Document Preparation and Translation for Immigration to Canada
Updated:
Canadian immigration is one of the few procedures in the world where the requirements for translation are set out as a separate published rule. Whether IRCC accepts your document is therefore not a matter of an officer’s impression: there is a written condition, and a translation either meets it or it does not. That is good news — everything can be checked in advance.
MovaPro translation agency has prepared documents for Canadian files since 2012: Express Entry, provincial programs, sponsorship, study permits. We are not immigration consultants and give no legal advice on choosing a program — our part of the work begins where you already have a document checklist. Consultation on translation and legalisation is free.
The IRCC translation rule: three conditions
IRCC requires any document in another language to be accompanied by a full translation into English or French. The details are where applicants stumble:
- The translation must be done by a certified translator — a member of a professional translators’ association of a Canadian province or territory.
- If the translator is not certified in Canada — which is the case for any agency in Ukraine — the translation is filed together with the translator’s affidavit: a sworn statement of language competence and of the completeness and accuracy of the translation, sworn before a notary public or a commissioner of oaths.
- The translation may not be done by the applicant, a family member, or the representative on the file — even where that person is a professional translator. This is the most common reason documents come back in family cases: a philologist father translates his daughter’s school certificate, and the package is rejected.
The practical conclusion for a client ordering from Ukraine: you need an agency translation plus a certification in the form an officer will accept. We prepare the translation with notarization of the translator’s signature and, where required, with an affidavit in English. Always check the current wording on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website — it is periodically updated.
Educational Credential Assessment: translation is only part of the route
Most economic programs require an Educational Credential Assessment — a report from an IRCC-designated organisation (WES, IQAS, ICES, CES, ICAS) stating what your Ukrainian diploma is equivalent to in the Canadian system.
The Ukrainian particularity: WES does not accept documents directly from the applicant. The Ukrainian institution or ENIC Ukraine (the information centre under the Ministry of Education) sends them on, and the document must be apostilled. Educational documents are apostilled by the Ministry of Education, not the Ministry of Justice, and the diploma and its supplement are apostilled separately.
The order of operations that saves months: apostille from the Ministry of Education → submission through ENIC → translation where the assessing organisation requires it. Not the other way round. The general route is set out on our apostille and legalization page.
Police certificates — from every country you have lived in
Canada does not check Ukraine alone. The rule covers every country where the applicant has lived for a continuous period after coming of age — so Ukrainians who have been in Poland, Germany or Czechia since 2022 usually carry two or three certificates. Each has its own legalisation route and its own translation.
We obtain and apostille the Ukrainian certificate end to end — details on our certificate of no criminal record page. These certificates have a limited shelf life at the moment of filing, so they are ordered close to submission rather than “in advance, along with everything else”.
Civil registry documents and the family sponsorship package
Birth, marriage and divorce certificates are the backbone of family files. Two recurring problems:
- An old-format or Soviet-era certificate. It remains legally valid, but old-format forms cannot be apostilled, so a re-issued certificate is obtained first for a Canadian file.
- The original is abroad or lost. We obtain re-issued certificates and civil registry extracts by power of attorney, with no travel to Ukraine on your part.
If the marriage was dissolved by a court after 2011, no divorce certificate exists — the court decision is the final document, and its translation is covered on a separate page.
One spelling of your name across the whole file
A Canadian file is dozens of documents submitted at different times: the Express Entry profile, the ECA, police certificates, IMM forms, children’s passports. If the diploma translation says Anna, the birth certificate says Ganna and the passport says Hanna, the officer sees three different people and issues a request — and that costs months.
We transliterate names strictly per the foreign passport and keep a single glossary for your whole file, so institution names, job titles and place names match across every document. If some translations were done earlier elsewhere, send them and we will align the spelling with what has already been filed. A quick check of the official Latin spelling is available in our free transliteration tool.
What we do and what it costs
- translation into English or French — from UAH 300 per standard document (English);
- notarization of the translation — UAH 400 per document; agency-stamp certification for the USA and Canada — UAH 200;
- a translator’s affidavit in English — drafted to the specific requirement of your file;
- apostille and legalization — procedural support, with state fees paid separately;
- police certificate and re-issued civil registry documents — end to end, including for clients already abroad.
The full price list for 40+ languages is on the prices page; a discount applies from 5 pages, and a Canadian package almost always exceeds that. We do not publish state fees (apostille, consular charges, IRCC tariffs) — they change, and they need checking at the time of filing.
