# Degree/Certificate/Transcripts Attestation



## yvrpinoy (Aug 10, 2013)

Greetings from Vancouver, Canada. This is my first post. I am planning on moving to Dubai later part of 2013 or early next year (January 2014 - is this a good time to look for a job?).

I understand I need to have my degree/certificate/transcript attested. I found links on how to do it (can't post it here since I am not active but send me a message and I will share it with you) but I have specific questions which I hope someone could help me.

1) Certificate

I am a Certified General Accountant (CGA) in Canada. When I graduated I received a transcript and a certificate. The certificate has my licence number and date I become a member. It is quite big and I do have an 8 1/2 x 11 size picture of it. The transcript of records is similar to a University transcript of records which list my grades/mark but nowhere in the transcript say I earned my certificate.

My question is which document should I send for attestation - picture of my CGA certificate or transcript of my CGA marks?

2) Degree

I have a BCom degree a Canadian University. Again my question is which document should I send for attestation - the picture of the Diploma or transcript of records?

Thank you all in advance!


----------



## Red_Nosed (Nov 30, 2011)

Certificates should be attested. I've used Your Trusted Partner :: Capital Authentication (Ontario based) to help with mine.


----------



## lordaragon (Jul 4, 2013)

yvrpinoy said:


> Greetings from Vancouver, Canada. This is my first post. I am planning on moving to Dubai later part of 2013 or early next year (January 2014 - is this a good time to look for a job?).
> 
> I understand I need to have my degree/certificate/transcript attested. I found links on how to do it (can't post it here since I am not active but send me a message and I will share it with you) but I have specific questions which I hope someone could help me.
> 
> ...


Seasoned expats can probably shed more light, but as far as I know, you only need to get your highest academic qualification attested. Assuming you only need the CGA attested? My employer did not require the transcripts attested, and apparently you only need the certificate attested for the sake of visa.


----------



## yvrpinoy (Aug 10, 2013)

Thank you lordaragon and rednosed.

I managed to take a picture of my big CGA certificate so I will go by just having my BComm diploma and CGA certificate attested.


----------



## JJEFFERY (Jul 31, 2013)

yvrpinoy said:


> Thank you lordaragon and rednosed.
> 
> I managed to take a picture of my big CGA certificate so I will go by just having my BComm diploma and CGA certificate attested.


Hi there! Greetings from a fellow Canadian. Just curious if you contacted an agency to help you out, and if they were able to confirm you just needed your designation attested. I'm in the same situation (well actually I'm already in Dubai, and now have to get my documents fed-ex'd here- I really should have researched this first). Also, sorry for not just sending a PM- I don't yet have the privilege


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

i cannot speak to having the designation done or not but i can tell you the process for your degree.

simply submitting your photo of the degree will not do. you will need a certified colour copy of your degree, which means you will need to bring the original to a lawyer/notary to have it viewed as legitimate as well as the colour copy which they will certify. then that has to go to the canadian ministry of foreign affairs for attestation. 

if you send it in by post or courier it could take 25 business days to process plus the time to return to you by canada post. we lived in toronto so it was feasible to spend a day driving out there in person as they will do it same day. your other option, being in vancouver, is to hire a process server to do this for you in Ottawa. unless you have a ministry location in Vancouver???

next, that goes to the UAE embassy in Ottawa for stamping [also something which the process server can do]. HOWEVER, do not forget that you must also have your university send a sealed copy of your transcripts directly to the UAE embassy before you try to get your degree attested. they will not stamp your degree if they have not received the transcripts. i think queens charged us about $30 to do this.

here are links with the info you need:

Authentication of Documents

UAE Embassy in Ottawa » Degree Attestation

for any other canadians reading this and wondering about marriage certificates, it is pretty much the same process except that you can order a certified "long copy" of your marriage certificate from the government [in our case service ontario] and take that directly to the ministry, notarization not required.


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

yvrpinoy said:


> Thank you lordaragon and rednosed.
> 
> I managed to take a picture of my big CGA certificate so I will go by just having my BComm diploma and CGA certificate attested.


just realized that i misread this, i thought you were going to submit a photo of your degree for attestation, which will not work as i've stated above.

you won't need the CGA for the visa but it doesn't hurt to have a copy in case your employer would like verification. i would check with them unless you've already signed the contract in which case i doubt they need it!


----------



## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

A CGA is not an academic qualification AFAIK, its a certification... its a credential, not a degree or diploma... you need your highest academic qualification attested... 

A degree in medicine is an academic qualification, certification from a board of his qualification to extract tonsils is a credential... thats how I read it...

