by Antoine Licois

Certified copies

When applying for immigration or educational purposes, you will need to certify that the copies of your original documents and translations are genuine. To certify you document, make a copy of it (making sure the text, images, photographs are visible and identifiable), then visit your local Justice of the Peace (JP) to certify it is a genuine copy of the original.

If your document is in a foreign language (not in English), you must first get your documents translated as a true and correct copy by an authorized translation service. Luckily, we specialize in providing document translation services for immigration and educational purposes. You can get an instant free quote for your document translation from us. All our translations are done by certified translators which are accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters or NAATI for short.

If you translate your documents through us, the stamp will show the professional translator’s name, NAATI language accreditation level and number, and signature.

If the NAATI translator does not use a stamp, or the stamp does not include their name, they should print their name underneath their signature.

Justice of the Peace

A Justice of the Peace (JP) is generally someone with a good image in the community who is authorised to act as an independent and objective witness to documents people use for official or legal purposes. JPs can have separate roles based on their jurisdictions.

Usually, a Justice of the Peace can assist you with

• witnessing oaths, affidavits or signatures
• taking affirmations and statutory declarations
• attesting the execution of a document
• certifying a true copy of an original document

Certifying the copies of your documents is a free service, and most states include a search to find a JP near you. Find a JP in:

• ACT
• NSW
• NT
• QLD
• SA
• VIC
• WA