Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Browncoat Fox]

Hey, I am just looking for help getting the (finally last) major piece of pre-collected paperwork finished. I have my original degree, and my FBI background check (with the official signature and seal necessary for Apostille). But what is the best way to go about getting this done?

I live in California and my recruiter said I could get it all done at the Secretary of State office in LA (for my degree, she said she wasn't sure about the FBI check). When I emailed the SoS office, they said they cannot provide notarization (but didn't answer if they could Apostillize my FBI check, or whether or not I could do this at the SoS office in San Diego, closer to where I live).

Has anyone else figured out the best way to do this? I am worried cause when I look up notarization in CA, it read something about CA law requiring the document cannot be signed but a letter authenticating the document can be (or something of the sort).

Is my best course of action to still just find a notary (any notary in CA will do?) and have them both copy and notarize my degree copy, then send it in to the Dept of State?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I want to get this part finished asap so I can leave around mid march.

[OculisOrbis]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?p=2561138

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=199291

links talk about doing from within korea, but the info you need is in these threads

[ajosshi]

BFox, PM me and I'll help you. I'm from Cali. Don't go to any notary, unless you want to do more work.

[pixykat222]

My boyfriend and I just did this a couple weeks ago, it sounds complicated but it's actually pretty simple.

1 - Go to UPS (or any notary) and get a copy of your degree and a copy of your FBI check notarized

2 - Take the notarized copy to your county recorders office and get each signature certified (to show that the notary was an actual licensed notary)

3 - Take/mail your certified notarized copies to the Secretary of State's office. If you live near LA you can just physically take them and get it all done within a day.

Hope that helps, lemme know if you need more details.

[dkteachlife]

According to the State of California website you have to send the original document which has already been notarized. They will apostatize the diploma.

I am about to send a second copy from my university after I notarize it.

1. original diploma

2. notarize the diploma

3. Send both to Secretary of State of California authentication department with $20 & self addressed envelope/priority mail to return the documents with the apostille.

http://www.sos.ca.gov/business/notary/authentication.htm

They return it to you.

[Browncoat Fox]

Thanks everyone! Looks like I will use pixykat's suggestion, I live in so its not far, plus I gotta meet a friend in LA soon anyway. (So I can just get an UPS notarization, take it to San Diego County Dept, have it certified, and then bring it to LA SoS? That doesn't sound too bad, wasn't expecting the certification, but the rest is even easier than I hoped ).

Do you remember, if you need an appointment for any of that? Or can I just walk in at each place?


I can't PM yet Ajosshi too few posts. I don't know if it restricts you from sending one to me though.

[anners]

"An apostille is a certification that a document that has been �legalized� or �authenticated� by the issuing agency through a process in which various seals are placed on the document.) The CJIS Division will authenticate U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 fingerprint search results for international requests by placing the FBI seal and the signature of a division official on the results if requested at the time of submission. Documents prepared in this way may then be sent to the U.S. Department of State by the requester to obtain an apostille if necessary. This procedure became effective on January 25, 2010 and will apply only to documents finalized after that date. Requests to authenticate previously processed results will not be accepted. This procedure replaces the letter formerly provided by the CJIS Division that indicated the service was not provided. The apostille service is not provided to individuals requesting search results for Canadian immigration, as it is not required for this."

So, I saw the above information on the FBI website. I also live in the state of California. Does this mean that if I get my FBI clearance back with authentication (division seal and signature) that I don't need to get it notarized and it can be sent directly to the Secretary of State to get apostilled?

thanks

[Browncoat Fox]

[Browncoat Fox]

I am going to try this all tomorrow. So the Secretary of State office in LA had no trouble Apostillizing the copy of the FBI check in LA, Pixykat?

And a notarized copy was OK for the visa? I wasn't sure if it had to be the original or not.

I am getting closer to when I need to leave so I worry that the Dept of State will take too long to get the FBI check back to me.

[DanseurVertical]

I see the last post here is somewhat old now. But if anyone else comes upon this with a similar question, I had no luck getting a dept. of state (CA, WA, or ID) to provide an apostille for the national level CBC. Some people on this forum have suggested using apostillepros.com, a private agency that issues expedited, actual apostilles. They're also super expensive to deal with ($175).

I ultimately used US Legalization. Bought 2 US Mail Express Mail envelopes, and paid $45 for their service. Very easy process. Still a little expensive, but a LOT cheaper than apostillepros.

[Browncoat Fox]

[DanseurVertical]

@Browncoat Fox:

No, I used US Legalization. They perform the same service as apostillepros.com for $100+ less.

You might have time to use the Department of State service in DC. I don't really know.

[S Rickey]

You can call the Secretary of States authentications office, they will actually answer the phone and talk to you. I don't have their phone number but it is on their website. I think you will find that they can only apostille documents issued in California. The US Department of State will not allow you to call and they won't answer e-mails. They claim 15 days processing time on their website. My documents were sent in 15 days ago from San Diego and I have not yet received them. Overnight shipping may get you the documents back in time.

[mimi belle]

There actually aren't that many people using the apostille companies. Mostly it's just 2 or 3 people who work for those companies spamming these threads to make it sound like a lot of people use them.

Most people do it themselves. It's a pain but easier than it seems once you actually do it.

OP
You still have time to mail the FBI clearance to the state dept. It takes 2 weeks and $8. http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/
Smarter than paying approx $200 dont you think?

For the degree, you'll need a state apostille. (You can also try taking the fbi clearance for a state apostille but I didn't do this.)

The steps in my state for an apostille are the same as yours.
1. notary
2. county clerk
3. State Apostille

The notary had me write on the photocopy of the degree something like "I verify this is a true copy of a document in my posession." Then you sign in their presence and show ID. The notary does not verify the degree with your college. They just verify that the copy is legitimate. Then you take the notarized document to the county clerk. The county clerk verifies the notary's signature and then stamps it. Then you go to the apostille office. The fee for the notary and county clerk in my state were minimal but separate from the apostille fee. You should bring some extra cash with you that day.

[S Rickey]

I think much of the confusion comes from the individual procedures of each state for the degree apostille process. I was told by the California Secretary of State that notarizing a copy of the degree directly was wrong. She told me to write a seperate letter stating that the copy was an exact copy of my degree (not the exact wording) and then to have an acknowledgement notorized. The apostille came back with the copy of the degree, the letter, the acknowledgement and the apostille all attached. The down side is $20.00 plus postage and return postage, but that's California. The procedure I gave may be only for California. If you send it to Sacramento you'll get it back in a week.