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[Lady_Ashka]

I think you are all talking about the same thing

each copy of any document needs to be notarized. if you have an original in a foreign lg,then it needs a certified translation. and if you have a copy of a document in a foreign language, then it needs a certified translation and a notarization. That is actually pretty clear from their instructions.

How about the letters? any insights into that?

 

[Sous02]

Document Checklist - Immigrant
Send the following documents with your application and check () each box when they are enclosed.
•Send originals of the immigration forms (items 1 - 5) and original police certificates.
•Send notarized photocopies of all other documents, unless instructed otherwise. Retypedcopies are not acceptable.
•If your documents are not in English or French, send a notarized translation with a copy ofthe originals. These must be done by an official translator. You cannot translate your owndocuments.
•Check that each form is complete and signed, where applicable. Once completed, send theforms to your sponsor with all your supporting documentation.

This is from the guide for eastern Europe.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

Exactly - what they mean, I assume, is a certified translator translation, because this passage is clearly about the fact that you can't translate the documents yourself, and notaries are lawyers, not translators! I assume it is possible to get a document translated by a regular translator and then have a notary notarize the translation, but I don't think it's the translation, that needs to get notarized. certified translators are translators with governmental qualifications to certify that the translation is the same as the original, and typically they attach a copy of the original with their translations - according to these instructions, you're supposed to attach the original with the translations from a certified translator. And if you don't have originals, but copies of documents, you need a lawyer, a notary,to notarize them, and then translate them by a certified translator. This is exactly what ScottishPolish said, and did, and they got approved. And this is also what Sous is saying: "Again anytime you make a copy of a required document the copy must be notarized. Then the translation is certified." - a *copy* - so if you go and photocopy your birth certificate or something, then the photocopy needs to be notarized. But not the original, and the translation itself is of the document provided, be it copy or original, that you attach as well; if it's a copy then it needs a notary stamp.

Is that what everyone did?

I think the confusion here is the understanding of what the translation is - the translation is just a translation, of the original document (unless it's a copy, which needs to be notarized), and with it they require the original document (and not the photocopy of the document which the translator attaches to the translation - this is standard procedure). but there is no need, or way to notarize a translation - it's already notarized (i.e. it's truthfulness to the original is officially confirmed) by the translator.


I'd appreciate if you let me know what you had your friends/family write in your letters, too

 

[baffiee]

Exactly - what they mean, I assume, is a certified translator translation, because this passage is clearly about the fact that you can't translate the documents yourself, and notaries are lawyers, not translators! I assume it is possible to get a document translated by a regular translator and then have a notary notarize the translation, but I don't think it's the translation, that needs to get notarized. certified translators are translators with governmental qualifications to certify that the translation is the same as the original, and typically they attach a copy of the original with their translations - according to these instructions, you're supposed to attach the original with the translations from a certified translator. And if you don't have originals, but copies of documents, you need a lawyer, a notary,to notarize them, and then translate them by a certified translator. This is exactly what ScottishPolish said, and did, and they got approved. And this is also what Sous is saying: "Again anytime you make a copy of a required document the copy must be notarized. Then the translation is certified." - a *copy* - so if you go and photocopy your birth certificate or something, then the photocopy needs to be notarized. But not the original, and the translation itself is of the document provided, be it copy or original, that you attach as well; if it's a copy then it needs a notary stamp.

Is that what everyone did?

I think the confusion here is the understanding of what the translation is - the translation is just a translation, of the original document (unless it's a copy, which needs to be notarized), and with it they require the original document (and not the photocopy of the document which the translator attaches to the translation - this is standard procedure). but there is no need, or way to notarize a translation - it's already notarized (i.e. it's truthfulness to the original is officially confirmed) by the translator.


I'd appreciate if you let me know what you had your friends/family write in your letters, too

Hi! Well me and my husband each wrote a letter describing the day we met, how our relationship developed, what trips did we go to, what family member of his I met, how often did I see them, how did we live together etc. Just honest letter about our relationship. Besides that, we asked our old workmate to write a brief story of us (me and my husband worked together). We didn't ask our family to write any letter though, but I think they should just write how they met you, how do you get along with them, what family events did you attend, if they noticed how happy their son is now, how they like you etc.
What we did, is we included some Facebook screen shots where his mother wished me happy Birthday and congratulated me on the birth of our baby. We also included Skype screen shots of me chatting with my mother-in-law, aunt-in-law, sister-in-law. Also, Birthday and Christmas cards are a very good asset.

