Subclass 143, 103, 173, 804
NAATI certified translations for Australian family and parent visas (143, 103, 173, 804)
Family stream applications turn on proving a specific relationship, often across two or three generations of records issued decades apart. Older civil documents are frequently handwritten, faded or issued under a former naming system, which makes complete and accurate translation particularly important.
Short answer
Civil registration documents that establish the family relationship must be lodged with an English translation when they are not in English. Translate each record in full, including reverse-side annotations and marginal notes, because those notes often carry the correction or registration detail that links the records together.
Who this applies to
- Contributory and non-contributory parent visa applicants (143, 173, 103, 804)
- Remaining relative and carer visa applicants
- Sponsors in Australia gathering overseas civil records
- Applicants whose records span a change of name or naming convention
Documents that usually need translating
| Group | Typical documents | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship records | Birth certificates of the applicant and all children, family or household registration records | The parent-child link must be traceable across every document submitted. |
| Marital status | Marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate of a spouse | Required for both the applicant and, in some cases, the sponsor. |
| Balance of family | Records for all children wherever they live, including overseas siblings | Balance of family tests rely on records for children not part of the application. |
| Identity and character | National identity card, name-change certificate, police clearance certificates | Historic name variations should be evidenced with a formal record. |
How the work runs
- 1
List the documents the case officer will actually read
Start from the document checklist published for family and parent visas and mark every item that is not already in English. Only those items need a translation; sending extra material rarely helps and slows the file down.
- 2
Obtain clean, complete originals
Request freshly issued certified extracts where the registry offers them. Scan in colour at 300 dpi or better, both sides of every page, including pages that carry only a stamp or a signature.
- 3
Confirm name spellings against passports
Send the photo page of the passport for every person named in the documents. Passport spelling is the reference the translation follows so that names match the application form exactly.
- 4
Translation by a certified translator in that direction
NAATI certification is granted per language pair and direction, for example Thai to English. Work is assigned to a practitioner certified in the exact direction the document requires.
- 5
Independent check, then delivery in the required format
A second reviewer compares names, dates, document numbers and page order against the source. You then receive a digitally certified PDF for online lodgement, with a printed wet-stamped copy couriered if the receiving body asks for hard copy.
Why translations get questioned
- Name spelling differing from the passport — the single most common reason a translation is queried.
- Sending only the front page and omitting a reverse side that carries stamps, corrections or annotations.
- Translating an extract rather than the complete document, so the certification does not cover the whole page.
- Printing and re-scanning a digitally signed PDF, which destroys the signature validation the agency relies on.
- Lodging a translation without a copy of the source document; most bodies want both side by side.
- Assuming consular legalisation is always required — most Australian bodies ask only for a properly certified translation.
- Leaving marginal notes and handwritten corrections on old civil records untranslated.
- Omitting records for children who are not migrating, when the balance of family test needs them.
Frequently asked questions
Does the translation have to be NAATI certified?
For documents translated inside Australia, the Department of Home Affairs asks that translations be done by a NAATI accredited translator. For translations prepared outside Australia, the translator must state their full name, address, telephone number and details of their qualifications and experience in the language being translated. In practice, for parent and family visa applications, the NAATI certification format is the one Australian bodies recognise most readily.
Is a digitally certified PDF accepted for online lodgement?
NAATI certified translators may issue digitally certified translations carrying a digital stamp and signature, and online lodgement systems generally accept that PDF. Some registries, courts and embassies still want a printed copy with a physical stamp; tell us the receiving body and we issue the correct format.
Do I need to post my original documents?
No. A clear, complete scan is enough to produce the translation. Keep your originals — the receiving body may ask to sight them separately.
Do you work with clients outside Australia and Thailand?
Yes. The service is fully online worldwide, in every language pair where a certified practitioner exists. Send scans, receive the certified PDF by email, and request a printed copy to any address if one is needed.
Can you advise whether my application will succeed?
No. Decisions rest with the deciding authority, and immigration advice is the work of a registered migration agent (OMARA). We prepare and certify translations and explain document formatting requirements.
The original record is faded and partly handwritten. Can it still be translated?
Usually yes, but a fresh certified extract from the registry is safer. If the source is genuinely illegible in places, the translation must mark those parts as illegible rather than guess, and a reviewer may then ask for a reissued record.
Have your files checked first
Send your scans on LINE with the visa group and the receiving body. We confirm the language pair, stamp format and working-day turnaround in writing before any work starts.
Ask on LINE @NAATIRelated document guides
Other visa groups
Reviewed July 2026. General document-preparation information only, not immigration assistance. We are not a registered migration agent (OMARA).