Frequently Asked Questions for agencies

Ensuring your client code is not given to unauthorised users will help you control the usage and cost of interpreting services incurred by your agency.

The security of your client code is your responsibility so it is essential that you monitor who has access to use it within your organisation.

There are options available to associate ‘required information’ fields with your client code to help monitor who is using the account. Contact your Client Liaison and Promotions account manager for more information.

To access TIS National’s interpreting services your agency needs to register an account with TIS National.

There are no administration fees for registering an account with TIS National. You will only be charged for individual interpreting services.

To register an account with TIS National by phone, contact a Client liaison and promotions account manager and provide:

• a contact name and phone number
• if possible, a secondary contact name
• your email address
• the name of your agency
• the phone number you would like our operators to call when a non-English speaker requests to speak to your agency
• an Australian mailing and postal address
• any required information you need recorded on individual job records.

You will also need to decide if your agency would like to accept calls to your agency initiated by your non-English speaking clients.

Once you have registered an account for your agency you will be provided with a TIS National client code.

Contact a Client Liaison and Promotions account manager and we will search our system for a record of your account.

Government services should be available to everyone who is entitled to them and should be free of any form of discrimination irrespective of a person’s country of birth, language, culture, race or religion. If you are a government agency you have an obligation under the whole of government Access and Equity strategy to provide services that are accessible to clients with limited English skills by providing interpreters.

TIS National encourages private agencies to promote Access and Equity as it ensures non-English speaking clients have the same level of access to services as an English speaker would have. Where an agency does not accept interpreter-assisted calls requested by non-English speakers, the non-English speaker will most likely seek access these services through an agency which does.

There are options available to associate ‘required information’ fields with your client code to help monitor who is using the account. Contact your Client liaison and promotions account manager for more information.

A ‘NES initiated’ call is a call where a non-English speaker (NES) calls TIS National directly and requests the assistance of an interpreter to speak with your agency.

If your agency accepts NES initiated calls, TIS National operators will connect the NES to your agency with an interpreter already on the line.

When TIS National receives a NES initiated call, our operator will phone your agency and introduce themselves. When your agency has agreed to accept the call the operator will connect you with the NES and interpreter and provide the job number before leaving the conversation.

A job number is a nine digit number TIS National will give you as a reference to each interpreting service.

Job numbers are automatically generated in our system when a new interpreting job has been created and is provided to you and to the interpreter. Write this number down as a record of the service in case you have any follow up enquiries about the service.

A TIS National client code is your agencies unique account number. Client codes are provided to agencies that register for TIS National services.

You will need to quote your client code each time you request a TIS National service, pay an invoice or update your account details. You can start accessing TIS National services once you have a TIS National client code.

Agencies use TIS National services in different ways. Agencies needs will vary depending on the type of interactions they have with non-English speakers in the community.

As part of our premium service offering we can record information on individual jobs each time services are accessed through TIS National. This can assist you to:

• maintain records of services
• identify who communications campaigns are reaching
• easily reconcile financial accounts.

Examples of required information could be:

• requesting that non-English speakers are connected to a specific phone number 
• capturing unique identifiers and other information to help identify your non-English speaking clients
• capturing unique identifiers to help you identify staff using the account.

Contact your Client liaison and promotions account manager to discuss what required information options can be included on your account.

Currently more than half of all immediate telephone interpreting services are requested by non-English speaking clients.

TIS National’s resources and depth of experience makes it ideally placed to provide professional interpreting services for all Australians.

TIS National:

• provides phone interpreting services 24 hours, every day of the year 
• has over 40 years of experience in the industry
• helps your organisation provide equitable access to services to non-English speakers in the community
• provides the highest accredited interpreter available in the language requested.

TIS National is a leader in the interpreting industry and uses contracted interpreters who:

• are insured for professional indemnity, public liability and workers compensation
• have been cleared by Australian Federal Police Checks
• are bound by the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) Code of Ethics.

No. For interpreters in indigenous languages please refer to the Kimberley Interpreting Service (KIS).

The easiest way to update your personal details is through TIS Online. From the ‘My profile’ page you can update your name, position, contact phone number/s and email address.

Account administrators can also update your agency’s information in TIS Online from the ‘Agency account’ page, including your agency’s main account contact person, address information and communication preferences.

Alternatively, please contact our Client Liaison team to update your details.

TIS National commits to answer calls to the contact centre within 30 seconds 90 per cent of the time.

If you request an on-site interpreter, TIS National commits to responding to your request within 3 working days 85 per cent of the time.

If you have a hearing impaired client, contact the National Relay Service and ask them to call TIS National for a language interpreter.

