Why do translations get rejected, and how do I prevent it?

In-depth Answer

Almost all rejections are formal defects rather than mistranslations, so a pre-lodgement checklist prevents them.

Five checks every time: one, the translation covers all text on the page including seals and handwritten notes; two, personal and place-name spellings match the passport and the rest of the bundle; three, the translation carries the translator's name, registration number, date and certification statement; four, the credential direction matches the work actually done; five, the lodged file is a colour scan where every character is readable.

If a rejection has already occurred, keep the agency's exact wording — targeted fixes must cite what the officer said rather than guesswork — and after correcting, re-check the whole set for consistency instead of amending only the flagged item.

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