Global Affairs – Authentication Legalization Services
Global Affairs Canada is Federal Government Department located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. One of the offices within Global Affairs Canada is the authentication legalization services offered in the document authentication section (JLAC).
This office deals with the authentication of Canadian documents for use in foreign countries.
Document authentication is the Canadian equivalent to an Apostille or Attestation. The authentication service is provided free of charge but there are limitations should one try to do this on their own. Global Affairs suggests that a third party be used in order to obtain faster processing.
Does Global Affairs Canada suggest one company over others?
Are Global Affairs Canada authentication legalization services recommended?
Global Affairs Canada remains neutral in that they do not recommend any one third-party document authentication or Apostille company over another. The Global Affairs Canada website has been updated in recent years to suggest that if documents need to be processed urgently that one consider hiring an “Authentication Legalization Services” or “Process Server”.
Nowhere on this government website does it suggest using one company over another. The website also does not rate the services that might be offered by any such third party service provider.
Despite claims made by competitors, there is no such recommendation made by Global Affairs Canada favouring any competitor company. It would appear to us that the adjustment to the Global Affairs website has been made simply to assist individuals with finding third-party service providers so that their documents might be processed quicker. It is important that one conduct some due diligence when trying to determine which authentication legalization service might be right for you.
What are things to consider when hiring authentication legalization services?
There are two main factors that should be taken into consideration when contemplating using a third-party service provider. These two factors are knowledgebase and cost. A quick call or e-mail exchange with the prospective service provider should provide enough information to determine if they have the skills to assist with the authentication of the documents with Global Affairs Canada.
Should legalization be required does the service provider have detailed knowledge of the diplomatic mission? Having a significant knowledge of the process requirements is very important.
The other key factor to consider is cost. Arguably the fees charged for services to be rendered should be relatively similar. We have found that the fees charged by the various third party service providers vary widely.
This is another area where due diligence is important. In our view, there is no need to charge for urgent processing if the documents are not urgently required. The services offered by our office are matched with individual requirements.
We have devised a unique approach, The Completion Time Method, and it is employed when assisting our clients with the authentication and legalization of documents. Our approach takes into consideration a client’s timeline to have the documents completed, the approximate time that an Embassy or consulate might take to complete the legalization and finally the courier transit time.
How can Capital Authentication help me with Canadian document authentication?
The office of Capital Authentication attends regularly at Global Affairs Canada for the purpose of assisting our clients with the authentication of their Canadian documents for use abroad. We offer four different processing options that allow our customers to choose the one that best suits their individual needs.
Our office would welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements as they pertain to Canadian document authentication. Capital Authentication = Excellence in the offering of authentication legalization services. Feel free to reach out to us by e-mail: info@capitalauthentication.com or telephone at: 613-236-9975.