Government services should be available to everyone who is entitled to them and should be free of any form of discrimination irrespective of a person’s country of birth, language, culture, race or religion. If you are a government agency you have an obligation under the whole of government Access and Equity strategy to provide services that are accessible to clients with limited English skills by providing interpreters.

There are options available to associate ‘required information’ fields with your client code to help monitor who is using the account. Contact your Client liaison and promotions account manager for more information.

TIS National encourages private agencies to promote Access and Equity as it ensures non-English speaking clients have the same level of access to services as an English speaker would have. Where an agency does not accept interpreter-assisted calls requested by non-English speakers, the non-English speaker will most likely seek access these services through an agency which does.

There are options available to associate ‘required information’ fields with your client code to help monitor who is using the account. Contact your Client liaison and promotions account manager for more information.

Payment can be made by cheque, money order, credit card or electronic funds transfer.

Bank cheques, personal cheques and money orders can be mailed to:

TIS National

GPO Box 241

MELBOURNE VIC 3001

Credit card details can be provided by:

• email to tis.finance@border.gov.au
• fax to (03) 9235 3682
• over the phone by calling 1300 304 604 during business hours.

Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) can be made to the following account:                                                                                                                                           

DIBP Official Departmental Receipts and Payments - TIS Account

TIS National

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

ACT Government Banking Centre

BSB Number: 062987

Account Number: 10016108

You can call TIS National for the cost of a local call throughout Australia. Charges for calls from mobile phones may attract a higher rate depending on the mobile service provider you use.

Service charges vary according to the type of service provided. Interpreting costs will generally be charged to the agency.

For current service charges refer to the schedule of service charges.

TIS National clients are charged by invoice on the first day of each month for all transactions processed during the previous month.

For example, an invoice with an issue date of 1 April 2013 will include an itemised list of services billed during March 2013. Any overdue items will also be listed on the invoice.

To request an invoice from a previous month to be reissued contact the TIS National Finance administration team.

Medical practitioners (defined as general practitioners and medical specialists) are eligible for the Department of Social Services' Free Interpreting Service and access to the Doctors Priority Line (DPL) when providing services that are:

• Medicare-rebateable
• delivered in private practice
• provided to non-English speakers who have a Medicare card.

A full list of eligible medical practitioners is available from the Medical Board of Australia’s website.

Doctors who meet the above criteria can apply for access to free services and access to the DPL by completing the Register for a TIS National client code form.

Private medical practitioners and pharmacies are eligible to access the Free Interpreting Service to assist in communicating with non-English speakers who have a Medicare card.

• Private medical practitioners (defined as General Practitioners and Medical Specialists) can access the Free Interpreting Service when providing Medicare-rebateable services. Their reception staff can access the service to arrange appointments and provide results of medical tests.

For a list of eligible Medical Specialists see: Medical Board of Australia-Medical Specialities and Speciality Fields 

• Pharmacies are eligible to access the Free Interpreting Service for the purpose of dispensing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medications.

  The following groups are eligible to access the Free Interpreting Service to assist in communicating with Australian citizens and permanent residents who do not speak English:

• incorporated, not-for-profit, non-government, community-based organisations for approved casework and emergency services where the organisation does not receive substantial funding to provide these services

Note: Organisations that require language services (such as interpreting) and receive substantial government funding should incorporate the cost of these services into their application for funding.

• Members of Parliament for constituency purposes

• local government authorities to provide advice on issues such as rates, garbage collection and urban services

• trade unions who respond to members’ enquiries or requests

• licensed real estate agencies to discuss any private or residential property matter (such as management of residential tenancies)

Find out if you are eligible for the Free Interpreting Service. Non-government organisations delivering casework and emergency services to Australian citizens and permanent residents can apply for free interpreting services through TIS National by completing the NGO application form.  

More information is available about the Free Interpreting Services through TIS National at www.dss.gov.au/free-interpreting.

No. You should ensure your agency includes costs for interpreting services in your application for funding.

‘Initiated by’ is a reference used by TIS National which refers to the individual that requested the interpreting service.

If the invoice states ‘initiated by Agency’, the interpreting service was requested by an agency staff member using your agencies client code.

If the invoice states ‘initiated by NES’, the interpreting service was requested by a non-English speaker requesting to contact the agency.

‘NES’ is a reference used by TIS National for ‘non-English speaker’.

TIS National will soon be introducing e-Billing electronic invoices.

The Doctors Priority Line (DPL) is a free phone interpreting service which helps medical practitioners quickly connect to an interpreter to communicate with their non-English speaking patients.