Good luck!

 

[Lady_Ashka]

and as for getting a certified translation notarized - would the notarization not require a certified translation as well? I mean, it will be a Polish notary who probably has a stamp and notarization form in Polish - does that mean that you had the notarie's notarization ALSO translated by a certified translator????

 

[baffiee]

and as for getting a certified translation notarized - would the notarization not require a certified translation as well? I mean, it will be a Polish notary who probably has a stamp and notarization form in Polish - does that mean that you had the notarie's notarization ALSO translated by a certified translator????

If you do that at a translator's office like I did, then the notarization will also be English.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

hmm.... well, a notarization is done by a lawyer - a notary. So I can't imagine many translation offices have lawyers on board, and I don't imagine that the notaries give notarizations in English if they're, say, Polish. However, I guess you mean a *certification* - when at a translator's office there is an official, government-approved translator who does sworn translations; that could be done, for instance, by these guys: http://www.atio.on.ca/ - is this what you are talking about? You got a stamp on the translation which certifies, that the translation matches the original, yes? And the translation had a copy of the document attached and stapled to it, which you submitted along with the original document?

 

[baffiee]

hmm.... well, a notarization is done by a lawyer - a notary. So I can't imagine many translation offices have lawyers on board, and I don't imagine that the notaries give notarizations in English if they're, say, Polish. However, I guess you mean a *certification* - when at a translator's office there is an official, government-approved translator who does sworn translations; that could be done, for instance, by these guys: http://www.atio.on.ca/ - is this what you are talking about? You got a stamp on the translation which certifies, that the translation matches the original, yes? And the translation had a copy of the document attached and stapled to it, which you submitted along with the original document?

Probably you should contact somebody from Poland. Cause the way I did is the only option the translator's offices offer here. Well notaries here in Latvia have templates in English. So no big deal. I used ATIO when I was in Canada.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

Thanks baffiee!

I would appreciate if anyone who has experience with Polish documents told me what they did:

did you:
1. have an original document translated by a certified translator, who attached a copy of the document and a sworn clause " I xyz hereby confirm/certify etc that this translation is true to the original" etc - and then did you go to a notary and ask the lawyer (notary) to notarize the certified translation?? If so, did you find a notary who had a notarization template in English? Or did you have to have it notarized in Polish and then... have the notarization translated by a certified translation into English? and then submit the whole document, the original, the translation, and the notarizaton OR:
2. have an original document translated by a certified translator, who attached a copy of the document and a sworn clause " I xyz hereby confirm/certify etc that this translation is true to the original" etc and then just submitted the original and the certified translation with your application?

Please let me know!

 

[Sous02]

Thanks baffiee!

I would appreciate if anyone who has experience with Polish documents told me what they did:

did you:
1. have an original document translated by a certified translator, who attached a copy of the document and a sworn clause " I xyz hereby confirm/certify etc that this translation is true to the original" etc - and then did you go to a notary and ask the lawyer (notary) to notarize the certified translation?? If so, did you find a notary who had a notarization template in English? Or did you have to have it notarized in Polish and then... have the notarization translated by a certified translation into English? and then submit the whole document, the original, the translation, and the notarizaton OR:
2. have an original document translated by a certified translator, who attached a copy of the document and a sworn clause " I xyz hereby confirm/certify etc that this translation is true to the original" etc and then just submitted the original and the certified translation with your application?

Please let me know!

I am sorry this is causing you stress as it is so easy to do in Canada and it sounds like the Warsaw vo is not as strict as they could be. I would talk to a trusted translator in Poland who deals with government documents. All you need to ensure is that the copy is notarized as coming from the original document. The translation is certified by the translator. It may be that in Poland the service is provided by the same person. In Canada they are two different qualifications that may or may not be the same person.
So if your local service is sure that they are notarizing the copy you will have to trust them. I think of it this way. I could give a translator a copy of a fake document. Then they translate it and certify it. But it still came from a fake document.
To recap check with your local service and tell them what you are trying to do.
Hope this helps.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

Will do, thanks!

 

[ski]

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to add myself to this thread. Am sponsoring my wife who is a citizen of the Kyrgyz republic. I got my SA letter stating that her file has been forwarded to Warsaw VO. In one way I am happy because from what I see in this thread, Warsaw is fast. On the other hand I am panicking as I see many people being randomly invited for interview. Also, the interview date is just 15-20 days away from the email. I am a citizen of India so I will need to apply for a Schengen visa. From the Polish embassy website at Ottawa, it might take 10 days for the visa to be granted.

