Frequently Asked Questions Related to Our Organization

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The Active Member Qualifications are used to determine an individual’s eligibility for active membership in IITA. It is necessary to meet at least one of the qualifications, in addition to being (1) professionally engaged in translating, interpreting, or closely related work; (2) a resident of Iowa or who maintains full-time employment as a translator or interpreter in the State of Iowa.

Good question! In the context of IITA membership, “being certified” means possessing a certificate of competence as an interpreter from a government body (such as Federal or State Court or Medical Interpreter Certification), or possessing a certificate of competence as an interpreter or translator from a recognized national-level professional association (such as ATA, NAJIT, CCHI, NBCMI, or RID). These certifications usually require rigorous testing and often require the completion of Continuing Education credits in order to retain certification. These types of certificates are acceptable under criteria 1 and 2 of the IITA Active Member Qualification Criteria.

Certificates of Competence from universities usually represent that a person has passed a certain amount of formal coursework in translation and/or interpretation, and sometimes that a person has also passed specific competency testing. These types of certificates are acceptable under criteria 3 and 4 of the IITA Active Member Qualification Criteria.

Applications based on Certificates of Competence (including certificates as “sworn interpreters” and “sworn translators”) or degrees issued by foreign authorities and universities are reviewed by the Active Membership Review committee on a case-by-case basis.

Certificates of Attendance are generally not acceptable as evidence of qualification for active membership. “Certifications” awarded by non-academic organizations or non-accredited institutions are generally not acceptable as evidence of qualification for active membership. If you are not sure if your certificate makes you eligible for active membership, you may request that the Active Membership Review Committee review your case and make a finding, which will be final in all cases.

In the event of borderline cases, the Active Membership Review Committee will make decisions on a case-by-case basis. It is important that the documentation you submit be as detailed as possible.

You can join IITA now as an associate member and then upgrade your membership to active as soon as you have your documentation ready. Please note that you will have to pay the difference between the associate and the active member dues when you request the upgrade.

IITA currently does not accept organizational (corporate or institutional) members. Only individual translators and interpreters can become members of IITA. However, your company or institution can pay your dues for you, and take any appropriate business deductions. Check with your legal/tax advisor for your particular situation.

Yes! You would still be eligible to become an associate member as long as you desire to further the objectives of IITA (which includes learning more about the translation and interpretation professions).

Yes, as a corresponding member.

Yes, even if you join in the middle of the year, you must pay the full dues amount for that year. Dues for 2015 are: Active: $50.00; Associate: $35.00; Corresponding: $35.00; Student: $25.00.

As a volunteer organization, IITA depends on its members to volunteer their time generously for all of its activities. Committee members are encouraged to volunteer up to 5 hours per month in IITA activities; committee Chairs and Board members are expected to volunteer from 5-10 hours per month; and Officers are required to volunteer up to 15 hours per month in IITA activities, planning, and administration.