The DPL is available to eligible medical practitioners 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Contact the TIS National Language policy liaison team for more information about the DPL.

TIS National’s Australian Business Number (ABN) is 33 380 054 835.

All invoices must be paid by the 28^th day of the month. For example, payment for an invoice with an issue date of 1 April 2013 is due by 28 April 2013.

Email is TIS National’s preferred method for receiving remittances however you may also send remittances by fax or mail. Please ensure that you have clearly indicated which invoice is being paid on the remittance.

Email: tis.finance@border.gov.au

Fax: 03 9235 3682

Postal Address:     TIS National

GPO Box 241

MELBOURNE VIC 3001

For any questions relating to your TIS National invoice contact the TIS National Finance administration team between 9 am and 5 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), Monday to Friday (except public holidays).

TIS National will issue a refund by cheque for any credit which is the result of an overpayment, duplicate payment or payment made in error. An email detailing the refund will be sent in advance of the cheque.

If you have any questions about a cheque you have received from TIS National contact the TIS National Finance administration team.

Pre-booked telephone and on-site services are requested in advance and scheduled for a specific period of time. If the actual interpreting time of the appointment runs longer than the scheduled time, the agency will be charged for the extra time.

Charges for extra time will appear on your invoice as a separate line item with ‘A1’ at the end of the job or invoice number.

For example, if an on-site interpreter is booked for 90 minutes but the actual session lasts for 120 minutes, the charge will be split into two items on your invoice. The first item will be for the time that was booked (90 minutes), and the second item will be for the additional time (30 minutes).

Yes. Contact your Client liaison and promotions account manager to request a service usage report.

If your agency is interested in having a representative from TIS National conduct a presentation at your organisation, you can submit a request to your Client liaison and promotions account manager who will let you know if it will be possible and if there are any associated costs.

Contact your Client liaison and promotions account manager for more information.

TIS National provides a range of promotional materials with useful information about our services.

A range of promotional materials can be viewed, saved or printed directly from the promotional materials catalogue.

Some promotional materials can also be ordered in hard copy using the Promotional materials request form.

Many organisations that use our services choose to recommend our interpreting service to their clients. You can advise your clients of the service by including our logo and phone number:

• in information packs and booklets

• on bills and account statements

• in community directories

• in letters you send to your clients

• on promotional materials and websites.

Before advertising TIS National to your clients, it is important to ensure that your organisation is registered for the service.

Contact a Client liaison and promotions account manager for assistance promoting TIS National.

TIS National is the language service provider in the Department of Home Affairs. The Global Feedback Unit (GFU) is the central point for receiving all departmental feedback, including services provided by TIS National. 

In TIS National, we value feedback from our clients, as it helps us to improve our work and enhances the quality of interpreting services that we deliver to government, business and communities, through the provision of credentialed, cost-effective and secure language services. 

TIS National clients with limited or no English language skills can submit feedback about TIS National services online or via telephone. To give feedback online, please access the Department’s Compliments, complaints and suggestions. If you require an interpreter, please call TIS National on 131 450 and tell the operator you would like to give feedback about TIS National. Our operators will document your feedback and refer it to the relevant team in TIS National for action.

If you cannot contact TIS National it may be because we are experiencing an outage. If this happens, please refer to the Alerts section of our website for details.

If TIS National experiences an outage our immediate telephone operators can work on a manual system. Operating on the manual system can be a time consuming process and you may not be provided with a job number at the time of the call.

No. If you have moved to a new agency ask your manager at your new agency if they use TIS National services.

If your new agency uses TIS National services you should find out:

• what client code they would like you to use 

• what (if any) information you may need to provide to TIS National when requesting services.

If your new agency is not registered with TIS National but would like to use our services, contact a Client Liaison account manager for advice on the most appropriate service solutions for the organisation.

TIS National has a dedicated team of Client liaison and promotions account managers who are available to help you and your organisation communicate with your non-English speaking clients.

Account managers are specialists in providing assistance to a wide range of client groups including:

• commonwealth and state government agencies

• private sector businesses

• hospitals

• medical practitioners in private practice

• community sector organisations

• utility companies

• police and courts

• local government

• schools and universities

• emergency services

Account managers can provide information and advice about the most suitable service solutions for your organisation.

Account managers can:

• help you select the most suitable service options for your requirements

• understand your clients’ needs

• guide you on how provide feedback to TIS National

• assist you to conduct an information session

• provide advice on promoting TIS National services

• provide access to promotional materials

• provide service usage reports

Contact your Client liaison and promotions account manager for more information.

If you are having difficulty finding an available interpreter in your requested language, we encourage you to call during our off-peak times.  During off-peak times high demand languages are more likely to be available.

