Frequently Asked Questions

A certified translation is a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator or translation company attesting that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge. Most USCIS, legal, and academic uses require this certification — a standard translation without it is often not accepted.

Yes. USCIS regulations at 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) require that any foreign-language document submitted include a full English translation the translator has certified as complete and accurate.

Certification is the translator's own signed statement of accuracy. Notarization adds a notary public's verification of the translator's identity and signature on that statement — it does not verify the translation's accuracy itself. Some institutions require notarization in addition to certification; check with the requesting agency.

Unlike countries that appoint 'sworn' or court-licensed translators, the United States has no government license for certifying translations. A qualified translator or translation company signs a statement attesting to their competence and to the accuracy and completeness of the translation. This is why choosing an established, professional provider matters.

Courts generally require a complete English translation certified as accurate for any foreign-language document entered into the record. Individual courts may have local rules about the exact form of the translator's declaration or affidavit, so confirm the specific court's requirement.

An apostille authenticates the origin of a public document for use in another country under the Hague Apostille Convention, and it is issued by a designated government authority (such as a Secretary of State), not by a translation company. Taika translates and certifies documents; the apostille itself is obtained from the issuing authority. Tell your project manager if your document also needs one and we can advise on sequencing.

Yes. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any document in a foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation the translator certifies as complete and accurate.

Yes — upload your full document set (an immigration case, or a diploma and transcript together) in one quote request rather than submitting each document separately.

Taika certifies every academic translation with a signed statement of accuracy, which is the standard requirement of U.S. credential evaluation organizations and most university admissions offices. Confirm your specific evaluator's or institution's requirements before submitting, since requirements vary.

OPI (on-demand phone interpretation) connects you with an interpreter by phone for audio-only conversations. VRI (video remote interpretation) adds video, which matters when visual cues or sign language are involved. On-site interpretation places a live interpreter physically in the room.

In consecutive interpretation the speaker pauses so the interpreter can convey each segment, which roughly doubles the time and suits smaller meetings. In simultaneous interpretation the interpreter renders speech in real time with only a slight delay, which keeps large multilingual events — conferences, webinars, public meetings — moving.

CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is real-time speech-to-text captioning, typically displayed on a screen during a live event or meeting, for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing or who otherwise benefit from a text transcript in the moment.

A qualified interpreter is one who can interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, using any necessary specialized vocabulary — the standard used in the ADA and Section 1557. A certified interpreter has additionally passed a recognized certification exam, such as a state court or medical interpreter certification. Which is required depends on the setting.

In healthcare, legal, and many government settings, the law and federal guidance call for qualified, impartial interpreters. Relying on family members, minors, or untrained bilingual staff risks inaccuracy, bias, and breaches of confidentiality, and is generally not permitted except in narrow emergencies or, in some cases, at the individual's specific request.

The ADA requires public entities and places of public accommodation to ensure effective communication with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Depending on the situation, that can mean providing a qualified ASL interpreter or CART captioning — at no cost to the individual.

Language access is the practice of ensuring people with limited English proficiency (LEP) can meaningfully use programs and services, through qualified interpretation of spoken communication and translation of written materials.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance. Longstanding federal guidance treats a recipient's failure to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to LEP individuals as a form of national-origin discrimination.

Executive Order 13166 (2000) directs federal agencies, and the programs that receive federal funds, to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their services for people with limited English proficiency.

Federal LEP guidance weighs four factors to determine what language assistance is reasonable: the number or proportion of LEP persons served or likely to be served, the frequency of contact with the program, the nature and importance of the program to people's lives, and the resources available. There is no single fixed rule — it is a balancing test.

Vital documents are written materials critical to accessing a program — applications, consent forms, notices of rights, and the like. Federal LEP guidance describes a 'safe harbor': translating vital written documents for each eligible LEP language group that constitutes 5% or 1,000 persons, whichever is less, of the population eligible to be served is strong evidence of compliance with written-translation obligations.

Section 1557 requires health programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to LEP individuals, using qualified interpreters and qualified translators. It generally prohibits relying on unqualified staff or on accompanying adults and minors to interpret, except in specific emergency situations or, for an accompanying adult, when the individual specifically requests it.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires schools to take whatever action is necessary to ensure parents understand the special-education process — including arranging an interpreter for parents who are deaf or whose native language is not English (34 CFR 300.322(e)) — and to provide key notices in the parent's native language where feasible.

Due-process protections together with Title VI lead courts to provide qualified interpreters for LEP parties and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, frequently at no cost. Many jurisdictions require court-certified interpreters for proceedings; specific requirements vary by court.

The ADA is the civil-rights law requiring effective communication and access. Section 508 is the federal law requiring federal agencies' electronic and information technology to be accessible, and its standards incorporate the WCAG success criteria by reference. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the technical standard the others are commonly measured against. Taika builds to WCAG 2.1 AA.

The Department of Justice's 2024 ADA Title II rule adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA for state and local government web content and mobile apps. Following a compliance-date extension published in April 2026, entities serving a population of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027, and entities serving fewer than 50,000 people, along with special district governments, have until April 26, 2028.

An accessible PDF has a defined reading order, tagged structure (headings, lists, tables), alternative text for images, and machine-readable text rather than a scanned image. PDF/UA (ISO 14289) is the technical standard for accessible PDFs, and WCAG criteria apply to PDF content as well as web pages.

Under WCAG, video generally needs synchronized captions for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and audio description of important visual information for people who are blind or have low vision; a transcript is often provided as well. Multilingual audiences may also need translated subtitles or a sign-language interpreter.

Captions carry the spoken dialogue plus relevant sounds (music, a door closing) in the same language as the audio, for viewers who cannot hear it. Subtitles translate the dialogue into another language for viewers who can hear but don't speak the source language. Many projects need both.

Yes. Taika can remediate existing PDFs, documents, and video — captioning, describing, transcribing, tagging, and correcting reading order — and advise on what each item needs to meet Section 508 / WCAG 2.1 AA, so an existing library can be prioritized rather than rebuilt from scratch.

A Participating Addendum lets a state or local government access a NASPO ValuePoint master agreement — such as Taika's Master Agreement 40-00000-24-00076AJ — without running a separate procurement. Whether one is in place for a given state and contract varies; contact Taika's government business development team to confirm your state's participation status and next steps.

Taika holds a GSA Federal Supply Schedule (47QRAA18D00GT, NAICS 541930), which lets federal buyers order translation, interpretation, and related services through an established contract vehicle. Request a procurement consultation to confirm the ordering path for your agency.

Cooperative purchasing lets public entities buy from a competitively solicited contract that another government or a cooperative (like NASPO ValuePoint) already awarded, instead of running their own solicitation. It can shorten procurement timelines significantly for translation and interpretation services.