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[veiledsentiments]

Naturegirl

First off, apostolized is a word only used in Mexico that I have heard of and you will hear it only perhaps in countries that speak Spanish. And it is quite different than anything that is done in the Middle East

In the Middle East, your employer will tell you what they need. I can not recall doing anything for Kuwait. At HCT, they get transcripts directly from your institutions (you supply them with a letter) rather the same as they do in the US. Other employers in the UAE may require something else

Oman has the older method of having your degrees 'authenticated' which is basically a waste of time and effort, not to mention that it proves nothing. This may be the procedure that hmbaba refers to. Here is what must be done under their requirement.

First you make a 'xerox' copy of your degrees (not transcripts - the fancy bit of paper). You put on a cover sheet stating that 'these are correct and accurate copies' and sign your name. Now this signature must be 'notarized' by an American notary public. (s/he is, of course, only verifying that you have shown identification and signed in her/his presence.)

The next step involved the state capital where the notary became a notary. They add stamps and ribbons and perhaps a bit of wax - verifying that 'yes, the notary is really a notary.'

The next visit is to the State Department in Washington DC. Here, they add a few more ribbons and stamps and wax which supposedly verifies that 'yes, this state is a state in the US.'

Final step to the Omani Embassy to get more stamps and signatures that verify that the State Department is the State Department.

At each step along the way, sums of money change hands. I was lucky enough to be in Washington DC both times that I did this. So, I started with a Washington DC notary and hand carried the papers around the city. It takes a couple of days. For those in the US, they have to do the first two steps in their own state and then courier the papers to Washington for the final two steps. There are companies that do this at rather huge expense.

If you are in the US, call the embassy of the country you are planning to go to, they often have a list of companies that will do this. You can also call the State Department and there are people who will help you figure out what and how to do it. (of course, you may be transferred numerous times before you find the person with the answers) If you are already overseas, your only option is the local US embassy, which may or may not be helpful. They usually have a notary who will charge you from $75 to $100 for that first signature that you could have gotten in your local bank in the US for a couple of dollars or even free.

I tried my best to convince the Omani authorities that this whole thing was ridiculous and only proved that I was able to run a copy machine and sign my name. It does not 'prove' that I really have a degree. I could still have created those original documents at Kinkos.

Anyway ---- good luck!!

VS