TIS National’s peak demand times are between 10 am and 5 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), Monday to Thursday. During these times you may experience difficulty accessing an interpreter in the language required.

Calling between 8 am to 10 am (AEST), Monday to Thursday and any time on Friday may improve your chances of finding an available interpreter in the language required.

Alternatively you can pre-book a phone interpreter to ensure an interpreter will be available.

If you have lost or misplaced your TIS National client code contact a Client liaison account manager.

If TIS National does not offer interpreting services in the language you need please let us know by providing feedback. You can provide feedback using the Feedback form.

You can amend a Telehealth video interpreting booking during and after the booking. If the link to the meeting you provided is encountering issues, you can update the booking information in TIS Online for the interpreter to access.

Please ensure the nominated contact person is available should the interpreter need to call or is experiencing technical issues.

No. Once you create a Telehealth booking, you cannot change it to a standard on-site job. Neither can you change a standard on-site booking to a Telehealth booking.

If you need to create a new booking, cancel the existing booking and create a new booking.

Yes. You can add multiple booking agents to a TIS Online account. 

Contact the Free Interpreting Service team, if you have a fee free account.

Contact Client Liaison team for all other accounts, including allied health professionals. 

To create an account is as simple as completing TIS National's client registration form.

Once you have registered an account for your agency, we will provide a TIS National client code for access to our services.

General account enquiries

Please contact the Free Interpreting Service team if you have a fee free account.

For all other accounts, including allied health professionals, please contact Client Liaison team. 

Existing on-site or Telehealth video interpreting bookings

Contact the Channel Support Team.

TIS National is the language service provider in the Department of Home Affairs. The Global Feedback Unit (GFU) is the central point for receiving all departmental feedback, including services provided by TIS National. 

In TIS National, we value feedback from our clients, as it helps us to improve our work and enhances the quality of interpreting services that we deliver to government, business and communities, through the provision of credentialed, cost-effective and secure language services. 

TIS National clients with limited or no English language skills can submit feedback about TIS National services online or via telephone. To give feedback online, please access the Department’s Compliments, complaints and suggestions. If you require an interpreter, please call TIS National on 131 450 and tell the operator you would like to give feedback about TIS National. Our operators will document your feedback and refer it to the relevant team in TIS National for action.

We will email to you TIS Online login credentials upon account creation. If you have forgotten or lost your login credentials, please contact TIS National with your client code.

Contact the Free Interpreting Service team, if you have a fee free account.

Contact Client Liaison team for all other accounts, including allied health professionals. 

General practitioners, medical specialists, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals can book an interpreter by logging into their account on TIS Online.

You will need to complete the booking form and provide:

• details of video conferencing platform to use, such as Skype, Zoom,WebEx or healthdirect Video Call
• access codes or credentials to join the video conference
• hyperlink for the interpreter to join the video session, and
• contact name and phone number for interpreter should they encounter any issues. 

You will receive an email confirmation when you submit your request, and when TIS National assigns an interpreter.

Further instructions are available in Telehealth Video Interpreting Guide for Agencies in TIS Online.

Telehealth video interpreting is categorised as a similar and alternative option to on-site interpreting. For fee-paying clients, the costs will be the same as the current on-site charge rates.

Estimate what a booking will cost using our cost calculator.

Should you require a quote for a booking, please contact the Client Liaison team.

The minimum booking time for a Telehealth video interpreting service is 90 minutes. However, you are not obligated to use the full 90 minutes and can release the interpreter when the Telehealth consultation is complete.

Wherever possible, TIS National encourages the scheduling of same language patients in back-to-back Telehealth sessions to maximise the use of the 90-minute interpreter booking. Please list the names of all patients in the booking form, or indicate the number of patients where patient names are confidential. 

TIS National is continually working towards improving its services and may reduce the minimum booking time for Telehealth video interpreting sessions at a later date.

TIS Online allows you to request an interpreter in any language TIS National provides interpreting services in, including on-site and Telehealth video interpreting services.

You can see the full list of languages available through TIS National when you create a new booking request in TIS Online.

Agency clients can use most third-party video conferencing platforms. TIS National recommends the use of video conferencing platforms that will not incur usage charges to the interpreter.

These platforms may include: Skype, Zoom, WebEx or healthdirect Video Call. 

Any video conference platform related costs incurred by TIS National may be charged back to the agency.

Our Telehealth video interpreting service is currently available to :

• general practitioners
• medical specialists
• nurse practitioners, and 
• allied health professionals.

TIS National is not able to provide any technical support to resolve connectivity or third party platform issues.

