Certified Tigrinya translation and interpreting in Saint John and across Canada, for IRCC and refugee claims at the IRB, Canadian legal matters, and hospital and clinic visits.
We provide certified Tigrinya to English translation of baptismal and church marriage certificates, national identity cards, residence and school records, court or police papers, and the sworn declarations that support a claim, issued by a certified translator or with a sworn affidavit.
Tigrinya is written in the Ge'ez script, an abugida in which each character stands for a consonant and vowel together, the same writing family used for Amharic. Because the two languages share the script but are not the same language, a translator who actually reads Tigrinya is needed, not simply someone who recognises the letters.
Many Tigrinya speakers in Canada arrive from Eritrea or the Tigray region of Ethiopia as protected persons, and the documents they hold are often limited. We translate what is available, such as baptismal and church marriage certificates, national identity cards, residence and school records, and any court or police papers, as well as the sworn declarations that support a claim. Each translation can be issued by a certified translator or, where asked, accompanied by a sworn affidavit of accuracy.
We keep the translation formatted next to the original so an officer can compare them for a protection claim, permanent residence or family reunification. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution, so where a record is incomplete we translate exactly what appears and note nothing that is not on the page.
Every certified Tigrinya translation is a complete, word-for-word rendering with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, prepared to meet IRCC requirements. It is done from a clear scan, so a client in Saint John gets the same translator, the same price and the same turnaround as one anywhere else in Canada. See certified Tigrinya translation for the document service in full.
Prism arranges certified Tigrinya translation and Tigrinya translators in Saint John for IRCC files and refugee claims at the IRB, Canadian legal matters, and family reunification. A translator who actually reads the Ge'ez script handles the records, which are often limited for protected persons.
Saint John is New Brunswick's largest port city and one of Canada's oldest incorporated cities. Historically the colony's busiest immigration gateway, its largely ice-free harbour welcomed roughly 150,000 Irish immigrants during the nineteenth century. Today the city pursues an ambitious immigration strategy aimed at attracting many thousands of newcomers over the coming decade to drive population growth.
New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, so English-French translation is a routine need, alongside growing demand for other languages as immigration rises. The Saint John Newcomers Centre guides settlement, while healthcare, education and the port economy serve an increasingly diverse population. Certified documents are frequently required for the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick and the Provincial Court, and for IRCC applications, credential assessment, and provincial and municipal services across the region.
Our Tigrinya interpreters work in refugee, hospital and settlement appointments in Saint John, and because Eritrean and Tigrayan usage differ slightly we ask where the speaker is from so a hearing runs without confusion.
Interpreter matching starts with confirming the language itself, because Tigrinya, Amharic and Tigre are separate and a speaker booked for the wrong one cannot be understood. There are also small differences between Eritrean and Tigrayan usage, so telling us where the speaker is from helps a hearing run without confusion.
Our Tigrinya interpreters work in IRB refugee hearings and IRCC interviews, Canadian court and tribunal settings, hospital and clinic appointments covered by PHIPA and PIPEDA privacy rules, settlement and school meetings, and trauma-sensitive sessions where careful, neutral interpreting matters. Interpreting is available in person in Saint John and by phone or video for appointments anywhere in Canada.
For an in-person assignment in Saint John we assign a Tigrinya interpreter based in or near the city. Telephone and video interpreting can usually be arranged the same day. We serve courts, lawyers, hospitals, IRCC applicants and private individuals; we are a private agency, not a court-appointed vendor, and we say so up front.
Tigrinya is the working language of Eritrea and the language of Ethiopia's Tigray region -- closely related to Amharic but distinct enough that one does not stand in for the other. About 9 million people speak it. The Tigrinya-speaking community in Canada has grown sharply over the last two decades, driven largely by Eritrean refugee resettlement -- with refugee-background communities concentrated in Toronto and Ottawa. Most of our Tigrinya translation work is IRB refugee-hearing supporting documents and birth certificates, plus the family-tracing and sponsorship paperwork that refugee cases often require. Tigrinya uses Ge'ez script, the same writing system as Amharic.
Prism runs a nationwide network of certified translators, so Tigrinya translation reaches Saint John and the surrounding area by email, with the translation formatted next to the original for an officer to compare.
For in-person work in Saint John we assign a Tigrinya translator who is based in or near the city, and the same Tigrinya linguists cover the surrounding area:
Prism also serves Tigrinya speakers in nearby communities such as Quispamsis, Rothesay, Grand Bay-Westfield and Hampton — on site across the Saint John area and by telephone or video anywhere in Canada.
Get a free Tigrinya translation quote or call +1 (888) 693-6123
No. They share the Ge'ez script but are different languages. We assign a translator and interpreter who work in Tigrinya specifically, not only in the shared script.
We translate whatever you have and render only what appears on the page. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution, so we do not add or assume anything that is not in the record.
Yes. We provide interpreters for refugee hearings and related appointments in person in Saint John and by phone or video across Canada.
Tigrinya translation is done remotely from a scan, so location makes no difference to the document work. For in-person interpreting in Saint John we assign a Tigrinya interpreter who is based in or near the city, and phone or video interpreting is available anywhere in Canada.
We are committed to excellence, and we ensure every Tigrinya translation meets Canadian regulatory and client requirements — from IRCC filings to court submissions.
Our team consists entirely of native Tigrinya linguists vetted for subject-matter expertise. They provide unmatched precision, translating exclusively into their native tongue to ensure cultural and linguistic accuracy.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year — including Canadian statutory holidays. Our company takes pride in offering excellent customer service to all our clients.