Job Discussion Forums

[dmd887]

To begin, I am a U.S. citizen...my questions are:

1.) Does your ORIGINAL college diploma have to be apostilled in order to obtain the Work Visa in Mexico? OR Do you get a notarized and apostilled copy of the diploma and this will suffice?

2.) Do you have to get your ORIGINAL TEFL/TESOL certificate apostilled? Or will it suffice if you just get a notarize and apostilled copy of the certificate? (I am getting my TEFL online, so what can I expect in regards to this)

I am trying to get all my ducks in a row before I make the move to Mexico....boy there is a lot of information to process, haha

But I am amazingly grateful these forums exist, because without them I would be totally LOST! Thanks to everyone and I am looking forward to being part of the community here for a long time

[Professor]

[dmd887]

1.) Fortunately I live very close to the University where I will be getting my degree from....so I should have no problem having them notarize the Original Diploma? I read of one girl on the internet who went to a college in New Hampshire and the college refused to notarize her Original Diploma.

2.) So the website your getting the Online TEFL certificate from is offering to apostille it for you?

[amaranto]

The lady in academic affairs at my university did not want to notarize my diplomas either before I moved to Mexico--something about a diploma being an official document that doesn't require notarization. I convinced her to, though, because I didn't want to have any problems down the line.

[dmd887]

Anybody else have any experiences regarding this? Anyone else had any problems having their Original diploma notarized?

And again I ask....the original online TEFL certificate apostilled yes?



Better to ask too many questions in preparation than none at all....that's my motto! hahaha

[Professor]

[dmd887]

I called up my University, they said they don't notarize diplomas because it is a conflict of interest....hmmmm....

Anyway I guess I could just go to a bank or a county clerk or some other place where there is a notary to have it done...anybody else done this?

As for the TEFL, I was planning to do mine with onlinetefl.com and they said they don't notarize, but perhaps I'll check out the website you mentioned and inquire with them.

[dmd887]

Well I called the local bank and they said they'd notarize the diploma no problem....so that's good....now I know I won't have a problem when I get my diploma en mis manos.

[dmd887]

[Samantha]

I'm not following. Has something changed in the official Apostille process?

[dmd887]

There was just some confusion (on my part) regarding HOW to get my TEFL certificate and diploma apostilled AND if it was to be done on the originals of both of those documents or copies of them

The confusion has been cleared up for me

As far as I know, nothing in the Apostille process has changed, no

[Guy Courchesne]

I'm lost too...I thought the apostille was obtained from a government agency, such as a state education bureau.

[Samantha]

Right. It gets done by a designated government office. I think this train somehow got run off the tracks on a couple of points. I am guessing there is confusion in this discussion between originals and copies. In Canada, for example, photocopies will be authenticated by DFAIT, just like an original. However, they FIRST must be certified true copies, signed and sealed by a Canadian notary. That step doesn't apply to originals.

(Reminder: We also have a Sticky at the top of the forum on this topic)

[Professor]

[dmd887]

Professor is correct...in the United States the government agency can't apostille the degree unless it is FIRST notarized by a notary