Korean Job Discussion Forums

[davemon]

So, I have a degree from Pennsylvania.

On the PA website it says "degrees must be notarized prior to being certified/apostilled."

What am I supposed to get notarized?


I called the PA Dept responsible for these things about 8-10 times. Nobody answers. Just sit on hold for 10-20 minutes then disconnected. I can drive out there, but it is 5-6 hours away from my university, so I'll be doing a about 24 hours of driving to get answers if I need to drive out there just to get info, then drive back to my university, then drive back, then drive home.

[MyNameIsNobody]

Did you call the Secretary of State Office in the state in which you are currently residing to see if they are willing to affix an apostille to a copy of your diploma? Some states will, others won't.

Also, maybe you should try emailing the SOS in Pennsylvania if they won't take your calls.

To answer your question, you need to photocopy your diploma and then have the copy notarized. Your school doesn't necessarily have to notarize the copy (why don't you call your campus Registrar and ask if any notary public in Pennsylvania will do?). Make sure you bring the original with you so that the notary can compare it to the copy. The notary had me write "I attest that this is a true copy" and then sign it. Essentially the notary is notarizing the signature, not so much the copy (you could probably have a notary notarize a game of Tic-Tac-Toe if you wanted--not that you should). After that, an apostille can be attached to the notarized copy. All the apostille really does is say that the notary is in fact a notary.

I live in New Jersey, and I had to make a trip to Massachusetts to get my diploma notarized and then have an apostille attached. Actually, I had to go twice, because the SOS office screwed up the first time and gave me a certification instead of an apostille. I didn't catch the mistake until I was on the bus back. Make sure you double check everything you receive. The second time I had the notarization done, the notary public didn't really know what she was doing, and I had to explain what I wanted from her. She also didn't check my original.

So yeah, double check/ask questions, because you don't want to have to make a second trip. Especially a second 24-hour drive.

Best of luck.

[ttompatz]

[davemon]

Emailed, but awaiting a reply. The state I live in wont apostille out-of-state degrees.

The PA website says that they cannot apostille or certify notarized copies. So this was confusing and sounded like I had to get a representative of the university to sign in front of a notary.

I will just keep calling first thing in the am. Maybe collect 5-6 cell phones and just keep them all in the queue if I have to.

[MyNameIsNobody]

I have way too much time on my hands, so I checked out the Pennsylvania SOS website for apostilles (tis what happens when you quit your job ).

Let's make sure we're looking at the same thing:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/06_5_authentication_of_a_notarized_document/12630/how_do_i_obtain_an_apostille_or_certification_/572569

[davemon]

Yep. That's exactly what threw me off, 1 & 5. Seemed to be at odds. I have my email out there and will keep calling the State in the am. My ugrad is small, I have called them 3x and left 1 msg. Ha.

I am here in PA only a few days to get this sorted so I will have to do the notarized copy of the degree if I don't get a definite response from either soon.

Thanks for the comments though. Much appreciated. Wouldn't mind the drive too much if I had my nice car here but having to mooch my parents' old spare car.... oh well.

[davemon]

Got a response. All PA wants is a notarized copy to apostille.

Also my university said it takes "several months" to get a replacement degree and couldn't provide any timeline on when I'd get another, so my original will be staying with me.