Medical practitioners and allied health professionals are responsible for resolving connectivity and technical issues related to their Telehealth video interpreting session. During the booking process, TIS National will ask you to provide the name and phone number of someone the interpreter can call should they encounter any technical issues. 

Connectivity issues may occur from time to time. If your booking is significantly interrupted, TIS National will review the nature and extent of each booking on a case by case basis.

Please contact the Free Interpreting Service team if you have a fee free account.

For all other accounts, including allied health professionals, please contact the Client Accounts team.

No, TIS National does not provide conference interpreting services.

TIS National endeavours to develop services in line with feedback received from our clients. To provide TIS National with feedback about services you require which are not currently available complete our online feedback form to let us know.

TIS National does not provide a commercial document translation service. If you need to complete a commercial translation, you can search for a qualified translator through the National Accreditation Authority for Translating and Interpreting (NAATI) website.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) provides a free document translation service for Australian citizens and new migrants settling permanently in Australia.

Within the first two years of arriving in Australia, eligible individuals can have key personal documents (such as birth or marriage certificates, drivers’ licences, educational and employment documents) translated into English, free of charge, to assist with settlement into the community. This does not include documents that are required for a visa application.

Applications for the free document translating service can be lodged at any Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) provider in Australia.

For information on how to access the Free Translating Service and eligibility requirements, please refer to www.dss.gov.au/free-translating or contact the TIS National Language Policy Liaison team on 1300 575 847.

ATIS Voice is an automated voice-prompted immediate phone interpreting service. ATIS Voice is a service for agency clients to access an interpreter in high demand languages without assistance from a TIS National operator.

ATIS Voice uses voice recognition technology to identify the language requested, and automatically connect you with an interpreter in that language. ATIS Voice allows you to avoid lengthy call wait times you may experience when calling the contact centre for an immediate phone interpreter.

ATIS Voice provides phone interpreting services in the following high demand languages:

* Sudanese Arabic is not available through ATIS Voice.

ATIS Voice users receive a 10 per cent discount off TIS National’s immediate phone interpreter charges, so using the service is an excellent opportunity for clients to reduce interpreting costs. See Phone interpreting for more information.

Illegal Maritime Arrival (IMA) interpreting involves interpreters attending immigration detention facilities and regional processing centres on request from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, to provide interpreting services to assist with the IMA response.

Immediate phone interpreting is available for agency clients and non-English speakers who need to use an interpreter immediately over the phone.

The immediate phone interpreting service can be accessed by agency and non-English speaking clients who need to use an interpreter immediately over the phone with the assistance of a contact centre operator by calling 131 450. Agency clients can also access an interpreter immediately over the phone by using ATIS Voice.

Our on-site interpreting service is available for agency clients to book an interpreter to attend an appointment face-to-face.

When using a phone interpreter would not be suitable, TIS National can arrange for an interpreter to visit your location. On-site interpreting services can be arranged for any location in Australia (subject to interpreter availability).

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.

The pre-booked phone interpreting service is available for agency clients to book a phone interpreter in advance of an appointment.

Pre-booking your phone interpreter will ensure any special requirements can be catered for and that the best available interpreter can be secured for the time you nominate. Pre-booking an interpreter is recommended when the assignment may be complex, requires specialist knowledge or the availability of interpreters in a particular language is limited.

Pre-booking allows time for background or briefing material to be provided and examined by the interpreter, so the actual interpreting time is used in the most efficient manner. In many cases, using a pre-booked phone interpreter has proven to be an effective and less expensive alternative to providing an on-site interpreter. To request a pre-booked phone interpreter fill out the interpreter booking form. 

TIS National provides access to the following interpreting services:

• Immediate phone interpreting

• ATIS Voice automated voice-prompted immediate phone interpreting

• Pre-booked phone interpreting

• On-site interpreting

• Illegal Maritime Arrival (IMA) interpreting

Yes. TIS Online allows you to easily cancel your bookings up until the scheduled completion time.

Yes. You can make changes to your bookings in TIS Online up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time of the booking.

If you change the name of the non-English speaker or the interpreter instructions, the booking will be updated immediately.

No. TIS Online does not record financial information. TIS National invoices are issued by email using our eBilling system.

Currently only standard on-site interpreting jobs can be managed through TIS Online.

Yes. You can view all bookings for your agency in TIS Online.

Yes. Once a job has been completed, you can finalise the booking with TIS National through TIS Online. If you haven’t finalised a job in TIS Online within 7 days after the booking took place, it will be escalated to a TIS National staff member to resolve.

Yes. TIS Online automatically notifies you by email (and SMS if you’ve nominated a mobile contact number) when an interpreter has been assigned to one of your bookings.

