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"Government-certified true copies (copies certified as authentic by the issuing governmental authority, signed and sealed)"

clue12

Full Member
Jul 1, 2020
31
7
Hi everyone,

Under the country-specific requirements for one of the countries I'm submitting documents from, the CIC website states that "official documents from this country must be government-certified true copies (copies certified as authentic by the issuing governmental authority, signed and sealed)."

Could anyone advise on exactly what this means? When I mentioned it to the law firm that is getting my police certificate for me (I am no longer in the country), they said they could have it apostilled before sending it over. I assumed I would then 1. get a certified translation done, 2. take the apostilled certificate and translation to a notary here in Canada and get a certified copy made, and 3. send in the certified copy and translation (keeping the original apostilled version as backup and for my own records).

However, when I contacted a lawyer/notary here in Canada to confirm that this was the correct process, he advised that the apostille will not be accepted, and that the document instead needs to be taken to the Canadian embassy in the origin country to be authenticated and legalized.

Has anyone had experience with this before, and if so, what process did you go through to obtain an acceptable "government-certified true copy"? Any input is appreciated, as we are very confused!
 

Dianagallo

Newbie
Nov 19, 2020
2
0
In Italy I've had to get the police cert & birth & marriage certs, get it legalised through the court or prefecture, then send off to Canadian embassy in Rome. Sent a copy of certs to a translation service in Toronto to get certified translation woth notary stamp.
 

clue12

Full Member
Jul 1, 2020
31
7
Thanks @Dianagallo for the input! Wondering if there's anyone else who has had to submit documents with this requirement (copies certified as authentic by the issuing governmental authority, signed and sealed) who could also chime in.

I've had an immigration lawyer suggest to me that this instruction suggests that the police certificate actually doesn't need any kind of additional authentication/legalization, apostille or otherwise, just that it needs to be signed by an official and stamped with an official stamp or seal.

Has anyone had success submitting documents this way?
 

clue12

Full Member
Jul 1, 2020
31
7
Just wanted to bump this up again - for anyone whose country requirement specified "government-certified true copies" did you go through the lengthy legalization and authentication process for your documents abroad (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs + Canadian consulate), or was the document issued from the governmental authority (in my case, police record) with signature and stamp enough? Thanks in advance for any replies!
 

neuroCanadian

Star Member
Aug 31, 2020
117
19
Ontario
Category........
Other
Just wanted to bump this up again - for anyone whose country requirement specified "government-certified true copies" did you go through the lengthy legalization and authentication process for your documents abroad (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs + Canadian consulate), or was the document issued from the governmental authority (in my case, police record) with signature and stamp enough? Thanks in advance for any replies!
I also have this question regarding my partner's foreign (mexican) birth certificate -- he went to a government office to get a sign and seal, and he asked if that's enough to use it in canada and they said no, go to another office and get an additional seal and sign and then finally, go to the embassy of canada in mexico city. Each step is also extremely expensive... I don't know why Canada is such a stupid country to make us do all these old-type things when literally every other country has moved on to the Apostille/Hague convention.

I'm also consulting this thread: https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/any-ecuadorians-apply-inland-question-for-official-documents-issued-by-this-country-must-be-government-certified-true-copies.709562/

Honestly, I'm super confused about all of this and even my lawyer doesn't understand it (and she's been an immigration lawyer for decades).
 
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mapple007

Hero Member
Oct 2, 2020
274
427
I also have this question regarding my partner's foreign (mexican) birth certificate -- he went to a government office to get a sign and seal, and he asked if that's enough to use it in canada and they said no, go to another office and get an additional seal and sign and then finally, go to the embassy of canada in mexico city. Each step is also extremely expensive... I don't know why Canada is such a stupid country to make us do all these old-type things when literally every other country has moved on to the Apostille/Hague convention.

I'm also consulting this thread: https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/any-ecuadorians-apply-inland-question-for-official-documents-issued-by-this-country-must-be-government-certified-true-copies.709562/

Honestly, I'm super confused about all of this and even my lawyer doesn't understand it (and she's been an immigration lawyer for decades).

Hi there,

I hope everything worked out for you and your partner in the end! I 100% understand your frustration having had dealt with IRCC on multiple occasions in the past decade or so.

I do have a couple of questions to ask you about this as my wife is also Mexican and she's currently in Canada. We are going to submit the application in-land, which complicates this process a bit. I'd be very grateful if you can help shine some lights on these questions:

1. Did your partner have to get certified copies of his passport, national ID, and/or anything else issued by the Mexican government as well, or was it just the birth certificate?
2. If you wouldn't mind, could you provide further details on how he went about the whole process? You mentioned he went to a couple of government offices before going to the Embassy of Canada; which offices might this be?
3. Lastly, did you apply inland or out-land?

Thank you very much in advance for your help!
 

neuroCanadian

Star Member
Aug 31, 2020
117
19
Ontario
Category........
Other
I hope it's ok if i take these in reverse haha..

did you apply inland or out-land?
Inland

If you wouldn't mind, could you provide further details on how he went about the whole process? You mentioned he went to a couple of government offices before going to the Embassy of Canada; which offices might this be?
he did not go to the embassy in canada and I think that step is not necessary (or it wasn't for us apparently because IRCC never asked anything). For what I remember he only got 1 seal, or maybe 2. they told him to get three. I'd have to check again what these were.

Did your partner have to get certified copies of his passport, national ID, and/or anything else issued by the Mexican government as well, or was it just the birth certificate?
he had certified translations of his passport and birth certificate, but not his ID. There was also a question about whether the mexican translation place he went to was 'good enough' to satisfy IRCC (this was before he came and we applied). I can't recall now if he might have asked the translators to go get a seal or stamp on the translation itself. I do seem to recall something on the IRCC website specifying what kind of translators are "certified for immigration to canada" or something like this. If you want to DM me and call me then I will pull the papers out and check them again, so you can compare.
 
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armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
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I do seem to recall something on the IRCC website specifying what kind of translators are "certified for immigration to canada" or something like this.
As a general rule, IRCC requires translators certified by *whatever body certifies translators in the place where the translation is done.*

A minor complication in such cases is that you may run into bodies in Canada (even public) that won't like translations done abroad - I had that problem with the passport office here (not technically part of IRCC), they didn't like my foreign translation.

But for the Mexico documents I don't think translation is the issue, it's the 'certified by govt copies.'