EDIT: Sorry just to clarify, Im not saying dont get your certification attested if you want to, go nuts... what I am saying is..

- You HAVE to get your degree/diploma attested
- Pretty sure no one cares if your certification is attested

Attestation is just some official saying the signature of the PREVIOUS guy is valid... that's all... it does not *authenticate* a document, just the signature of the previous person...

Notary certifies that the copy is true... Foreign affairs attests that the notary's commission is valid, and the embassy attests that the person from foreign affairs is legitimate...


----------



## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

JJEFFERY said:


> Hi there! Greetings from a fellow Canadian. Just curious if you contacted an agency to help you out, and if they were able to confirm you just needed your designation attested. I'm in the same situation (well actually I'm already in Dubai, and now have to get my documents fed-ex'd here- I really should have researched this first). Also, sorry for not just sending a PM- I don't yet have the privilege


If you are Mr J. Jeffery, B. Comm, MBA, CMA, then your highest academic qualification is MBA, and that's what you need attested...

If you are Mr J. Jeffery, B. Sc. P.Engg, no one cares if the P.Engg is attested... your B.Sc needs to be attested...

The above is my personal experience... I got my Masters degree attested, and none of my certifications...


----------



## yvrpinoy (Aug 10, 2013)

Hi JJeffery,

Just saw this post just now.

Actually I am still in Vancouver and am doing my attestation done here by myself.
To give you a perspective I spent $70 for notary + $40 for express post to Dept of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa (still waiting , processing time is 15 days, no cost to attest) then $100 for UAE Embassy in Ottawa to attest my degree and CGA certificate. I am thinking of sending two separate money order just in case they will only attest my degree hoping they will return the other $50 + another $40 back and forth express post. 

So all in all I would have spent = $300. I am assuming you have already done it. How much did it cost you?

By the way, how is your job search or you have a job offer before you came? What is your line of work? I plan on coming to Dubai in December.





JJEFFERY said:


> Hi there! Greetings from a fellow Canadian. Just curious if you contacted an agency to help you out, and if they were able to confirm you just needed your designation attested. I'm in the same situation (well actually I'm already in Dubai, and now have to get my documents fed-ex'd here- I really should have researched this first). Also, sorry for not just sending a PM- I don't yet have the privilege


----------



## yvrpinoy (Aug 10, 2013)

Hi SammyLou,

I am not in Dubai yet. I plan to come in December.

Just to be on the safe side, I am having both my BCom degree and CGA qualification attested.


----------



## yvrpinoy (Aug 10, 2013)

I only saw your post now. Thank you imac.

I am still in Vancouver. Just to be safe I thought I have both my degree and CGA certificate attested. Actually am in the process of completing my MBA but the degree won't be conferred till May 2014 and I can't wait till then. I want to go to Dubai in December after I write my last exam.

I am hoping my BCom degree and CGA would be enough for now to secure a good position and get my MBA attested later. Any thoughts?






imac said:


> A CGA is not an academic qualification AFAIK, its a certification... its a credential, not a degree or diploma... you need your highest academic qualification attested...
> 
> A degree in medicine is an academic qualification, certification from a board of his qualification to extract tonsils is a credential... thats how I read it...
> 
> ...


----------



## yvrpinoy (Aug 10, 2013)

Sammylou,

Thank you for this information. I am doing it myself here in Vancouver and I am estimating after everything is said and done it will cost me $300 for the BCom and CGA attested!


----------



## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

yvrpinoy said:


> I am hoping my BCom degree and CGA would be enough for now to secure a good position and get my MBA attested later. Any thoughts?


Im not into the accounting field, so I am not sure on the demand for a Canadian CGA here... I would not think it would be the same as the demand for a CGA/CMA in Canada...

What I have seen, people in the accounting field here on the lower rungs of the ladder are from the sub continent, and are likely not paid that well... people higher up in the food chain seem to have UK issued designations... perhaps UK credentials are more in demand here? 

If you are a CGA and have your MBA on the way, why are you looking at moving from YVR? I would reckon you can get a pretty good gig back home? And if you really do want to get out of YVR, have you considered somewhere a bit closer, like YYC? There is a pretty brisk demand for accounting professionals in the OnG sector there...


----------



## JJEFFERY (Jul 31, 2013)

imac said:


> Im not into the accounting field, so I am not sure on the demand for a Canadian CGA here... I would not think it would be the same as the demand for a CGA/CMA in Canada...


