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.
Who can certify copies?
Persons authorized to certify copies include the following:
In Canada:
a notary public
a commissioner of oaths
a commissioner of taking affidavits
Authority to certify varies by province and territory. Consult your local provincial or territorial authorities.
Outside Canada:
a notary public
Authority to certify international documents varies by country. Consult your local authorities.
Family members may not certify copies of your documents. Family member is defined as being a: parent, guardian, sibling, spouse, common-law partner, grandparent, child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew and first cousin.
Original documents are not accepted with your application for skilled migration assessment. Documents submitted are not returned to the applicant. Please provide certified copies of your documents.
A certified copy of a document is a copy of an original document which is certified as a true copy by an authorised person.
Authorised people include: Justices of the Peace (JP’s), legal practitioners and Police Officers. For a full list of professionals who are authorised to certify documents, please refer to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website www.citizenship.gov.au.
In instances where the applicant lives overseas, documents may be certified by a citizen of the applicant’s country of residence who is employed in one of the occupational groups listed on the Department of Immigration and Border Protections’s website. Please note that the certification should appear on the front page of the document (not the reverse side of the document).
Certification should appear on each page of the submitted document. For example, if your transcript is a three page document then the certification must appear on the front of all three pages of the document.
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.
Who can certify copies?
Persons authorized to certify copies include the following:
In Canada:
a notary public
a commissioner of oaths
a commissioner of taking affidavits
Authority to certify varies by province and territory. Consult your local provincial or territorial authorities.
Outside Canada:
a notary public
Authority to certify international documents varies by country. Consult your local authorities.
Family members may not certify copies of your documents. Family member is defined as being a: parent, guardian, sibling, spouse, common-law partner, grandparent, child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew and first cousin.
A certified copy is a colour (not black and white) photocopy that has been stamped or endorsed by a person to confirm it is a true copy of the original document.
The person certifying your documents needs to:
make the following statement:
“I certify this to be a true and accurate copy of the original, which I have sighted”__, or an equivalent statement
certify each page of the document (not just the front page)
clearly state their name and title under their signature (either hand-written or stamped)
Who can certify your documents?
The person certifying your document must NOT be involved in your application in any other way or role. For example, it may NOT be your Agent or Advisor.
People who can certify are:
Lawyer (Barrister or Solicitor)
Notary Public/ Public Notary/ Notary
Justice of the Peace (applies to NZ JPs only)
Court Registrar or Deputy Registrar (applies to NZ Registrars only)