Send us the document list from your checklist — within 15 minutes we will tell you what to translate, what to apostille, in what order, and what it costs. Order a translation.
Considering the United States as well? Different rules apply there — USCIS, for one, does not require a notary. See our documents for immigration to the USA page. General requirements by country are on the immigration documents page.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents are required for a Canadian visa application?
The visa application process requires a substantial package of documents, so we recommend preparing in advance. You will need: an international passport with copies of all completed pages; a Ukrainian internal passport with copies of all relevant pages; copies of your marriage certificate; a copy of your divorce certificate (if applicable); copies of birth certificates; an employment letter confirming your income for the last six months; an extract from the state register and a tax return for the previous year or latest quarter; a bank statement for the last six months. If you have children, you will also need their international passports with copies of pages containing visas or stamps, their birth certificates, notarized parental consent for the children to travel, and 3.5 x 4.5 cm photos on a white background in electronic format.
How does the family reunification program for Ukrainians in Canada work?
In October 2023, Canada launched a temporary program to help Ukrainian families reunite in Canada. It allows Ukrainians and their relatives to apply for permanent residence. Eligible applicants are Ukrainians with family ties in Canada: family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, as well as spouses of Ukrainian citizens who have family in Canada. Under the program, family members include children, parents, grandparents, spouses, and siblings. Please note: you can only apply while physically present in Canada. You must also complete and sign form IMM 0191, indicating your family ties to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. The form may include all unmarried dependent children under 22. Applicants must meet all standard immigration criteria, including criminal background checks, a medical examination, and security requirements.
Do you have translators with a legal background?
Our translation center employs professional translators (philologists and linguists) who specialize in legal translation and have many years of experience with legal texts. Narrow specialization means the translator has full command of the terminology, understands the subject matter, and has extensive experience translating legal documents. Our translators can always consult lawyers and other experts.
How do you keep sensitive documents confidential?
Our translators follow strict confidentiality rules and, where required, sign non-disclosure agreements.
What are the legal ways for Ukrainians to immigrate to Canada?
There are several proven paths to move to Canada legally: 1) Express Entry — the system that manages immigration applications under the federal economic programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class; 2) Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) — each Canadian province and territory runs its own nominee program and selects immigrants who match its economic needs; 3) family sponsorship — Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor relatives, including spouses, common-law partners, children, and other close family members; 4) business immigration — including the Start-up Visa for entrepreneurs with a business idea backed by Canadian investors, and self-employed immigration for people in culture or sports; 5) the caregiver visa — for people who can care for children, the elderly, or persons with serious medical needs; 6) humanitarian immigration — Canada accepts immigrants on humanitarian grounds, especially those fleeing armed conflict or persecution; 7) temporary visas — a work or study visa does not lead directly to permanent residence, but it allows you to come to Canada and later transition to permanent residence through one of the programs above.
Where can I find a job in Canada?
Job openings specifically for Ukrainians are posted on the government Job Bank portal. You can also search general Canadian job boards. If you have questions about finding work through Job Bank, you can fill in a form and receive a consultation — be sure to mention that you are a Ukrainian looking for work.
How can I immigrate to Canada from Ukraine?
The program you apply under depends on the immigration category you choose, and every application is assessed against specific requirements and rules. It is impossible to move to Canada while bypassing the immigration procedure: only a positive decision by an immigration officer grants you an immigration visa — and with it the right to live in Canada with all the social protections and rights the country provides. Before traveling to Canada, a Ukrainian must obtain an entry permit. Under the rules, that permit is a visa: tourist, visitor, or business. The visitor visa is intended for those invited by relatives or friends.
When did the CUAET program end?
The CUAET program ended on March 31, 2024 — the last day it was possible to enter Canada and take advantage of all the benefits of the program (including financial assistance, free housing, and more).
Are there special programs for Ukrainian refugees in Canada?
There are no special programs for Ukrainian refugees in Canada. Previously, the CUAET program (Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel) allowed Ukrainians to obtain a visitor visa for emergency travel under a simplified procedure, but applications under this program are no longer accepted.
What should I do after CUAET?
Work permits issued to Ukrainians who first arrived in Canada in May 2022 were valid until May 2025. To continue staying in Canada legally, you need to extend your status: obtain permanent residence (PR), get an employer-specific work permit (LMIA), or enroll in studies. Measures by the Canadian government are expected to continue giving CUAET visa holders options to remain in Canada legally.
Need a translation? Send your documents — quote in 15 minutes
A photo or scan by messenger or email. Discount on 5+ pages.