Job Discussion Forums

[gringanic]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can answer what is probably an incredibly basic question, but one which I really need answered before leaving the states. Is there something I need to do with my documents before leaving for Mexico, like getting them notarized? Also, should I bring official transcripts or my actual degree with me along with my birth certificate and other travel docs for getting my visa? What's the difference between getting something notarized and apostiled, and would it help to get everything translated first?

Okay, so one question turned into several, but I don't have a job lined up already, so I can't ask a prospective employer...

[gwuerritto68]

My experience: Copies of my degrees were 'apostilled' by the local office of the secretary of state of my state in the US, and that was good enough for my school and the local immigration office, no one ever asked to see a transcript, which I actually thought was unusual. Technically I was TOLD before I got to Mexico that the degrees had to be apostilled by the secretary of state for the state that the degree was actually received in, which would have been a SEVERE pain in the butt to get done.

Official translations of your degrees can probably be more easily and cheaply accomplished upon arrival here in Mexico than done back home.

[Guy Courchesne]

[ls650]

Yes, listen to that last post. Get your degree and your TEFL certificate apostillized before you leave your home country; you can't complete the process in Mexico.

[aisha]

What if you receive your tefl certificate from a school in mexico? Would I have to send the certificate back to the US in order to get it apostilled?

[Guy Courchesne]

No. Ours has always been accepted by immigration as is, in English. I suspect that other course providers in Mexico would say the same, since they are local companies, affiiates, or subsidiaries, and not foreign.

[aisha]

That's good. I was thinking it would be accepted as is but I wanted to make sure.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

When I first got my work visa (1995,) I had to have my university diploma notarized by someone at a Mexican embassy in the States, and then I had to have it translated into Spanish by a licensed translator after I came here. That was before the days of having diplomas apostilled. I don't know if translations are still required. Immigration didn't require university transcripts, but my current employer did along with documentation of previous teaching experience.

[thelmadatter]

Arizona gladly apostilled my diploma from New Jersey but refused to do it for my NYS birth certificate. NYS was a royal pain in the you-know-what.

Let me add that if you have had ANY name changes in your life (mine changed twice), you need to bring the paperwork that proves the name A = name B. I didnt need my marriage certificate nor my later court order apostilled (couldnt hurt tho) but no one told me to bring them. Glad I did anyway.

[Alexanndra]

The translation of your "apostilled" diploma should be translated here in Mexico, by an official translator called a "perito traductor" (not perrito, bow-wow). Immigration will accept transcripts rather than your diploma, but having it translated will cost A LOT more, since it is charged per word and there are a lot more words on a transcript than on a diploma! If your employer doesn't provide assistance, hire an immigration lawyer here if you can. It'll cost an extra US$300 but it is SO worth it, otherwise Immigration wll just hassle you to no end.

[MELEE]

To all women out there (they change their names more often than men ) who are seriously interested in spending a significant amount of time in Mexico.

If you don't yet have your TEFL cert or any other sort of degree, make sure that it is issued in the name on your passport. And if you change your name, better to "lose" your passport and get a new one, than try to use one in Mexico with a change of name in it. After six years of watching various women have problems with this, I got married, and kept my name. Now I would never dream of accepting an official document in any name other than the one on my birth certificate.

[Alexanndra]

Hey Melee,

Since I'm not married yet (permanent engagement though! ), I'd never thought of that issue! I think your advice of keeping your own name is a good idea! How does the whole last name thing work for women in Mexico? I know that Mexican women have their paternal and maternal lasts names on their birth certificates and then when they get married they add "de Fox" or whatever, but is that "de Fox" part at all official? I mean, does it appear on any documents or do they continue to have the same official name they did before they got married? Off topic, but it's one of those things I've never been sure of!

[Guy Courchesne]

Sorry to butt in ladies...

I think modern Mexico gives women a choice. My own wife hasn't officially taken my last name, mostly for the unpronounceable nature of it here. In fact, I'll often introduce myself as Guy Ruiz just to make it easy.

I don't think many people use the 'de last_name' anymore. That is a little old, or something traditionalists or upscale families use.

[hlamb]

I agree with MELEE. Names can be a tricky business with Immigration. My passport doesn't have my middle name on it because in Canada there is a choice when applying for a passport. I never use my middle name so decided not to include it. Big mistake! My birth certificate and university degree have my middle name. It took quite a while to convince them that all the documents really are mine. Best to make sure everything matches!

[saraswati]

I guess I've been lucky. When I first received my FM3 back in 1990, Migracion automatically tacked on my mother's maiden name and that's what I've been using ever since. I gues it helps that I never changed my name when I married, again causing less hassle when I later divorced.

I don't see many women using the "de..." anymore, unless they're much older.