TIS Online will also notify you immediately if the interpreter can no longer attend the appointment or we assign a new interpreter to the booking.

Yes. TIS Online works on most internet-enabled mobile devices, so you can manage your jobs wherever and whenever it’s most convenient for you. We recommend that you regularly update the software on your mobile device to make sure TIS Online works most effectively.

New booking requests are automatically posted out to all interpreters who meet the job requirements, to self-nominate for the job. Job requirements include:

• the language they interpret in

• their National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) credential level

• their location

• their availability

• other criteria you have requested, such as gender.

You can contact the TIS Online Support team if you need assistance using TIS Online. The team is available during standard business hours. For urgent enquiries outside of these hours, please call the TIS National contact centre on 131 450.

You can make requests up to three (3) months in advance of an appointment.

As jobs requested in TIS Online are automatically posted out to all interpreters who meet the job requirements rather than manually calling individual interpreters, the time it takes to allocate an interpreter to your request should reduce significantly when you use TIS Online.

The lead time to find an interpreter for your booking will vary for each job, however we anticipate most booking requests will be accepted by an interpreter within a day, if not within a matter of hours.

Services requested through TIS Online attract the same rates as our standard on-site interpreting charges. View our service charges.

Unfortunately each medical practitioner still needs their own personal TIS Online account. This is only the case where the doctor is using a Free Interpreting Service account, as the approval to access services for free is allocated to individual practitioners rather than the entire practice.

Yes. If the interpreter does not attend the appointment, you can submit a dispute of the booking easily in TIS Online. These will be escalated to a TIS National staff member to follow up.

TIS Online allows you to log into your personal account to:

• make new on-site interpreter bookings

• view and update your existing on-site interpreter bookings

• finalise or dispute completed on-site interpreter bookings

• update your details and invite other staff in your organisation to use the account

• receive notifications by email and SMS as the status of your bookings change.

TIS Online sends you notifications when:

• your account is updated

• you create a new booking request

• an interpreter has been assigned to a booking

• an interpreter assigned to a booking can no longer attend

• a booking has been changed

• a booking is cancelled

• a booking is ready to be finalised

• a booking is varied or disputed.

You can create a new on-site interpreter booking request on TIS Online any time up until 24 hours before the appointment start time. If you need to request an on-site interpreter with less than 24 hours’ notice before the appointment start time, please contact the TIS Online Support team.

If it reaches 48 hours before the scheduled start time of your booking and no interpreters have accepted your booking, TIS National treats the request as an urgent job and starts manually calling interpreters to fill the booking. If no available interpreter can be found, you will receive a notification when the booking is cancelled.

TIS Online is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so you can use it whenever it’s convenient for you.

Yes. TIS Online always offers bookings to the highest credentialed interpreters first. Your booking will only be offered to lower credentialed interpreters when no higher credentialed interpreters have accepted it after being available for 24 hours.

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:

• list each non-English speaker on the request

• list in the special requirements field that the booking is for multiple appointments

• 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:

• National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) credential level; and
• availability.

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. 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 indemnity 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 normal TIS National 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 at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment start time in order to avoid charges, in accordance with TIS National’s cancellation policy. 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, 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: 

• a sensitive health issue

• domestic issues

• cultural differences

If you require an interpreter of a particular gender, please advise TIS National when you submit your booking request.

No. TIS National assigns work to interpreters on the basis of National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) credential (qualification) level and availability to ensure you receive the most qualified available interpreter. TIS National cannot assign work to an interpreter on the basis of cultural background or religion.

Cancellation of pre-booked phone or on-site assignments must be made in the following manner:

If you experience any issues with your booking cancellation, please contact the pre-booked phone interpreter or TIS Online Support team, as appropriate.

Cancellations made at least 24 hours before the scheduled booking start time will not incur service charges. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the scheduled booking start time will incur charges, in accordance with the TIS National Cancellation Policy.

Requests for the pre-booked phone service should be sent using the online interpreter booking form.

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 or fax 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 three months in advance of the date of request.

To use the automated, voice prompted, immediate phone interpreting service (ATIS Voice), you need to have an account and access numbers (these are different to a TIS National client code). To request an ATIS Voice account and access numbers, complete the ATIS Voice application form or contact a Client liaison and promotions account manager.

ATIS Voice 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 Voice. You will be asked to say and confirm the language interpreter you need, before entering the preferred gender of your interpreter and your ATIS Voice account and access numbers.

Once ATIS Voice 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 Voice 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 Voice 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:

• language required

• your client code

• your agencies name and the section you work in

• your name and phone number

• the non-English speakers name and phone number

• 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.

