Immigration law

Immigration Translation Services for Legal Cases

Specialist document translation for asylum claims, visa applications, Home Office correspondence, tribunal proceedings and connected immigration matters handled by UK legal professionals.

£100 per 1,000 source words Published civil and family translation rate
24-hour urgent option Subject to document scope and linguist availability
Certified digital delivery Available where the receiving organisation requires it
Immigration casework

Translation arranged around the legal instruction

Immigration cases can involve evidence issued in several countries, documents produced under different administrative systems and strict submission deadlines. The translation must communicate the source material accurately while preserving names, dates, references and the intended legal meaning.

Immigration translation services may support asylum claims, refugee family reunion applications, human-rights applications, deportation appeals, judicial review proceedings, detention matters and other immigration instructions.

Tell the team how the translated material will be used, the source and target languages, the deadline, the client’s country or regional language variant and whether certification or particular formatting is required.

Language services rather than immigration advice

Legal Aid Translation provides translation and interpreting services. It is not an immigration adviser or law firm and cannot advise a client about their application, evidence or legal position.

Case documents

Immigration documents that may require translation

The documents needed will depend on the type of application, proceedings, evidence and instructions issued by the legal representative or receiving organisation.

  • Asylum screening and substantive interview records
  • Home Office decision and reasons-for-refusal letters
  • Immigration tribunal bundles and appeal documents
  • Skeleton arguments and supporting statements
  • Visa and entry-clearance application documents
  • Passports, identity cards and travel documents
  • Birth, marriage and death certificates
  • Medical and medico-legal reports
  • Country-of-origin and expert evidence
  • Family reunion and sponsor documents
  • Fresh claims and further representations
  • Bail, detention, nationality and statelessness evidence
Evidence and terminology

Accuracy must extend beyond the words alone

Immigration evidence can contain unfamiliar document formats, regional terminology, handwritten annotations, official stamps and names transliterated in several different ways.

The appropriate translator should understand the source language, the relevant regional variation and the type of document being translated. For example, Kurdish Kurmanji and Kurdish Sorani are distinct language varieties, while Arabic usage can vary considerably between countries.

Connected documents should be reviewed consistently so that names, locations, dates and recurring legal or administrative terminology do not change unnecessarily from one translation to another.

  • Names, dates and identity details checked for consistency
  • Regional language or dialect requirements confirmed
  • Headings, page numbers and exhibit references retained
  • Stamps, seals and annotations handled consistently
  • Unclear handwriting or source defects identified, not guessed
  • Certification and delivery requirements checked in advance

Help the translator understand the instruction

Provide confirmed spellings, the client’s country or region, relevant previous translations and an explanation of where the completed document will be used.

A straightforward instruction route

How an immigration translation request works

Complete information allows the team to review the scope, confirm the appropriate service and assess whether the requested deadline is achievable.

  1. Send the documents and requirements

    Upload the files and provide the languages, immigration matter, funding type, deadline and certification requirements.

  2. The scope is reviewed

    The word count, source quality, language availability, formatting and delivery requirements are checked.

  3. The translation is prepared and checked

    The material is translated with attention to terminology, structure and the case-specific instruction before quality review.

  4. Receive the completed translation

    The translation is delivered digitally in the agreed format, with certification where it has been requested.

Published civil and family rate £100 per 1,000 source words
Rates and delivery

Immigration translation pricing

Translation is calculated using the source-word count and the rate applicable to the instruction. The website’s published civil and family rate includes certification, document formatting and digital delivery.

Whether an immigration matter is legally aided, recoverable or requires prior authority depends on the individual instruction and the applicable Legal Aid Agency rules. The instructing legal professional should confirm the relevant funding position before work proceeds.

  • Price based on the original source-word count
  • Certification included where required
  • Formatting based on the supplied source document
  • Digital delivery in the agreed format
  • Standard and urgent service options
  • Deadline reviewed before the instruction proceeds
Prepare the instruction

What to provide with your request

Sending complete and legible information at the start reduces clarification requests and helps the team assess the deadline accurately.

  1. The complete documents or clearly identified pages requiring translation
  2. The original language and required target language
  3. The type of immigration matter or proceedings
  4. The required delivery date and any filing or hearing deadline
  5. Whether a certified translation is required
  6. The funding arrangement and billing requirements
  7. The client’s country, region or relevant language variant
  8. Confirmed spellings, formatting and exhibit instructions
Professional users

Who the service supports

  • Immigration and asylum solicitors
  • Legal aid providers
  • Barristers and chambers
  • Caseworkers and legal teams
  • Professionals handling detention matters
  • Privately funded immigration instructions
Language coverage

More than 200 languages

Language availability includes frequently requested immigration and asylum languages such as Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish Kurmanji, Kurdish Sorani, Pashto, Somali, Tigrinya and Urdu.

Where regional variation is important, provide the client’s country, locality or preferred language variety rather than giving only a broad language name.

Questions legal professionals often ask

Immigration translation FAQs

Provide the case-specific requirements when submitting the documents so that the appropriate translation, certification and delivery arrangements can be reviewed.

What documents can be translated for an immigration case?

Documents may include Home Office correspondence, asylum interview records, witness statements, tribunal material, identity documents, civil-status certificates, medical reports, country-of-origin evidence, sponsor documents, fresh claims, further representations and detention-related evidence.

Can an immigration translation be certified?

Certified translation is available where required. State where the document will be submitted and provide any wording, formatting, signature or delivery requirements issued by the receiving organisation.

What is the published immigration translation rate?

The website publishes a civil and family translation rate of £100 per 1,000 source words. The instructing legal professional should confirm the funding, recoverability and prior-authority position that applies to the individual immigration matter.

How quickly can an immigration translation be delivered?

The website provides standard 48-hour and urgent 24-hour service options. The achievable delivery time depends on the language, word count, document complexity, source quality, formatting and translator availability.

Include every filing, hearing or removal-related deadline when submitting the request.

Can several documents from the same case be translated together?

Yes. Supplying connected documents together can help maintain consistent names, spellings, terminology and references throughout the case material. Clearly identify documents or pages that do not require translation.

Why should the client’s country or dialect be provided?

Some languages contain significant regional differences. Country and dialect information helps the team select a linguist familiar with the appropriate language variety and the document’s administrative context.

What happens when part of the source document is unclear?

Identify difficult sections when submitting the files and provide a clearer copy where one is available. Illegible wording should not be guessed or supplemented with information that does not appear in the source.

Does Legal Aid Translation provide immigration advice?

No. Legal Aid Translation is a language-services provider rather than an immigration adviser or law firm. Advice about an application, appeal, evidence or legal position should come from an appropriately authorised professional.

Submit the instruction

Send the immigration case requirements

Provide the documents, languages, immigration matter, funding type, certification requirements and deadline so the request can be reviewed.