Apostille & Legalization in Canada

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From the food, to the landscape to a prehistoric culture, Qatar is quite the beauty to explore. Add in the benefits of a teaching job there, and you are all set for an exquisite experience. Teaching regarded and respected quite highly in Qatar. It also comes with many perks. Your can expect for your salary to be on par with your Canadian salary with a few added benefits. Provided, you complete Qatar attestation first!

For example, most contracts include an 8-week vacation. This may seem standard compared to what you’d expect at home (two months of summer vacation!), except it doesn’t stop here. Most contracts also include airfare to and from Canada for you and your dependents, medical and dental coverage, and some even include accommodation and a stipend for transportation.

Basically, your major expenses are paid for and what you “earn” is really yours to enjoy. They must really love teachers, no?

It is easy to see why every year, thousands of Canadians apply to teaching positions in Qatar. Unfortunately, due to popular demand for these roles, only a handful are offered the opportunity. If you happen to be one of those lucky ones, congratulations! You are about to begin a profitable adventure. Celebrations are in order, but before that, what’s next?

The beginning of Qatar attestation

  1. Organize Your Documents

Your new employers will likely be asking you for a slew of different documents. Your teaching degree, university certificates, transcripts, police clearance, passport and IDs are all fair game. As soon as you hear some good news, it’s time to get to work. Proper preparation is very important since you are dealing with a foreign country. If you forget something, it may take much longer to have it over to them which can delay your plans. And don’t forget, some of your documents may need to be requested/ordered from institutions, like your college transcript. Also, it is a good practice to create notarized copies of all original documents. All of this takes time, so start planning and collecting as soon as possible.

  1. Document Authentication

Any time you want to use a document originating in one country in another, it will need to be authenticated. This is to verify its legitimacy. As well as ensure to the foreign country that the document is valid and truly what it claims to be.

In other words, to attest it. In Canada however, this process is called document authentication. Meaning, the terms are interchangeable. Global Affairs Canada, a government body situated in Ottawa authenticates your documents. Make sure you’ve collected and notarized all your documents first. Afterwards, you will submit them to GAC for review. GAC will verify that the signatures on the documents match those in their repository and the documents meet all other relevant criteria. Finally, GAC will place a large red stamp on each document to verify that the authentication process has been completed.

  1. Document Legalization

The second step to completing attestation of your documents is to present them to the Embassy of Qatar in Ottawa. This is document legalization. The embassy will conduct their own review of the documents to ensure that they are valid, mainly verifying the GAC stamp. Once satisfied, they too will attach a stamp or certificate of legalization to your documents.

What is next  and how can we help?

Completing legalization ensures your documents are attested, or fully authenticated. All that’s left to do is send them to your employers or the government of Qatar, whomever of these entities have requested for them.

But, if you were to truly approach this the right way, then the first step would be to acquire more information and guidance. Even before you start preparing your documents, it is a good idea to talk to authentication professionals such as Legalization Service Centre about the process. Consult with one of our experienced professionals about what you need to provide and the instructions you received from the employer. Because of differences in culture, language and distance, communication can be difficult and delayed between you and the hiring entity. We deal with hundreds of teachers who have met their documentation needs through us. So chances are, we’ll have some tips and suggestions that’ll make it easier for you to understand the process and be better prepared to respond and relay documents accordingly.

Moreover, our network and connections within the GAC, as well as our Ottawa-based location allow us to complete document authentication and legalization much faster than if you were to approach them yourself. For example, whereas typically it takes up to 20 business days for GAC to authenticate, we can have your documents authenticated in as little as one business day. The quick turnaround, along with error-free submissions can save you money and time that you can use to prepare the other aspects of your trip.

The period after you secure that job can be both stressful and exhilarating. Mental preparation for the trip, tying loose ends at home, preparing to move to another country, and having your documents in order are all big tasks. We can’t help you with all of it, but we can make the bit with the paperwork a little but easier. Call us together to speak with one of our experienced professionals. Then, get back to planning your move to Qatar, at least for period of time!

 

Image Credit: Layover Guide

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