If TIS National has not been able to find a phone interpreter for your request, the following tips and hints may help.

Level of accreditation - On your original request you may have asked us to only consider interpreters with professional accreditation from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). It may be helpful to re-assess whether it is crucial you only use a professionally accredited interpreter, as considering using a lower or nil-accredited interpreter can significantly improve your chances of securing an interpreter. TIS National’s procedure when filling requests is to always allocate the highest accredited available interpreter first. Also note, NAATI 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 professionally 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 Voice - Using TIS National’s automated voice-prompted immediate phone interpreting service, ATIS Voice, allows agency clients to access an interpreter in a range of high demand languages without assistance from a TIS National operator. ATIS Voice 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 Voice 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.

Level of accreditation - On your original booking request you may have asked us to only consider interpreters with professional accreditation from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). It may be helpful to re-assess whether it is crucial you only use a professionally accredited interpreter, as considering using a lower or nil-accredited interpreter can significantly improve your chances of securing an interpreter. TIS National’s procedure when filling requests is to always allocate the highest accredited available interpreter first. Also note, NAATI 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 professionally 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 three months 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.

Cancellation of pre-booked phone or on-site assignments must be made in the following manner:

In exceptional circumstances such as when a client does not have access to email or their TIS Online account and an assignment is scheduled to start within 24 hours, cancellation may be advised by calling TIS National on the following numbers:

However, subsequent notification in writing is still required.

Required notice periods vary depending on the type of assignment, as set out below:

Longer notice periods apply for Full Day and Extended Travel On-site Assignments and IMA Deployments in recognition of the longer periods interpreters must block out when accepting these assignments and the greater administrative complexity of arranging them.

Where notice of cancellation meets the required minimum notice period, this is considered sufficient notice and:

• no charges will apply

• the assigned interpreter will not be entitled to payment. 

Where insufficient notice of cancellation is provided, charges apply and the assigned interpreter will generally be entitled to a cancellation fee for the assignment. This ensures the assigned interpreter does not suffer unreasonable financial loss where insufficient notice of cancellation has been provided.

For Extended Travel assignments and IMA deployments involving travel, the scheduled start time is the time that the interpreter leaves their place of residence. This will affect calculation of sufficient notice and may also affect calculation of any applicable cancellation charge and interpreter cancellation fee. When calculating whether a client has provided sufficient notice of cancellation, the determining factor is the time that TIS National receives notification. Rarely, there may be short delays in passing notification onto interpreters.

Applicable cancellation charges and interpreter cancellation fees vary depending on the type of assignment, as set out below:

¹ ‘Relevant days’ are the day of cancellation and the following two days, plus any days of interpreting or travel which have already occurred.

Where a client requests a significant change to an Extended Travel job with insufficient notice, TIS National will treat this in the same way as a cancellation with insufficient notice and cancellation charges will apply. A significant change includes changes to the:

• requested language

• job location (to a different state, or 100 km or more from the original location)

• date or time of assignment

• requested interpreter gender or credential level.

TIS National may also determine that other requests constitute a significant change where they involve substantial administrative burden or have an impact on the original interpreter allocation.

Immediate phone interpreting assignments commence as soon as the interpreter is connected. Cancellation after this point is not possible and standard TIS National interpreting service charges will apply.

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 Voice 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:

• Interpreter Liaison

• Client Liaison

• Language Policy Liaison

• Finance Administration

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.

Yes. TIS National interpreters are insured for professional indemnity, public liability and workers compensation.

No. TIS National interpreters abide by the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) Code of Ethics which states that interpreters should not accept gratuities or other benefits outside of their payment for their services.

No. A TIS National interpreter facilitates communication with a non-English speaking client and does not conduct interviews, give advice, complete forms for you or your client or provide their own personal opinion.

If a session runs for longer than 90 minutes you will need to provide the interpreter with sufficient breaks. Interpreting can be very demanding and interpreters should be provided with sufficient breaks to eat and rest.

Our website provides some useful information about working with TIS National interpreters.

TIS National can also assist you to work effectively with interpreters by developing a presentation slideshow specific to your organisation. Contact a TIS National Client Liaison and Promotions account manager for more information.

TIS National is committed to providing the highest quality interpreting service to our clients.

TIS National ensures that interpreters are competent and qualified by:

• recruiting National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) interpreters where possible

• providing a thorough induction to interpreters

• providing resources to interpreters about applying the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) Code of Ethics

• conducting a mystery shopping programme.

TIS National also maintains an active feedback register to record both positive and negative feedback and follow up issues when required. We strongly encourage you to provide feedback as it helps us identify issues we may not be aware of.

