Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Documents for a Canadian Visa from Pakistan
Canada has a rule that is specific enough to be useful and generous enough to include us, with one condition. IRCC prefers a certified translator, and where the translator is not certified in Canada it requires an affidavit swearing to the translation's accuracy. That affidavit is the whole question for a Pakistani applicant.
What does Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada require?
IRCC requires translations of non-English or non-French documents by a certified translator. Where the translator is not certified, IRCC requires an affidavit sworn before a notary or commissioner attesting to the translation's accuracy and the translator's proficiency. No Pakistani translator holds Canadian certification, so the affidavit route is the one available.
Can we help with this one?
Sometimes — depends on your checklist
We are not certified by a Canadian provincial body such as ATIO or OTTIAQ, so the certified-translator route is not open to us. IRCC's alternative is a sworn affidavit, which we can coordinate through a notary here. Confirm your stream accepts it before ordering.
The sequence
- Check which documents are actually not in English, since most Pakistani degrees already are
- Obtain an Educational Credential Assessment where your stream requires one, which is separate from translation
- Have documents translated, with either a Canadian-certified translator or the affidavit route
- Where the affidavit route applies, the translator's declaration is sworn before a notary or commissioner
- Submit the translation alongside a copy of the original, as IRCC expects both
The affidavit is the whole question
IRCC’s rule has two branches:
Preferred: a certified translator — meaning a member of a Canadian provincial body such as ATIO (Ontario) or OTTIAQ (Quebec).
Alternative: where the translator is not certified, the translation must be accompanied by an affidavit sworn before a person authorised to administer oaths, attesting to the accuracy of the translation and the translator’s proficiency in both languages.
No Pakistani translator holds Canadian certification. So the affidavit route is the one available to us, and it is a route IRCC explicitly provides for rather than a workaround.
We produce the translation and coordinate the sworn affidavit through a notary here. Confirm your specific stream accepts it before ordering, since requirements vary by programme and are updated — check on canada.ca.
The ECA is not a translation, and it is usually the bottleneck
This is where Canadian applicants most often misspend.
An Educational Credential Assessment evaluates what your Pakistani qualification is worth against the Canadian system. It is issued by a designated organisation — WES, IQAS, ICES and others — and is required for many permanent residence streams.
It is a different service from a different body. A translator who converts your DMC marks into a Canadian GPA has altered your record, not translated it. See translating DMCs and transcripts for UK and Canadian universities.
And the routing catches people out: WES and similar bodies typically require documents to be sent directly by the issuing institution, not forwarded by you or by a translator. Read the evaluator’s submission instructions before arranging anything — the routing requirement is as important as the documents themselves.
Start the ECA early. It is frequently the slowest step in a Canadian file, and nothing about translation speeds it up.
Do you need a translation at all?
IRCC requires translation only of documents not in English or French. Most Pakistani degrees and transcripts are in English.
What genuinely needs translating:
- Nikah Nama and marriage documents
- NADRA records — birth certificates, FRC, Form B — where not bilingual
- Older Urdu board certificates
- Police character certificates from Pakistan and any other country you have lived in
- Talaq Nama where a previous marriage is involved
Send photographs and your checklist. If your documents are already in English, you need nothing from us.
English or French?
Federal immigration accepts English throughout. French matters for Quebec-specific streams and for applicants claiming French-language points.
If your documents are in English and your stream is federal, translation may not arise at all. See English to French translation for what Quebec streams involve, including where OTTIAQ certification is required and we cannot help.
Police certificates from every country
Worth flagging, because it is a Canadian requirement people underestimate.
Canadian immigration generally requires police clearance from every country you have lived in for a continuous period since a certain age — not just Pakistan. Foreign clearances are the slow part, especially applying from abroad.
See translating a police character certificate for immigration, which covers the validity window problem: these certificates expire in three to six months while the rest of your file takes longer.
Related
Certified translation covers our statement of accuracy, and notarized translation assistance covers the affidavit coordination IRCC’s alternative route needs. USCIS and UKVI have simpler requirements by comparison.
Official sources
Requirements and fees change, and this page does not publish either. Verify directly:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does IRCC accept from a translator outside Canada?
IRCC's stated preference is a certified translator. Where the translator is not certified, it requires the translation to be accompanied by an affidavit sworn before a person authorised to administer oaths, attesting to the accuracy of the translation and the translator's proficiency in both languages. That affidavit route is what applies to a Pakistani translator.
Are you a certified translator for IRCC purposes?
No. Certification in that sense means membership of a Canadian provincial body such as ATIO in Ontario or OTTIAQ in Quebec, and no Pakistani translator holds it. What we can do is provide the translation and coordinate the sworn affidavit that IRCC accepts in place of certification. Confirm your specific stream accepts it before ordering.
What is an ECA and is it the same as a translation?
No. An Educational Credential Assessment evaluates what your Pakistani qualification is worth against the Canadian system, and is issued by a designated organisation such as WES or IQAS. It is required for many permanent residence streams and is a different service from a different body. A translator who converts your marks into a Canadian GPA has altered your record rather than translated it.
Does WES accept documents from me directly?
Generally no, and this catches people out. WES and similar bodies typically require documents to be sent directly by the issuing institution rather than forwarded by the applicant or a translator. Read the evaluator's own submission instructions before arranging anything, because the routing requirement is as important as the documents.
Does IRCC need my English-language degree translated?
Probably not. IRCC requires translation only of documents not in English or French, and most Pakistani universities issue degrees and transcripts in English. What Canadian applications more often need is an ECA. Send photographs and we will tell you honestly which of your documents need work.
Do I need French for a Canadian application?
Only for Quebec-specific streams or where you are claiming French-language points. Federal immigration accepts English throughout. If your documents are in English already and your stream is federal, you may need no translation at all. See our English to French page for what Quebec streams involve.
Send the checklist before you send the documents
Forward the exact wording your consulate or employer gave you. We will tell you what it calls for, and whether we can meet it, before you pay for anything.