Immigration Court Interpreter (Spanish/English)

Immigration court interpreters are an essential element in the application of immigration laws. The immigration courts are flooded with respondents waiting their turn to be heard before the court.

Currently, there is no certification exam for immigration court interpreters. According to SOS International LLC (SOSi), candidates must have one year of experience in the legal field, pass a screening test, complete a training program, pass a final completion examination, and finally pass a performance evaluation to be considered an immigration court interpreter. The online Immigration Court Interpreter course addresses all the elements required except the one-year experience in the legal field.

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9 Months / 200 Course Hrs
Open Enrollment
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University of Central Florida

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Immigration Court Interpreter (Spanish/English)

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Course code: GES2054

What you will learn

  • Immigration court interpreting terminology
  • A robust simultaneous and consecutive modes of interpretation
  • Ethics, protocol, and professionalism expected in a formal Immigration Court matter
  • The typical structures used in Master Calendar Hearings and Merits Hearings

How you will benefit

  • This course prepares you for a growing market in interpreting
  • You will become familiar with criminal court terminology
  • Typically, Immigration Court Interpreters set their own schedule, thus providing you with flexibility

How the course is taught

  • Self-paced, online course
  • 9 Months to complete
  • Open enrollment, begin anytime
  • 200 course hours
  1. Interpreting Criminal Proceedings I
    1. Criminal Terminology
    2. Sample Arraignments
    3. Simultaneous Techniques
    4. Consecutive Techniques
    5. Criminal Offenses
    6. Pre-Trial Hearing
    7. Initial Appearance
    8. Statement of Rights
    9. Preliminary Hearings
    10. Slang Terminology
  2. Interpreting Criminal Proceedings II
    1. Misdemeanor Plea – Form and Court Proceedings
    2. Misdemeanor Plea – Memorandum
    3. Court Proceeding
    4. Misdemeanor Sentencing – Memorandum – Vehicle Code
    5. Misdemeanor Sentencing – Memorandum
    6. Disorderly Conduct and Indecent Exposure
    7. Felony Plea – Form and Court Proceeding Form
    8. Probation Violation Hearing – Time Waiver & Progress Report
    9. Sample Day in Court as a Court Interpreter
  3. Interpreting in Immigration Court
    1. Structure of Immigration Court
    2. Immigration Holds
    3. Immigration Terminology
    4. Immigration Abbreviations
    5. Immigration Forms
    6. Immigration Proceedings
    7. Advisement of Respondent's Rights
    8. Advisement to Respondent: Failure to Appear
    9. Analytical Linguist
    10. Transcription Format

Nestor Wagner

Nestor Wagner is a certified Court and Medical Interpreter who has been teaching interpreting courses since 1990. He has the highest pass rate of certified court interpreters in the nation. He has published several books in the interpreting community.

Mr. Wagner is involved in the examination process for Immigration Interpreters and Analytical Linguists. He participates as a speaker in national and international conferences on Criminal, Civil, and Immigration Court terminology, advanced interpreting skills, and localization in legal and non-legal terminology transfer. Mr. Wagner holds a Master's degree from the University of Washington.

Prerequisites:

Students interested in this program must speak English and Spanish fluently. There is no need to have formal training in Spanish or English. However, the student must be able to communicate in both languages at a native level.

Immigration Court Interpreters must have one year of experience in the legal field, so it is recommended to have this before enrolling.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Microsoft Word Online
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

No. Currently, there is no certification exam for immigration court interpreters. Candidates must have one year of experience in the legal field, pass a screening test, complete a training program, pass a final completion examination, and finally pass a performance evaluation to be considered immigration court interpreters. This program addresses all the elements required except the one-year experience in the legal field.

This course is open enrollment, so you can register and start the course whenever you are ready. Access to your course can take 24-48 business hours.

After you register, you will receive 9 months to complete the course. The time allotted for completion has been calculated based on the number of course hours.

The time allotted for course completion has been calculated based on the number of course hours. However, if you are unable to complete the course, contact the student advising team to see what options you may have available to work out a suitable completion date. Please note that an extension fee may be charged.

Our courses are designed to accommodate various learning preferences. Depending on the course structure, you may get different forms of support. Self-paced courses are designed to be user-friendly and independent, minimizing the need for external support. In courses with instructors, our direct platform support feature includes opportunities for questions, discussions, and remediation, with email and phone support available for select courses. Our student advising team is available to guide you on program requirements and administrative requests, but they do not provide assistance with course content. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary support for success, whether it's through self-paced exploration, direct communication, or guidance from our advising team.

Upon successfully passing the final exam, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from the school or organization that you registered through.

ed2go courses will help you gain the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. However, you should always research the job market in your area before enrolling.

ed2go courses are non-credit, so they do not qualify for federal aid, FAFSA, and Pell Grant. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards may provide funding to take our courses. Additionally, you may qualify for financial assistance if you meet certain requirements. Learn more about financial assistance.

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