Job Discussion Forums

[throwdownyourcrutches]

raulyn. I still think you are missing a piece. I would suggest that you contact the office of the Secretary of State and find out exactly what condition the douments need to be in. I have exchanged e-mails with my Sec of State and they are looking for a seal from a state licensced notary public on the diploma copy and that is what they are going to authenticate. If you just send them the diploma without a notary seal on it they may send it back.

[MO39]

Raulyn, it's very possible that each state has different apostille rules and regs. Check with someone who knows what to do in your state, rather than taking the advice of another poster who is not from Oklahoma.

[Not-th@-m@]

Well, I think I'm almost there. This is how the process has gone for me so far. I requested a copy of my diploma and that arrived in a couple of weeks. Once I contacted my university they did confirm that in fact they could notarize the diploma as long as I sent a cover letter with instructions, and that's what I did today. The last step will be to send the notarized degree to the dept of state to get the elusive apostille.

Its like a quest of some sort. There should be an apostille granting ceremony with lots of pomp and cake

[raulyn]

I just talked to the secretary of state offices in Oklahoma. The woman told me she thought I was nuts for trying to get all these documents apostilled in Oklahoma. She said make sure to make copies and have someone from a bank notarize them. Whatever document I present to the Mexican officials are going to be kept anyway. Don't give them the originals. She said I could just go to the secretary of state offices in NY and have them done there. She asked why do I need them apostilled from the state of Oklahoma? Why not have them apostilled closer to me?

This seemed a logical question.. Why am I doing it the hard way?

.... Anyone????

[throwdownyourcrutches]

Hey Raulyn, I feel for you! This is kinda deja vuey. When I started my research the state I am currently in won't authenticate a document from another state which is why the cross country drama. I think you really only need your diploma apostilled and maybe your birth certificate for good measure. But the birth certificate should be apostilled by the state you were born in. For me, that is yet a third state but judging by their website the state is very sophisticated at getting the apostille on the birth certificate.

I like Not-th@-m@'s idea about the ceremony with the pomp and cake. Once we all get legal it will be my treat! Good luck.

[raulyn]

NY doesn't seem to have this problem. Although they include 2 steps Oklahoma did not.

They said, bring whatever you'd like:
1.The original or the copy.
2 Write a letter of affidavit.
3 Have it notarized.
4 Have the notarization authenticated by the county clerk.
5. then have it apostilled by NY.

She said that whichever I use, be it copy or original, the document will have staples that cannot be removed.

[lozwich]

Bearing in mind that its a completely different country, but that's how I got my documents legalised when I got my first FM3. I got copies of the originals made, and then the copies were authenticated by a notary public. Then I took the notarised copies next door to the conveniently located Department of Foreign Affairs next door and got the apostille on the notarised copies. This was in Australia, and done with my university degree that was from a state different to the one that the apostilling procedure was done in. It got accepted by Oaxaca immigration office (careful, I believe the rules can vary according to office) and I intend to do the same thing if I make it back to Mexico in the next few months.

[Not-th@-m@]

There are other options. In my internet searches I found apostille services that will take care of the whole process for you for only $300. Another fully legitimate organization will sell you a degree with an apostille attached. I'll jump through all the beauracratic hoops for now.