I am in the accounting field (CA). I agree with imac in terms of who generally seems to hold the entry level positions, and the positions seem to be competitive (a lot of people applying, when compared to demand). I am looking in management, so my canadian CA seems to be okay for that. So if you have management experience, I would imagine you would be in a similar situation. That being said, it's my perception that my opportunities were better in YYC.


----------



## yvrpinoy (Aug 10, 2013)

imac

My motivators for moving out of Vancouver are tax and weather. I am giving myself one year to explore. Since I am already a Canadian citizen, I can always come back. I am considering both Dubai and Singapore. I will give Dubai a shot first and also since weather will be milder in December, I thought that would be perfect for job hunting (cause I sweat easily) and would give me chance to adjust to the climate gradually. I agree I have seen accounting job postings in dubizzle with salary offer way way less than what I would accept which is not very encouraging.






imac said:


> Im not into the accounting field, so I am not sure on the demand for a Canadian CGA here... I would not think it would be the same as the demand for a CGA/CMA in Canada...
> 
> What I have seen, people in the accounting field here on the lower rungs of the ladder are from the sub continent, and are likely not paid that well... people higher up in the food chain seem to have UK issued designations... perhaps UK credentials are more in demand here?
> 
> If you are a CGA and have your MBA on the way, why are you looking at moving from YVR? I would reckon you can get a pretty good gig back home? And if you really do want to get out of YVR, have you considered somewhere a bit closer, like YYC? There is a pretty brisk demand for accounting professionals in the OnG sector there...


----------



## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

yvrpinoy said:


> imac
> 
> My motivators for moving out of Vancouver are tax and weather. I am giving myself one year to explore. Since I am already a Canadian citizen, I can always come back. I am considering both Dubai and Singapore. I will give Dubai a shot first and also since weather will be milder in December, I thought that would be perfect for job hunting (cause I sweat easily) and would give me chance to adjust to the climate gradually. I agree I have seen accounting job postings in dubizzle with salary offer way way less than what I would accept which is not very encouraging.


The whole tax free thing is a really big red herring... it gets dangled as an advantage, but its a load of crap... dot get fooled by it... the way I see it, you actually need to make 30% MORE here than your pre tax income in Canada to break even between the two...

Yes you don't have tax here, but you get screwed over in other ways that are not advertised... stuff here is expensive, and it does not really make any sense to leave Canada to come here unless you are doing it for gobs and gobs of money... why do you think people who are already here are desperately trying to go the other way?

A simple example, for a lot of people, they end up with less here despite the no tax situation because they have to pay through the nose for housing... or kids education...

As far as the heat is concerned, this is my third summer in the UAE, and trust me, not something you really get used to...

The only reason I am here is because I'm getting paid gobs and gobs of money... if they were only paying me gobs, I would be on the next flight back...


----------



## dseth (Sep 6, 2013)

I just had my attested through a local agency here. There are dozens of them offering this kind of service. What I was told, all original document have to be attested, copies are not acceptable. Second, as for the highest degree or all of them getting attested depends on your designation. For a sales position, all the degrees have to be attested whereas for an analyst position the highest degree works. I would suggest you to crosscheck this with your employer and an agency as well. Good luck !


----------



## lordaragon (Jul 4, 2013)

dseth said:


> I just had my attested through a local agency here. There are dozens of them offering this kind of service. What I was told, all original document have to be attested, copies are not acceptable. Second, as for the highest degree or all of them getting attested depends on your designation. For a sales position, all the degrees have to be attested whereas for an analyst position the highest degree works. I would suggest you to crosscheck this with your employer and an agency as well. Good luck !


Im not sure if this is entirely true - my firm brought me here on an employment visa with my profession being "Sales", because they could not wait long enough to get my certificates attested and then apply for the "Professional" category visa. Now that I'm here, they are changing the category of visa. So I would assume, "Sales" is the one category where you wouldn't need any attested certificate. 

I only got my highest degree attested, so I guess that suffices from a regulatory perspective - the rest is just HR policy. 

Originals / copies - depends on where your certificates are from - I know for the US, attestations are done on a photocopy, while my certificates from India have a load of stamps at the rear on the originals.


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

you should not need to submit originals if you have certified/notarized colour copies. however, on many cases, in order to get the degree certified the notary/lawyer will need to view the original as well since their notarization is affirming that the original indeed exists and that the copy is a legit copy of the original. 

hope that clarifies things.


----------



## fewhite (Apr 3, 2014)

Hi I too am from Vancouver, considering a job offer in Qatar. I would really appreciate it if you could share with me the process for attesting your degree. I am having to do this as well. I hope to hear from you soon. I hope all has gone well with your search and potential move to abroad.


----------

