Canadian Documents for use in Australia
Like Canada, Australia was once part of the British empire. Securing its autonomy in 1901, Australia has since become the envy of many around the world. Its tropical climate, productive economy, and high quality of life has tempted many foreign nationals to make the journey to the large Oceanian country from all parts of the world for travel, education, employment, or business opportunities. Indeed, many businesses have also taken substantial interest in Australia in the last decade and it cannot be truer of Canadian businesses. Addressing corporate affairs in Australia will inevitably require the use of multiple documents such as certificate of incorporation, articles of incorporation, commercial invoice and certificate of origin. As the known home to a booming music and entertainment scene, many artists and their labels are likewise drawn to Australia for various music festivals, concerts, and tours. They may need to require some of those documents just mentioned along with a proof of identity such as a Canadian passport or ID copy for use in Australia. This is often provided for tax purposes which are further discussed in the “Canadian Corporate Documents for use in Australia” section of this article. Despite sharing a close bond, documents cannot be exchanged freely between the two countries. More specifically, they cannot be accepted in their original states since there is no way of telling if that document is legitimate. This is simply because authorities in Canada and Australia cannot be expected to be familiar with every single Australian or Canadian document, respectively. There needs to be a simplified process which ensures that a foreign issued document is real and true. This is why the apostille process was developed. Australia and dozens of other countries use this process but Canada does not. Since it never signed the Hague apostille convention, Canada uses the original foreign document verification process that was in place prior to the apostille: authentication and legalization. If you have Canadian documents that need to be used in Australia or anywhere else in the world they will need to go through this two step process.
Canadian Documents Apostille, Authentication Legalization for use in Australia
Authentication and legalization may be an overwhelming process but it is a pretty easy one to understand. The process focuses around signatures on documents. Some documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, and RCMP checks are issued with signatures from recognized authorities. Documents which do not have these signatures, most notably corporate documents, require notarization from a lawyer or notary public. These parties are also authorities recognized by Global Affairs Canada, who will place their authentication stamp, seal, and signature upon verifying that a document contains a signature from one of the above mentioned authorities. This completes the step of authentication; Global Affairs Canada validating the signature of another Canadian authority. Legalization takes place at the consular section of the embassy in which the documents will be used, in this case the Australian High Commission (equivalent to an embassy). Since it is not feasible for every single embassy in Canada to have the signatures of the RCMP, provincial vital statistics offices, lawyers and notary publics, most only have the signatures of the staff at Global Affairs Canada on file. The consul at the consular section will legalize your documents upon verifying the signature of any of the current staff from Global Affairs Canada by placing his or her own stamp, seal and signature on the document thus making it valid for use in that country. However, things get complicated when you know that both Global Affairs Canada and the Australian High Commission have their own requirements and fees (in the case of legalization) that need to be met before authentication and legalization can be completed. Each stage also has its own processing time: authentication can take up to 20 business days and legalization times can vary considerably depending on numerous circumstances such as the time of year. It gets even more complicated when you know that these requirements and fees change fairly frequently, and that it is often very difficult to reach Global Affairs Canada or the Australian High Commission for information or clarification. Combine this with the extensive and uncertain processing time and you have a recipe for serious delay and potential disaster. In short, wasting lots of time and money and potentially missing your deadline in Australia. Thankfully, there is a simple way to avoid this common occurrence: ALSC.
