Original And Notarized Documents: This is a deep guide regarding the documents that you’re supposed to have during the DV interview. You will understand the difference between original documents and the certified document, the notary certified document.
What is the distinction between original documents and the notary certified document? Why are you required for some documents to have the both the original and the notary certified document?
What are original documents?
Original documents are the documents that you are issued with the documents that you have. For example, your academic document issued by that institution that governs your education, the education board, the certificate that you got from them, that is an original document.
If you are married, the marriage certificate that you are issued with the one that you have, that is called an original document.
Same case applies to the birth certificate. The birth certificate that you have, the document that you are holding now, that is called the original document.
What is the notary certified document?
When we come to the notarized document, every document that you have that is original, every original document that you have means that the government office, that is the civic department or the registrar’s department, or the vital statistics department of your government has your details.
So the original document simply says that the government has your details pertaining that original document. And that means that all your information is in that government’s office, that particular government’s office.
Since your details are with that office, then whenever you are requested by a certain organization to prove the originality of that original document, e.g if an organization requests that you prove that the original document that you’re holding is true, is legit and is original.
What you are supposed to do is, you are supposed now to visit that registrar’s office or the vital statistics office or the government office, or whichever name that you call in your country.
Once you visit that office, you request them of a certified copy to prove that this document you’re holding is true and legitimate. So that is the whole purpose of the notary of certified document.
Notary certified document is a proof of the originality of the document that you’re presenting to an organization. The same case applies to the embassies, the DV program, and all the types of visas.
You are required to prove the certification or the notarization of specific documents that will be explained in this guide. You cannot go through the diversity visa interview successful, without you providing copies of the notarized document of the following:
- The birth certificates
All of your dependents have their birth certificates, and all of them will have to get their notarized certified document of the birth certificate. So when you attend the interview, you will present your original document, the one that you are holding currently, plus that notarized document of the birth certificate that was issued by your civil department.
The notarized document are usually an advanced one of the original one. For example, they will have an embossed seal that is multicolored, or it might have watermarks just to enhance the validity of the document that you have.
So it will look totally different from the original. The same information, but with some additional proof of stamp. It will have embossed seams, for example, with multiple colors, or it might have any other type of seal and also water marks, just to prove that what you’re holding is true.
Simply because this comes from the civic department, then it stands as a surety. It proves to that body, and for this case, the embassy, that it’s true and it’s indeed that you are the holder of that birth certificate and it’s not fake.
So for the birth certificate, you need the original document together with the notarized document.
- Marriage Certificate
Another document that you need to have both the original and the notarized is the marriage certificate. The marriage certificate that you’re holding, the original, is not enough. You need to prove the validity, the originality, the legitimacy of that marriage certificate.
Therefore, you need to visit the Register of marriage Office and tell them to produce or to give you the notarized copy and they’ll give you that one. This is the second document that you’re supposed to present, both the original and the notarized document.
- Marriage Divorce Certificate
The other document that need notarization is the termination of your marriage or the divorce certificate. They also need to have the notarized document as an accompanied.
If you are separated or divorced, then the separation document or the divorce papers, they should be accompanied by notarized documents.
- Academic Documents
Another document that needs notarization are the academic documents. The academic documents, especially the high school diploma.
The high school diploma has to be notarized. That one must be presented during the interview, the original plus the notarized copy of the academic certificate.
In some countries, e.g Kenya, the notarization of the high school diploma is normally done online. You book online and the certified document will be sent directly to the embassy.
The academic document, especially the high school diploma, has to have the notarized copy.
- Translation Documents
Another documents that generally need to have notary certified document, they are the translation documents. For example, maybe your certificate or your documents, they are not in English.
Remember that all documents that are not in English, they are supposed to have their translation into English.
Those documents translations, they have to have the seal of approval of originality, and that means they need to be notarized. The translation document have to be notarized, be it translation of the birth, be it the translation of the academic documents, be it the translation of marriage certificate, court records, or every other.
All translations into English for your documents, they have to be notarized. If you don’t present a notarized one, then they will not be accepted.
So all translations have to be notarized.
Other documents like police clearance certificate, the passport, you don’t have to get the notarized one. The one that you presented with is enough, just go with that to the interview.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Original and Notary Certified Document For DV Lottery Interview
Question: Do I need to have notarized documents by the time am filling in the DS-260 or I can get them ready by embassy interview.
Hint/Ans: No, when filling DS-260 you don’t need them, only during the interview.
Question: Can the copies be certified by the lawyer?
Hint/Ans: No, you have to do it from your government department dealing with it
DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.
If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.