many remote opportunities have also become available. That said, full-time employment as an interpreter is difficult to find in the province. You will likely need to combine interpreting income with another form of employment, and most opportunities that do exist will require specialized training.
Shared Health and Westman Immigrant Services are two of the largest providers of community and medical interpreting work in the province. Their interpreters are required to complete the organizations’ training programs, which are offered free of charge. For more information, please contact Shared Health or Westman Immigrant Services directly.