Attesting Documents 101

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Admin

There is a lot of misinformation about what attestation is and how the process works but the reality is that document attestation is quite simple. Attestation is another word for the legalization or authentication of a document so that another country accepts that document to be genuine.

Why is attestation so important?

Consider this example:

You are a US citizen you has just been offered the job of a lifetime. It could be as an English teacher in China or it could be a prestigious executive position with a corporation in the UAE. You have a college degree and plenty of professional certifications to back up your experience in these fields but how does the other country know that? These documents could be faked in order to make you appear like a more qualified candidate for the position than you actually are. The documents could also be altered in some way. The only way for a foreign government to be 100% sure that the documents you are presenting as part of your employment are genuine is through the process of attestation.

Do you need an apostille service or an authentication service?

An apostille is a special authentication procedure that is recognized by countries that participated in the Hague Convention. If living or working in a country that is a member of The Hague Convention, US Authentication Services offers apostille services to make this process easier.

Some countries, such as China, are not members of The Hague Convention. In this case, documents must go through a process of attestation instead. This process is slightly more complicated and requires that documents first be authenticated by the appropriate US authorities including the US Department of State Office of Authentications before ultimately being certified for use in the foreign country by that country’s embassy or consulate.

In either case, US Authentication Services can help you make sure your important legal documents are properly authenticated prior to beginning employment overseas. For more information about our apostille and authentication services or to receive a free quote, give us a call at 1-800-893-5807.

Getting Attestation for Your Educational Documents When Seeking Employment

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Admin

One of the primary goals of any journey through higher education is to prepare you for the career of your choice. Many employers require proof of completing a particular course of education and receiving legitimate certification of such education in order to qualify for a position. If you are seeking employment in the United States, you can generally request official copies of these documents and this is plenty for your prospective employer. Seeking employment in another country, however, requires extra steps.

Though employers within the United States recognize the authenticity of documents from original organizations and schools, other countries require further verification in order to consider these documents legitimate. This is referred to as attestation and is simply the extra steps that prove to the other country that the documents were drafted, obtained, and earned properly and legally. Much like notarizing in the United States, the attestation seal is enough for the other country to accept the documentation when submitted for purposes such as relocation and employment.

Though there are several types of attestation, all require you to submit specific documents and supporting evidence to show that the document is legitimate. In addition to getting the US degree attestation your may be required to submit additional documents in the host country which may include:

Original copies of certificates
Passport
Copy of the degree
Copy of the visa
Birth certificate
Proof of residency

Unless otherwise noted when you are going through the steps for attesting documents, all copies of documentation should be official or certified copies. The specific requirements of seeking employment are different from country to country, and not following the steps and fulfilling each requirement properly and completely could result in frustrating delays and even denial of access to the other country or permission to seek employment. This is why seeking help for degree and diploma attestation services is so valuable.

When you start considering getting a job in another country, get in touch with us so we can go over the attestation requirements for that country and help you come up with a timeline so you are sure all of your documents are properly attested and received in plenty of time for your prospective employer’s deadline. Our team can talk you through all of these requirements, explain to you which of the steps you must handle on your own and which we will handle for you. For the most part, you collect the proper documents and then bring or send them to us. We will then act as your representative, putting your degree and other documents on the fast track to attestation so the wait is as short as possible and your documents are back in your hands and ready for submission quickly.

Prepare for Your Trip to China with Document Attestation

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Admin

A trip to China is a dream for many people, but if your dream is about more than just making a quick visit, you may need to go through additional steps before you head out on your travels. Just like in the United States, if you intend on seeking employment, starting a business, getting married, purchasing real estate, or establishing residency in China, you need specific documents to verify your identity and other personal and professional details. This verification, however, is not as easy as taking the documents out of your personal files and bringing them along with you to China. In order for them to be recognized as authentic and legal in China, you must have your documents formally legalized. This process is referred to as attestation.

