Job Discussion Forums

pattyrose · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 29

I'm not in the States right now and need to find out how to get my Diploma apostilled the most direct way before I go to Mexico in April. I have read in this forum that an apostilled diploma should be done in the State where the degree was earned, but I have also read here that this technicality is often overlooked.

My original plan was to have the document notarized and apostilled in the State of Georgia where I intend to visit family. The State of Georgia Secretary of State's office is agreeable to the plan.

However, another authority emailed me today and said I have to get things done in Ohio.

Can someone shed light on this area?

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

On the Mexico side of things, best do it and not need it, than not do it and later need it.

On the US side of things, who's the higher authority? I would have thought that you get it done in the State where you went to school.

pattyrose · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 29

Maybe I wasn't clear enough.

I want to know if teachers have ever had their apostille done at their home of record when they had no way of traveling to the State where they earned their degree?

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Oops, no, you were clear. My head is in another place today. Sorry.

pattyrose · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 29

Do you know if I must get the apostille done in the State of the university or can I use my new home of record? If anyone knows, please let me know.

PlayadelSoul · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 346 Location: Playa del Carmen

I am pretty sure that you need to get it done in the state that issued the document. For example, a birth certificate bearing the State of California could not be apostiled in Alabama. How would Alabama know that it was the real deal? I would send it to Ohio via Fed X with return, prepaid envelope. Having all your documents in order will save you a lot of hassle at Immigration. They seem to always ask for the one you don't have.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Immigration is looking for an appostille and I think you have a 95% chance of success. But you might find it a lot better just to get it done in my your home state.

There are several ways to get an aposttille done but some colleges are pretty clued in to what they need to do and will handle it, just send them the degree and a fee and they handle it all on their end.

If you deal with a clueless school and need to do it quickly and don't care if immigration might say no way, just take a photocopy of your degree. Have a friend sign, "I certify that this is a true and correct copy of this document." and have your friend's signature notarized. Take the notarized copy to the Secretary of State's office and they will appostille, not the degree, not the statement, but the notary's signature. Immigration in Mexico will more than likely not know or care at all.

FoxandMe · Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 62

MELEE · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 3:25 pm Post subject:

Immigracion officials change periodically. They are appointed, and usually have no previous experience that makes them qualified for the job. They also don't get a training period from the out going crew, so they learn the job as they go along. At least that's how it is in the Oaxaca office. We just got a new crew in January. This bunch is taking the job very seriously and while cordial, are very nit picky. I'd say take playa's advise and FedEx it to the state your degree is from, with a return prepaid FedEx envelope inclosed.

And Fox, there are various uses of apostilles, you can read up about it on the internet, google the Hague Convention.

Fatcat · Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 92 Location: Athens, Georgia

Foxand Me, yes, an apostille is a certification that the notary on a document is a verifiable notary. I took my diploma to my University to have it notarized; I still live inthe same city. I now have to go to the Sec. of State to have them verify that the lady that notarized it is an officially registered notary. I think the reason you have to do all this in the same state is because only the Sec. of State for Georgia has a list of all the notaries for Georgia. Getting something notarized in Alabama would do me no good. Does this sound right to everyone else? Luckily my University was very familiar with this situation and knew exactly what to do and sent me on my merry way Smile

sambeckett · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 24 Location: Mexico

Yo.

Though I graduated from a NYC city university- I was able to get my degree apostilled by an office in Atlanta. All other apostilles (in the USA) � for example in state records of birth-transcripts and so on MUST be apostilled by the office of the state�s Secretary of State.

Here is an email contact in Atlanta. This woman was very helpful. Her office handles certain types of apostilles for Georgia. The woman�s name is Sheila Jenkins. She was very helpful:

[email protected]

Saludas

PB

jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

Each state is a little bit different; I suggest you check the Secretary of State's website for your state. I have documents from Colorado, California, and Nevada. The website for each of these states clearly spelled out which documents they will and will not apostille, the exact procedure, how long it would take, how much it cost, and if it could be expedited for an extra fee.

Nevada was more than happy to do my diplomas from Colorado and California, but they would not do my birth certificate from Colorado. I had to have my birth certificate done by the Secretary of State in Colorado. The certified copy of my birth certificate was so old that the official that signed it was not on the approved list so I had to get another made. The state was able to tell me over the phone that they could not apsotille the copy I had. There were two services that I could hire to do this for me; they were listed on the state's website and could either be hired by phone or over the internet. I could have also sent my Mom to pick up the birth certificate because she was close enough in relation that they would have allowed it.

For the diplomas done in Nevada, the notary either needed to watch the copies being made or she needed to compare the copies with the original so she could certify them. She got the correct language from her Notary Handbook and attached a piece of paper to the copy that says: I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a document in the possession of ...(name of person)...dated...(whatever the date is). After she notarized the documents, the Secretary of State verified her signature and standing as a notary public and attached the apostille.

I am also going to get each school to issue a certified copy and will have them apostilled in the state they were issued, but that will take some time. Since I am leaving on Monday or Tuesday (I hope), I figured doing it this was better than nothing since it seems some of the immigration offices will accept them.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Appostille of a degree is supposed to prevent fake degrees from being used, but in fact it can encourage their use.

All it takes in Nevada is a notary who is a friend or doesn't know too much about how to verify a degree or who doesn't care.

Notaries in any state can easily certify signatures on statements, Nevada and Utah are two states that will also certify any copy, excpet vital statistic records, but Oregon is one state that won't allow notaries to certify any documents such as college degrees, transcripts or otherwise.

I know a guy who photoshopped a degree, had a friend of his become a notary(less than $100 in fees), and then got certified copies of the BA and transcripts and then took them to the Korean Embassy and the Korean Embassy stamped them as legal. He worked for 2 years in Korea.

Who is going to doubt the veracity of a document stamped by the Secretary of State? Some states make their appostiles look very nice.

jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

Sgt Killjoy is right, the notary has no way of knowing if the diploma was real, only that the copy was "true and correct." The apostille from Nevada looks really nice -- colorful with a big shiny silver seal on it -- very official. Plus the diploma itself is very fancy and official looking with lots of signatures on it. I'd be impressed if I were an immigration official that didn't quite know what they are looking at. I am taking a risk that what I have won't be accepted, so I hope the school doesn't take too long to get me the real thing.

pattyrose · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 29

Everyone here has been more than helpful - thanks, particularly the writer who sent me the email of someone in Georgia - thanks again.

To let everyone know, some officials in Ohio were as unclear on the topic of apostillesas we are, so I turned the whole thing over to an attorney friend in Ohio to handle. He is a notary without a date of expiration, so he can notarize the diploma copy and send it to the Secretary of State's office for the apostillate.

All along, I believed I could use an official in Georgia (as someone wrote), but the university that has extended the job offer to me insists it must come from Ohio. I intend to get the Georgia apostille jsut in case Ohio delays.

When I get to Mexico, I'll write here again so everyone knows the current and official status on Apostilles.