Job Discussion Forums

sarliz · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Jalisco

Hey, are there any other lurkers out there headed to Guadalajara for the september 18th course at ITTO? If so, gimme a shout and maybe we can be all sneaky and form cliques before school even starts (Finally! My big shot at being a cool kid!). I've gleaned lots of helpful information from this site, but if anyone else would like to hit me with some last minute advice, that would be grand, too, mainly in the "What I absolutely wished I had brought with me but no one was nice enough to tell me I would actually need it" department. And can I just say how exited I am to be getting the heck outta Chicago before the cold even starts? YES!

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

If you haven't read it already in your searches through this forum, make sure you have your American university degree apostillized before you come down; save yourself some headaches.

Polly0607 · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 64

Long form birth certificate apostillized too. Or legalized if your Canadian. And any other document you think would be important, like a name change.

sarliz · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Jalisco

The university degree has already been handled, apostille-wise, and it bears noting that I needed to have it notorized at another location before the apostille guys would do their business to it. Do you all think that in addition to bringing a passport I should also bring my birth certificate and have it apostilled, too? Or just bring it along as is? Thanks for the suggestions so far, they are helping to ease my neurotic mind that is convinced that I'm forgetting to cover some angle.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Is this a new school? If not, they should be able to tell you what you need and don't need. One of the biggest problems with Mexican immigration is that the offices are not consistent with their requirements; these seem to vary from office to office.

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

I think that even if you have conered every possible angle it is in immigration's job description that they must find at least one thing wrong with every application that they process, or they get their pay docked.
If everything were perfect I'm sure someone would find an i that wasn't dotted somewhere necesitating re-doing the document which would then invalidate the appostille process, etc...
Has anyone ever gone through the process completely hassle free?
Don't worry, even if you forgot something or did something wrong it will work out. Somehow in this chaotic country it always does somehow, someway.

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

Based on my research here on Dave's, I brought apostilled copies of my BS degree, TESL certificate, long-form birth certificate, marriage certificate, and divorce decree. I brought the last two documents because the last name on my BS degree and TESL certificate do not match, which has been a problem in some offices. I went to the trouble and expense of getting each document (except the divorce decree) apostilled in the state where it was issued. I also have official copies (but not apostilled) of transcripts from both schools. IMHO it is better to be over prepared than under prepared. I am just going through the process now, so we'll see how it goes.

Polly0607 · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 64

You are doing the right thing, jillford64. Because of the differences from one immigration office to another, they can surpise you with almost anything. Having as many documents apostillized (or legalized in Canada) as possible helps a lot.

Everything usually works out in the end if you have enough documents to prove who you are and what your education is. On the other hand, if you come, like some have done, without a long form birth certificate and nothing apostillized, you are looking for trouble. You can be turned down flat.

sarliz · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Jalisco

LS, I'm just doing a TESL training course at ITTO, and they've suggested the obvious current resumes and what have you, but I'm guessing they don't want to presume what immigration will want to see wherever it is that I end up getting (knocking on desk) hired. Or something. Regardless, I think I'll go with Jillford here and try to err on the side of overpreparedness. Any other must-bring suggestions besides paperwork?

MELEE · Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:49 pm Post subject:

Wouter · Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 128 Location: Tlaquepaque

Not only there is a difference between every immigration office also there is a difference between the person you get at the immigration office. I filled out the immigration form that you can find on their official website on the computer. It is a pdf file and you can fill it out on the computer. When I applied it was fine. We arranged an FM3 for another teacher for our school and they didnt accept the form filled out on the computer. She had to fill it out on a type writer.

Also I had an international appostilled birth certificate from holland which is also in Spanish and they didnt accept it. I had to have it translated by an official translator in Guadalajara. So the translater just copied the spanish from my birht certificate.

Wouter