Legalization of documents for China is a process you complete before you embark on your travels. This attestation is the formal verification that all of the information contained within the documents is complete, accurate, and legal, and that the documents were properly obtained, drawn up, and authenticated in the United States. Essentially, this process demonstrates to China that the documents you present are completely genuine, legal, and appropriate for the specific actions you wish to complete in the other country.

Attestation of documents from USA starts with getting the proper documents from the appropriate departments or agencies. The process of attestation does not make documents legal, meaning you cannot bring photocopies or improperly drawn-up documents for attestation and have them “made legal” through the process. Instead, attestation confirms that the documents are legal according to the terms and standards set forth by the other country.

Once the appropriate documents have been obtained and are verified authentic and legal by the appropriate organizations, such as the State Department, they must be submitted to the embassy of the country of destination along with an attestation request. Using document attestation services from an experienced and licensed company takes the confusion and concern out of this process. While you may have a difficult time obtaining your documents, submitting them to the embassy, and obtaining the proper attestation within the time frame necessary to ensure your documents are ready before you are set to travel, our professional services simplify the entire experience for you.

Our authentication and legalization service ensures you have everything you need throughout the entire attestation process. From the moment you contact us about your situation until you are on the plane ready for the next chapter in your life, our professionals are here to make sure your questions are answered and your deadlines are kept. Whether you need attestation for a will, Power of Attorney, transcripts and degrees, birth and marriage certificates, or business documents, we can expedite your process and ensure you get your documents with plenty of time for your travels.

Be Ready for Your Adventure with Attestation

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Admin

When going abroad, formal documentation is essential for proving your identity and confirming your credentials. Just bringing these documents along with you, however, is not always enough. You must be able to demonstrate that those documents are completely authentic and prepared to all of the specifications of the law. Attestation of documents is the process that verifies you executed each document legally and that it is an authentic and genuine copy so the government of the country you are visiting knows it and the information contained within are real.

The documents you need to bring with you depends on where you are going and why. A brief visit, for example, may only require basic identification papers. If you are moving to another country, visiting for a longer period, or going to study abroad, however, you need more extensive documentation to verify your identity, marriage, legal relationships, and education.

Documents you may need attested prior to traveling include:

Birth certificates
Marriage certificates
Powers of Attorney
Wills
Degrees
Transcripts
Diplomas
Adoption certificates

If you are traveling for business purposes, you may also need attestation of commercial documents such as:

Commercial agreements
Certificates of Origin
Certificates of Good Standing

Attestation is not required for visits to all countries, but is an essential step when preparing for travel to:

UAE
Qatar
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
China

Using licensed attestation services in USA makes the process of preparing for your travels faster and prevents frustrating delays. Whether you need attestation for documents for UAE emigration, authentication of educational documents for studying abroad to China, or attestation for other travels, get in touch with us so we can guide you through the entire process. From explaining the authentication requirements of your country of destination to handling each step quickly, our embassy legalization services and process allows you to prepare for your trip and travel with confidence.

Document Authentication Services Can Save You Time and Headaches

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Admin

Planning to move outside the US? Prepare for extensive document verification procedures then! When moving to a foreign country, intensive verification procedures must be undergone by the individual to ensure a smooth legal transition. This includes the attestation and authentication of documents by various agencies of the government.

While the process may not seem daunting at first, once you embark on your quest to document authentication get all those diplomas and legal documents verified through both the federal and state agencies, and then the foreign embassy, you will begin to get an idea of the amount of time and effort that the process entails.

One of the primary issues is the location. Most embassies and the necessary government departments, through which various steps of document authentication are performed, are located in Washington DC. For attestation of documents, you will either need to be physically present at the DC offices, or go through a cumbersome process of repeatedly mailing and receiving your documents to and from various state, federal, and foreign agencies. Let’s take a look at the actual steps involved during document authentication.

The Chain Authentication Process

Basically a long paper chase involving the circulation of your documents through a series of government departments, while subsequent steps of certification and authentication of documents take place at each agency in a chronological order.