TIS National interpreters understand their responsibilities and perform under the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) Code of Ethics so are required to keep the content of a an interpreting assignment confidential. Information received during an interpreting assignment can only be disclosed when mandated by law.

As our interpreters perform work on-site on your request, they are subject to the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) policies and procedures of your workplace.

The best way to help minimise risks to TIS National interpreters is to factor them into your WHS planning, such as providing the interpreter with a WHS orientation when they arrive at the site.

Orientation for interpreters may cover topics such as:

• the nature of the operations of your business and the associated hazards and risks

• appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety

• processes for receiving information about incidents, hazards and risks in your workplace

TIS National interpreters are provide information about their obligation to attend WHS orientations when attending on-site assignments when requested.

If an incident occurs involving an interpreter while performing an on-site assignment in your workplace, please contact the TIS National Interpreter liaison team immediately to inform us of the incident.

Some tips to help you use interpreters most effectively are:

• Allow time prior to the interview to brief the interpreter so they have an understanding of what the session entails.

• Be sure to have a private area organised where the session can take place.

• Arrange seating in a triangular form to allow for easy communication between the interpreter and the client.

• It is ideal to position yourself so that the non-English speaking client is directly facing you and the interpreter is sitting to the side.

• Introduce yourself and brief the interpreter on the main topics you will be discussing.

• Ensure the interpreter knows what type of telephone you are using and if they are on speaker phone.

• Always speak in the first person and speak directly to the non-English speaker.

• Allow the interpreter to clarify information if necessary.

• Use clear language and short sentences.

• Avoid using jargon, slang, idioms or proverbs.

• Include a pause after each sentence so that the call participants do not talk over each other or cut each other off.

• If it is a long call, the interpreter may require a few minutes break on the half-hour.

• Clearly indicate the end of the conference call to everyone involved.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) website provides a fact sheet about interpreters and family safety.

Accreditation from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) is the only qualification officially accepted for the interpreting profession in Australia.

There are three main levels of interpreter accreditation available through NAATI.

Professionally Accredited (level 3 and above):

Professional Interpreters are suitable for specialisations such as health, legal and formal proceedings. 

Para-professionally accredited (level 2):

Paraprofessional interpreters are for the purpose of general conversations and undertake the interpretation of non-specialist dialogues. 

Not accredited (Nil accredited or NAATI recognised):

Nil accredited interpreters undergo interview and reference checking process by TIS National to ensure their work is of a high standard. For languages where accreditation is not available you may be allocated a nil-accredited or NAATI recognised interpreter.

TIS National interpreters can provide their name and personal identification number to agency clients. The interpreter can choose not to disclose their name to the agency client. In this case the client should address the interpreter as “interpreter”.

For on-site jobs the interpreter will need the agency client to sign a Service Delivery Form (SDF), which is their written proof that the job took place.

The role of the agency is to manage the interview and conduct a free flow of communication. It is important to firstly introduce yourself to the interpreter and brief the interpreter on the situation.

If you are using an on-site interpreter the correct seat positioning is essential to get the most out of your session is a triangular seating setting.

When using a phone interpreting service it is important to provide details of the phone you are using and also allow the interpreter to introduce themselves to the client. You should maintain eye contact with your non-English speaking client to show that they are the centre of your attention.

If the interview is booked for a long period of time, it is the agency’s responsibility to provide regular breaks to the interpreter as they will need to recharge their batteries throughout the session.

The interpreter’s role is to accurately convey the whole spoken message from one language to another while abiding by the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) Code of Ethics.

The AUSIT Code of Ethics is intended to regulate the professional conduct of Australian interpreters and includes:

• professional conduct

• confidentiality

• competence

• impartiality

• accuracy

• clarity of role boundaries

• maintaining professional relationships

• professional development

• professional solidarity

The interpreter should arrive on time and stay for the duration of your booking, unless you require the session to finish early.

TIS National gives priority to interpreters who have National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) accreditation, which provides a guarantee of interpreter skill and accuracy.

TIS National interpreters understand their responsibilities and perform under the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) Code of Ethics. Our interpreters maintain professional behaviour and keep the content of a conversation confidential whilst abiding by their Code of Ethics. Our interpreters facilitate communication with the non-English speaking client and do not conduct interviews, give advice, complete forms or provide their own personal opinions.

Professional interpreters speak in the first person to ensure they accurately interpret what is being said. This avoids confusion and ensures that the message is being interpreted and understood correctly by all parties.

If you are unsure about what is being said or by who, ask the interpreter to clarify what was said.