Certified Copies of Documents

[astroduck]

Hi there,

I am in the process of filling out the immigration forms to sponsor my wife from Hong Kong to Canada. I have a question however that do I need to have someone to certify the photocopies of all the documents (i.e., citizenship card, passport, landed immigrant paper, etc)? What about evidences to proof the relationships between myself and my wife (phone bills, email messages, computer chat message log, etc)?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

astrox

[Elizabeth Joe]

photocopies of documents in english or french don't need to be certified, only translated documents.

[astroduck]

photocopies of documents in english or french don't need to be certified, only translated documents.

Thanks Elizabeth. However on CIC website, it didn't said only the documents that are not in English or French need to be certified. It seemed to me that all photocopies need to be certified regardless of language. Check this out from Guide IMM 3900:

Certified true copies

To have a photocopy of a document certified, an authorized person must compare the original document to the photocopy and must print the following on the photocopy:

“I certify that this is a true copy of the original document”,
the name of the original document,
the date of the certification,
his or her name,
his or her official position or title, and
his or her signature.

Can anyone verify this?

Thanks again.

[Elizabeth Joe]

It also says:
You must send a certified copy of any legal document for a name change or any other document which is neither in English nor in French.

so if it's a document for a name change than you need a certified copy even if it is in English or French. Didn't know that.

[Elizabeth Joe]

or does it mean, if your document for a name change is not in english or in french, you need a certified copy. I'm confused now

[sariss]

It also says:
You must send a certified copy of any legal document for a name change or any other document which is neither in English nor in French.

so if it's a document for a name change than you need a certified copy even if it is in English or French. Didn't know that.

Out of that, I got the opposite. Says which is NEITHER in english nor in french.

[Elizabeth Joe]

You must send a certified copy of any legal document for a name change or any other document which is neither in English nor in French.
Just saw that this statement isn't even in the online guide only in the pdf version, so you definitely don't need certified copies for documents in english or french then. The document checklist also only says photocopies.

[ocanadaguy]

Hi there.. About the certified copies... I called CIC and asked.. because I had photo copied my wifes passport page and wondered if i have to get that translated and certified.. and she told me that if there is english on there so that it can be understood.. then the photo copy is just fine.. so that's all i did...  Hope that helps.. but if anything. call and ask for yourself (for piece of mind like I did)

[rjessome]

Follow the CHECKLIST instructions.  The Guide is trying to explain things to you but has obviously only confused you. Common problem.  What you are getting is definitions and some instructions that if a document is NOT in English or French, you must produce a certified copy of the original and a certified translation.

If all of your documents are in English or French, just follow the checklist because it tells you what it wants for each item.  If they are not, then provide the certified copy and translation as instructed.