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Apostille in the Electronic Age for New Zealand

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New Zealand electronic ApostilleCitizens of New Zealand who need documents to be certified for use overseas can now get them verified electronically, thanks to the new e-Apostille service from the Internal Affairs Authentication Unit.

E-Apostille can be used to certify marriage certificates, travel documents, letters from attorneys, and more. The system is expected to cut submission and processing times dramatically because it creates secure versions of paper documents that can be emailed overseas, instead of relying on mail or courier.

The e-Apostille makes getting an apostille quick and easy.  It saves customers both time and money, and can make the difference between a customer making or missing an important deadline.

As of December 2012, New Zealand was one of only four countries in the Asia-Pacific region using e-Apostilles, though the success of this program could pave the way for other members of the Hague Apostille Convention to expand into electronic apostilles.

The International Chamber of Commerce Urges Countries to Ratify Apostille Convention

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ICCThe International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has urged countries to ratify the  Apostille Convention for simplified certification of international documents.  International shipping of goods require significant paperwork whose origin often require authenticating by third parties and foreign officials.  The Apostille treaty replaces the lengthy and expensive process of legalizing documents that are often involved in a chain of certificates.  The Apostille cuts through a country of origin’s red tape by certifying the documents authenticity to foreign administrations.

With the Hague Conference’s recommendations on International Private Law, the ICC has encouraged countries to apply to the Apostille Convention in all circumstances where legalization was required and urged countries who have not joined to join the Convention.

The ICC supports the current procedure in many countries of issuing Apostilles for international documents including health certificates, certificates of conformity/origin, and import/export licenses though the scope of the Convention treaty does not include administrative documents directly dealing with customs/commercial operations.

 

 

Scam Artists Trick Homebuyers with Fake Apostille

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HomebuyerA disturbing trend has emerged in home buying in Indiana and all over the country: scam artists tricking people into illegitimate home sales by using authentications from the Secretary of State to create the illusion that they own vacant property.

The scammers call themselves “sovereign citizens.”  They refuse to follow the law, do not accept the American government as legitimate, and are recognized by the government as domestic terrorists.

They use apostilles and authentications that are meant to be used solely for international business or other transactions that have absolutely nothing to do with property.  Many people are not even aware that they have been targeted until they try to buy and sell property, at which point they have already fallen victim to the scheme.

Although previously the Secretary of State did not have the authority to reject financing statements or liens, it is now able to reject fraudulent filings.  This new power will protect home buyers, civic leaders, and members of law enforcement from being conned by criminals.

Apostilles on Criminal Background Checks

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FBI 258 CardMany employers require a criminal background check as part of their employment process. In order to get a Georiga apostille, or Great Seal, you need to first get your fingerprints taken. Find out whether your employer would like you to get digital or ink fingerprints done for the background check. In Atlanta, companies doing ink fingerprinting are difficult to find; however, a good fingerprinting company is Atlanta Notaries (www.atlantanotaries.com) which can get you in and out of their office in 10 minutes with fingerprints on the FBI FD-258 cards (see left).

With the fingerprint cards in hand, you can take your prints to a local police station and have them run a local background check on you. They will research your police record and send them to you. Once you have this document, you may send it in to be authenticated.  Another option for getting your criminal record is to have the FBI run a national criminal background check on you. Once you receive this document, again you may send it in for authentication.

APEC Member Economies Show Support for Apostille Convention Following Workshop

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APEC ApostilleIn June 2013, the APEC Committee and the Asia Pacific Regional Office of the Hague Conference sponsored the Department of Justice of Hong Kong to host a workshop on the Apostille Convention for representatives of Member Economies of APEC.  During the workshop, members learned about the benefits of adopting the Apostille Convention.  Mainly, adopting the Apostille Convention will boost the effectiveness of APEC’s current initiative, the EoDB (Easy of Doing Business).  This program will improve by making it easier to process international transactions and trading.

Following the workshop at the APEC summit in Bali, Indonesia, the APEC Ministers maintained their positive opinion of the Apostille Convention.  This is a good indicator that APEC will fully adopt the Apostille Convention within the next year or so.