Notarized Documents

[Fencesitter]

Okay, so we are in the final leg of our journey through the wonderful world of CIC.

Here is a list of the documents I think we need to have translated and notarized for China applications (please let me know if this is correct):

1. My wife's Chinese passport
2. My wife's 'hukuo' booklet
3. Our son's birth certificate
4. Our marriage license
5. Our joint bank account statement from the bank.

So, in the principal applicant guide (IMM3999) it states something about 'certified' copies. So, this is a list of things I think we need to have translated and certified:

1. Our rental contracts
2. Any other documents not in English that cannot be notarized (I can think of anything else at the moment)

The question is, where can I get certified translations? Does that mean I can simply go to a translation company and get these documents translated by a professional translator, or does it mean I must go to a government agency?

Any other tips or information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
FS

 

[Fencesitter]

Actually, I have contacted several places, government and private, to find out about getting some documents certified. All said that I cannot get certified copies of photocopies (like for my rental contract or other stuff like that) because they have no way of knowing if the original is genuine. So now I am a bit confused as to the instruction guide. How can I get certified copies of documents if even the government notary public office will not do it???

Should I just include the original contracts? They're already in English....so no translation would be needed.

Thanks!

FS

 

[Fencesitter]

Can someone help?? Please...

 

[PMM]

Hi

Actually, I have contacted several places, government and private, to find out about getting some documents certified. All said that I cannot get certified copies of photocopies (like for my rental contract or other stuff like that) because they have no way of knowing if the original is genuine. So now I am a bit confused as to the instruction guide. How can I get certified copies of documents if even the government notary public office will not do it???

Should I just include the original contracts? They're already in English....so no translation would be needed.

Thanks!

FS

It is not the document that you want notarized/certified, it is the translation. The certified translates the document, and certifies on the english translation that his/her translations is true and correct. You send the document and the English translation.

 

[Fencesitter]

Right, so I only certified copies of translations. If the documents are already in English, there is no need to have them certified. The thing is, when I include copies of my rental contracts showing both our signatures, how does CIC know that these are real documents?

 

[PMM]

Hi

Right, so I only certified copies of translations. If the documents are already in English, there is no need to have them certified. The thing is, when I include copies of my rental contracts showing both our signatures, how does CIC know that these are real documents?

1. No, you don't certify them. The translator is the only certification on the translation.
2. Bingo, if they are in English they don't have to certified. Read the checklist for your office, they ask for either originals or copies. Very few offices ask for certified copies. Only copies of originals can be certified.

 

[steaky]

If you go to the notary office address I gave you earlier, you can have the hukou booklet and other Chinese document translated and notarized.

 

[Fencesitter]

Yes, we are going this afternoon to get all necessary documents translated, certified, notarized, stamped, petrified, etc. Hopefully they won't take too long to do all that.

I tell ya what, when I arrive home in Canada, I will forever be grateful that I never (cross my fingers) have to worry about visas, work permits, translations, ever again!

Living abroad has been great, no doubt, but it has also made me realize how much I miss being in my OWN country! Now my wife can experience what I've experienced for the past decade! Haha...lucky for her that she'll have permanent residence and won't need to worry about having a job to stay in the country!

 

[itscoezy]

Do you really need to have bank statements translated as well? I was thinking of sending bank statements as proof of our joint account but didn't think I needed to have the statement translated even though it's not in english. Isn't the bank name and your 2 names on the account enough?

 

[canadianwoman]

The visa officer can ignore any proof that is not in English or French. I'd get the bank statement translated - in any case, there is not much to translate on a bank statement, so it shouldn't cost much.

 

[itscoezy]

K Thanks! !
So just to confirm.. For example we have a divorce certificate and a birth certificate we need translated... So it's fine to just photocopy both of these documents as the originals were not requested.. and them have them translated and the translated document is the one that gets certified, NOT the photocopy? So, if we choose a translator on the govt website, we don't need to separately go into a notary public etc to have the doc certified because the translators are already considered certified by canada??
Am i understanding correctly?

Thanks for your help!!

 

[Fencesitter]

You would need to get the photocopy certified. Basically all that means is that the photocopy is the same as the original.

Funny story. Spent 2 hours! in the ICBC bank here in China. My wife and I have had a joint account with them for months. We called ahead to tell them that we need a letter from the bank stating that we indeed have a joint account. When we tried to get the letter, the computer system would not allow them to print the letter. The manager had to call the main branch and ask for permission. Request denied! They would not allow us to get a document that showed we have a joint account. Even the bank statement was a problem - it would only show one of our names. Can you believe that? So now we are praying that the notary office will certify our orignal agreement with ICBC when we opened the joint account. This document shows both our names and ID numbers, as well as our signatures and the date. It also has the bank's stamp. I won't be holding my breath, as it seems simple things here in China are not simple at all. I still can't believe we went through all that only to be turned down. The last thing the manager said was that they could contact their lawyers to see if we could get the letter...we told him to shove it up his ass and walked out (we didn't actually say that...we just got up from where we had been sitting and walked away dumbfounded).

This event, for both my wife and myself was the last straw! We have to get out of this country!! It's insanity getting simple things done here!!!

Now I worry that without a letter showing we have a joint account, it will be more troublesome to convince CIC we are genuine...even with loads of other supporting documentation!

Thoughts?

 

[Fencesitter]

Oh, and because of the 2 hour! wait, we couldn't make it to the notary office!!

Thanks, China banking system...great job...great service!

 

[canadianwoman]

Proof of a joint bank account is secondary evidence that is being used to prove your relationship is genuine. So a copy of your original agreement with the bank should be enough. Send it in even if you can't get it notarized.

 

[Fencesitter]

Yes, we will try to get this document notarized. I think they will do it, because it has the bank's stamp. If not, yes, I will include it with an explanation. Hopefully CIC understands that in some countries it is difficult to get things done...especially a country like China. Though with all our other supporting evidence, I think we'll be fine.

Cheers,
FS