Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Who is a certified translator and how can I find one?

Answer: A certified translator is a member in good standing of a professional translation association in Canada or abroad. Their certification must be confirmed by a seal or stamp that shows the translator’s membership number. All stamps and seals that are not in English or French must also be translated. Any family member, representative or consultant of the applicant who may be a lawyer, notary or translator is not permitted to translate documents. A translator in the process of receiving their certification or accreditation is not considered a certified translator.

Here in the province of British Columbia, the only professional translation association is S.T.I.B.C. (The Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia). You can access their official website and directory by clicking HERE .

Question 2: How do I request a quote or translation?

Answer: Please upload your documents by clicking HERE and fill out your name and e-mail address. This form is end-to-end encrypted and extremely secure. As per S.T.I.B.C. ethical guidelines, your documents will remain strictly confidential.

Question 3: How much does a translation cost?

Answer: The cost of translation varies depending on the scope of work, size of files, turnaround time, level of expertise involved, and more. Please reach out to me by clicking HERE , and I would be happy to provide a free, zero-obligations quote within 24 hours.

Question 4: Can I ensure the quality of the translation?

Answer: As a certified member (membership number 04-10-3041) of the Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia (S.T.I.B.C.), I succeeded in the translation examination conducted by the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (C.T.T.I.C), which is designed to demonstrate a candidate’s professional skills. My exam result shows that I am able to practice my profession independently, and to produce a faithful, idiomatic translation that requires little or no revision. Every work of translation from Chinese to English is carried out and proofread by me, without the involvement of any other translator or personnel who has not attained the highest certification in Canada.

Question 5: For how long will the translations remain effective and valid?

Answer: A translation cannot change over time, and should be valid indefinitely unless the original document has changed or has expired. If the signature of a certified translator or notary has expired, it does not invalidate the translation. As long as the translator’s certification was valid at the time of signature, the translation remains valid.

The only time the translation would expire and a new translation would be required is if the original document has expired or has changed and the applicant submits a new document.

Question 6: Can I go paperless without hardcopies?

Answer: Yes, here in B.C., the S.T.I.B.C. allows translations to be digitally certified and stamped.

Digital copies of certified translations are good for e-mail and online submissions while hardcopies are needed for mail or in-office submissions. They are equally effective under the law.

A digitally-certified translation would be presented to you in PDF format, and should be transmitted via digital means only (i.e. uploaded online, sent as an e-mail or WeChat attachment, etc.). Please do not modify or print out a digitally-stamped PDF file as the digital certification would not be valid if printed out or modified. If you do require paper copies to be made, please indicate that on Quote or Upload , and I would print out the document(s) from my end, and apply my certification stamp on the document(s) physically.