I am guessing there will be an interview for us. We are from totally different countries and met in Toronto. We lived for a year together after we got married and have been friends for two years before we got together. I visited her family in Kyrgyz republic this March.

It will be a while before we reach that stage. But thought I would get prepared. Do you recommend that I apply for GCMS notes every month starting in a couple of weeks? Any other tips for not messing up the application - missing requests from CIC etc?

And, of course, happy to be here in this thread.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mega_option101]

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to add myself to this thread. Am sponsoring my wife who is a citizen of the Kyrgyz republic. I got my SA letter stating that her file has been forwarded to Warsaw VO. In one way I am happy because from what I see in this thread, Warsaw is fast. On the other hand I am panicking as I see many people being randomly invited for interview. Also, the interview date is just 15-20 days away from the email. I am a citizen of India so I will need to apply for a Schengen visa. From the Polish embassy website at Ottawa, it might take 10 days for the visa to be granted.

I am guessing there will be an interview for us. We are from totally different countries and met in Toronto. We lived for a year together after we got married and have been friends for two years before we got together. I visited her family in Kyrgyz republic this March.

It will be a while before we reach that stage. But thought I would get prepared. Do you recommend that I apply for GCMS notes every month starting in a couple of weeks? Any other tips for not messing up the application - missing requests from CIC etc?

And, of course, happy to be here in this thread.

Thanks in advance.

The interview will only be for your spouse if I am not mistaking. I don't think they will allow you to accompany her in the interview. Members with more experience in this will be able to confirm this for you.

 

[Owl29]

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to add myself to this thread. Am sponsoring my wife who is a citizen of the Kyrgyz republic. I got my SA letter stating that her file has been forwarded to Warsaw VO. In one way I am happy because from what I see in this thread, Warsaw is fast. On the other hand I am panicking as I see many people being randomly invited for interview. Also, the interview date is just 15-20 days away from the email. I am a citizen of India so I will need to apply for a Schengen visa. From the Polish embassy website at Ottawa, it might take 10 days for the visa to be granted.

I am guessing there will be an interview for us. We are from totally different countries and met in Toronto. We lived for a year together after we got married and have been friends for two years before we got together. I visited her family in Kyrgyz republic this March.

It will be a while before we reach that stage. But thought I would get prepared. Do you recommend that I apply for GCMS notes every month starting in a couple of weeks? Any other tips for not messing up the application - missing requests from CIC etc?

And, of course, happy to be here in this thread.

Thanks in advance.

If they invite you to interview, only your wife will be invited. You can come to support her if you want, but they won't let you to the embassy, so basically you would go just for touristic reasons

What I would recommend is not to worry about something that haven't happened yet. They might invite, they might not. Cross this bridge when it comes to that. It seems interviews are random, people who are not suppose to be invited are invited and etc. If it helps you sleep better, you can start ordering GSM notes every few months, but my position is still: the less you know the less you worry I would only order GSM notes if there was a big waiting period without any information.

The biggest thing not to mess it up is to read and not to miss all your emails from CIC. It will come to your wifes email from now. Did she already received AOR2 from Warsaw? Sometimes they send sometimes they don't. If she will, it is a good sign that her email is working. But always check SPAM folders.

If they invite you to interview they might ask: additional relationship proof (any proof you haven't provided yet, outgoing communication, visits to each other or if you live in the same address: bills,photos etc), they asked for me to bring my original marriage certificate and updated police form from my home country. But they might ask something else depending on your situation, you never know. I guess only additional relationship proof is common for everyone.

Most of the time if they invite for the interview and all documents are up to date and she/he answers questions - they will issue COPR on the spot. From my personal experience, interview was easy. If you are in genuine relationship all the questions they ask you can answer without additional preparation.

 

[ski]

Thanks Owl29! That's a great response. +1 for that.

Actually I didn't get the SA email. They send me a letter by regular post. And I got AOR1 by email. So far my wife has not got AOR2 email and we'll keep checking all folders.

Its impossible not to check the application status every day no matter how much I try not too that's the first thing I do every morning

I hope they give enough time for my wife to apply for a Schengen visa. I see from one of the sample emails that they do not entertain changing the date.

Thanks again.