Authentication by Secretary of State where the documents are issued or get notarized.
Once certification from Secretary of State is obtained, US State Department authentication is obtained.
Embassy legalization process is undergone; the process varying depending upon the country of destination.

The aforementioned steps are generalized to give you an idea of what awaits you once you set out on the mission for document authentication. The process differs as per the types of documents you need to get attested. If, for example, you need to get a document authenticated that has been issued by a US District Court, you will also need to get an authentication seal on the documents from the US Department of Justice. If the country you are going to comes under The Hague Convention Treaty, you will need an Apostille. Certain countries require either a certificate of ‘Good Conduct’ or a Criminal Background check.

Save Yourself the Trouble!

At this point, the entire authentication and attestation of documents probably seems like a huge hassle; and you must be considering ways to make the whole process easier. Well, fret not! At US Authentication Services, we offer services that will enable you to get complete peace of mind while also saving you the effort and time that is generally required when one sets out for the authentication of documents before leaving the country. Our one-of-a-kind document authentication services ensure that all you have to do to complete the process from start to end; FedEx us the documents, and we will get them all authenticated and delivered right back to your doorstep.

Serving the industry for the last 3 years, we at US Authentication Services have developed an ironclad reputation for being able to authenticate and deliver client documents in the least amount of time possible.

Whether you need an Apostille, or need to get your educational diplomas certified, we guarantee a streamlined process through our reputed document authentication services without you needing to lift a finger once the documents are sent!

What is Document Authentication?

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Admin

Document Authentication is a process which is used to refer to embassy legalization or chain authentication process for submission of documents in an international country. The process is initiated by an individual or a corporation when they are asked to submit their documents for legal purposes to the government of a foreign country.

International Governments need to be certain that the documents being presented to them are authentic or genuine for legal purposes. To be considered legitimate documents for submission to a Foreign Government the documents must first be certified by the Federal Government in the country of issue. However, in order to be certified by the Federal Government documents must be certified by the Secretary of State in which they originated. You can obtain this certification by presenting your document to the Secretary of State’s office at the Authentication Department or the Department of Notaries. Make sure to get the “Gold” or “Embossed seal” and mention the country in which you are going to submit your documents.

Once you are past State level certification your documents are ready to be submitted to the office of authentications at the US State Department. This process normally takes approximately 4 business days when the documents are submitted in person. Once certified through this step, the documents are ready to be submitted to the Embassy of the country in which they are intended for final submission.

Most Embassies or consulates are located in Washington DC and the requirements are normally listed on the website including the fees.

US Authentication Services is a company which provides Document Authentication services and handles all of the above steps for clients and corporations to ensure the certifications are carried out in the correct manner and in the right sequence. Visit the company website at www.usauthentication.com for more details.

What is Document Attestation?

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Admin

Document Attestation is a name which is used interchangeably with Document Authentication outside the United States. Basically the process is the same and is used to refer to a person or usually on official attesting to the signature of an individual or an official who has signed on the document.

Document attestation starts with the certification of a document at the state level.

An important note for clients located outside of the United States is that, you should have your vital documents such as Marriage and Birth Certificates certified by the Secretary of the state at the time of issue if you are in a position to do so or have a friend or family member carry out that process for you . This will save you a lot of time down the road in getting your documents certified for use in an international country.

Many international clients and corporations rely on US Authentication Services where the expert staff is familiar with the requirements and timelines for getting documents certified for use in countries all over the world. Using the advice of a professional can lead to not only the correct documents to be used as per your requirements but can save you valuable time and money when you are in need of getting your foreign residence established or entering into a foreign agreement with a corporation outside the United States.

Common types of documents attested include University Diplomas and degrees, Vital documents such as marriage and birth certificates, Power of Attorney’s, Background checks, Articles of incorporation, Board Resolutions, Appointment of Directors, Partnership and Corporate Agreements and many more.

Please visit www.usauthentication.com or contact them at info@usauthentication.com to get your questions answered.