Volunteer Interpreter for Asylum Interviews

Florida Legal Services is seeking language volunteers in the Tampa Bay and Miami-Dade area to serve as in-person interpreters for unaccompanied children during their asylum interviews.

The asylum interview is a critical step in the asylum process; it is a chance for an applicant to tell the their story directly to a USCIS asylum officer. Interviews take place at a USCIS asylum office and typically last 4-5 hours. During this time, an asylum officer will ask detailed questions about the applicant’s background, their fear of returning to their home country, what they’ve experienced, and why they qualify for protection. Interpreters play a critical role in giving applicants a voice in this process.

Filling out this survey does not guarantee that you will be contacted regarding an interpretation opportunity. FLS staff will reach out by email if there is an interpretation opportunity that matches your qualifications and availability. Placement with a case is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Language volunteers do NOT need to be officially certified as an interpreter or translator. However, they must:

Be at least 18 years old and not have an outstanding asylum application;
Be fully bilingual in English and Spanish or Haitian-Creole, with enough fluency to translate legal terminology;
Be willing and able to participate in interviews with sensitive information that may involve traumatic circumstances;
Be willing to sign and adhere to a confidentiality statement;
Participate in a meeting with the attorney to review expectations, logistics, and any case-specific considerations prior to the asylum interview;
Provide accurate and neutral interpretation services with professionalism.

Please fill out the form. This will add you to FLS’s internal database of language volunteers. Thank you for your willingness to support this important work. https://forms.gle/RpDsUnFW927RWTY96