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ISO CERTIFICATION FOR INTERPRETING SERVICES

ISO Certification for Interpreting Services

Achieve World-Class Quality, Trust, and Compliance With USQC Certification

Introduction: ISO Standards for Professional Interpreting Services

Interpreting agencies today operate in high-risk, fast-paced environments—community services, hospitals, courts, and large conferences. Accuracy, ethics, confidentiality, and service consistency are essential.

USQC provides specialized ISO certification for interpreting service providers based on the five most important international standards:

Together, these standards create a powerful, integrated framework that ensures service quality, interpreter competence, confidentiality, client satisfaction, and operational control across all interpreting environments.

Why ISO Certification Matters for Interpreting Agencies

  • Improve accuracy and service quality
  • Reduce risk in legal and medical settings
  • Strengthen confidentiality and ethics
  • Increase client trust and credibility
  • Win contracts that require ISO compliance
  • Standardize interpreter qualifications
  • Enhance organizational efficiency
  • Become globally recognized

Our ISO Certification Scope

USQC certifies interpreting service providers across five key standards, each tailored to a specific domain:

ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems

Create a strong operational foundation with:

  • Clear service workflows
  • Documented procedures
  • Training and competency systems
  • Risk management
  • Complaint handling
  • Customer satisfaction measurement
  • Continuous improvement processes

ISO 9001 becomes the backbone that supports all other interpreting standards.

ISO 13611 – Community Interpreting

Ensures quality for interpreting in:

  • Social services
  • Immigration
  • Education
  • Local government
  • Community outreach programs

Key requirements include:

  • Interpreter ethics & impartiality
  • Confidentiality
  • Competency and role clarity
  • Pre- and post-assignment processes

ISO 20228 – Legal Interpreting

Designed for:

  • Courts
  • Law enforcement
  • Investigations
  • Depositions
  • Hearings
  • Attorney-client meetings

This standard protects legal integrity through:

  • Qualified legal interpreters
  • Neutrality and accuracy
  • Secure environments
  • Case-related documentation

ISO 21998 – Healthcare Interpreting

For medical and clinical settings:

  • Hospitals
  • Telehealth
  • Emergency medicine
  • Primary care
  • Mental health services

Requirements include:

  • Medical terminology competence
  • Privacy & HIPAA-aligned confidentiality
  • Patient safety protocols
  • Cultural considerations
  • Critical-incident communication

ISO 24019 – Conference Interpreting (On-Site & Remote)

For high-level multilingual events:

  • International conferences
  • Online / remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI)
  • Hybrid meetings
  • Corporate events

This standard focuses on:

  • Technical requirements
  • Audio/visual quality
  • Interpreter working conditions
  • Team interpreting
  • Briefing, preparation & coordination

Integrated ISO Certification – One System, Five Standards

Instead of maintaining five separate systems, USQC helps you build one integrated management system that covers all standards.

Benefits of integration:

  • One documentation system
  • One risk assessment
  • One internal audit
  • One management review
  • One team training system
  • Lower cost
  • Less redundancy
  • Easier to manage
  • Faster certification
  • Stronger performance

USQC specializes in integrated ISO certification for interpreting service providers.

What USQC Provides

USQC delivers a complete, end-to-end certification experience, including:

  1. Gap Assessment
    We evaluate your current processes against all five standards.
  2. Documentation & System Development
    We help you build:
    SOPs
    Interpreter qualification frameworks
    Training systems
    Risk management
    Quality objectives
    Confidentiality protocols
  3. Training & Competency
    We train your team on:
    ISO requirements
    Quality processes
    Interpreter roles
    Ethics and confidentiality
    Risk management
  4. Internal Audit & Readiness Review
    We prepare you for certification with integrated audits.
  5. Certification Audit
    USQC conducts:
    Stage 1 Audit
    Stage 2 Certification Audit
    Followed by annual surveillance audits.
  6. Certification
    You receive:
    Official ISO Certificate(s)
    Digital verification
    Badges for your website and proposals

Why Choose USQC?

  • Specialized in Interpreting Standards
    We are one of the only certification bodies experienced in all five interpreting ISO standards.
  • Integrated Audits = Less Work for You
    We certify all standards together—no duplication, no repeat audits.
  • Faster, Easier, More Cost-Effective
    Our integrated approach reduces both cost and effort.
  • Global Expertise
    We audit agencies in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Asia.
  • Digital Verification
    Your certificate is verifiable online at www.usqc.us, adding credibility for clients and government contracts.

Who Should Get Certified?

USQC certification is ideal for:

  • Interpreting agencies
  • Language service providers
  • Telehealth & remote interpreting providers
  • Legal interpreting contractors
  • Hospitals and medical networks
  • Courts and government institutions
  • Conference interpreting companies
  • Freelance networks or cooperatives