For over 25 years we have been processing Canadian documents for use in over 100 countries around the world and for countless purposes. These include reasons such as for education, employment, marriage, citizenship, and business. Naturally, we are the experts in Canadian documents ranging from Canadian passport copies, birth certificates, and powers of attorney to certificates of origin, manufacturer’s certificates, board resolutions, and Certificate of Pharmaceutical Products. Having assisted thousands of individuals and businesses over the years, we have developed an efficient process that has become the industry standard. Indeed, we were the first to provide this service and continue our long standing tradition of providing the highest quality service possible. In addition, we have built strong professional relationships with not only Global Affairs Canada and the Australian High Commission, but virtually every embassy in Ottawa and dozens more across Canada. These relationships allow us to further expedite our services by being up to date on and in many cases one of the first to know of changing requirements and fees. When you use our services our agents help you prepare your documents and any requirements you have to provide for legalization. You can save as much as 20 business days off of your processing time if you choose our priority same business day authentication service. We also offer a standard 3 business day and economy 10 business day service that may better suit your document needs. Regardless, you have time and minimize errors. You will have your own personal agent providing you with detailed updates at every step of the way, ensuring your peace of mind. In fact, our agents are available at all times during office hours to answer your questions and address any concerns you might have. As the most accessible company in our industry, you can save yourself a trip to the post office and choose to drop off your documents at any one of our service centers in Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, North York, Victoria, Vancouver, Mississauga, Halifax, or Montreal. When you drop off your documents at any one of our service centers, you receive free shipping via FedEx to our head office in Ottawa for processing. Upon completion of legalization, your documents can either be shipped to any one of our service centers for free via FedEx again, or shipped elsewhere in the world they need to go at an additional, affordable cost. Either way, you save processing time and money. Before you go anywhere make sure you contact our head office to make an appointment and get started with us. We strongly recommend you do this as soon as possible if you have a deadline to meet involving Canadian documents for use in Australia. Feel free to continue reading for additional information about using some Canadian documents in Australia.
Canadian Corporate Documents for use in Australia
As a Canadian business, you may be looking to partner with an Australian business, expand or modify existing subsidiaries, or even hope to put some Canadian products on Australian shelves. Regardless of your purposes, you will probably need some of the following documents authenticated and legalized for use in Australia: certificate of incorporation, articles of incorporation, articles of amendment, resolution, power of attorney, commercial invoice, certificate of origin. The documents you require will depend entirely on the demands of your requesting party or affiliate in Australia. Ensure you clarify exactly which documents you will need to prevent any delays or additional costs. If you are a musician or a record label which is managing a musician, you may need to provide some Canadian documents to register with the Australian Tax Office. The exact documents may vary but will include some form of identification such as a Canadian passport copy, birth certificate, ID or driver’s license copy, and possibly even an RCMP police check. It is also common that a certificate of incorporation, articles of incorporation, or other similar document will be required. Once the appropriate documents have been authenticated and legalized for use in Australia, they will have to go to the Australian Tax Office for a Tax File Number or TFN. This will be required to file for a tax return and get a refund on any additional taxes that were accrued and paid by the promoter during the festival, tour, or concert. There is a risk of double taxation if you do not go through this process.
As briefly mentioned earlier, most Canadian corporate documents will require notarization by a lawyer or notary public. As an existing business you may already know this and you may also already have many of these documents ready to go or at least in an accessible location. If this is the case, make sure to check that they have been properly notarized and that the stamp seal and signature all belong to the same person. If they do not match, Global Affairs Canada cannot authenticate the document. This is something commonly overlooked and is one of the most common causes of delay. There are many cases where notarized copies of corporate documents are preferred, usually when the originals cannot risk being damaged or altered, or are very difficult to have reissued. In fact, in our experience most businesses choose to make notarized copies of their original documents. Again, make sure to clarify with the requesting party whether notarized copies will suffice.
If you need to get your articles of amendment or articles of amalgamation, you can start by filling out the forms found by clicking here. If you need a Canadian commercial invoice or certificate of origin for use in Australia, you can use the “TradeCert – Certification Made Simple” service offered by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to certify these documents. The signatures from some staff at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is recognized by Global Affairs Canada which makes any documents signed by them ready for authentication upon issuance. If you choose to have your documents processed through the Canadian Chamber of Commerce here in Ottawa, we can pick up your signed documents from their office downtown at no additional cost and begin the authentication and legalization process shortly afterwards. Alternatively, you can send us your completed forms via email for processing. If you are curious about either of these two possibilities, please contact our head office beforehand. Many of our clients choose these options as they often save processing time.
ALSC: The experts for Canadian documents in Australia
Despite its apparently simplicity, authentication and legalization can be a confusing process to go through. This is because so much of it is outside of your control; the staff at Global Affairs Canada and the consular section of the embassy have authority over your documents. Often times you have little to no say or sway in the process since your attempts to contact these authorities is swamped by the thousands of others who are attempting to do the same. The only way to ensure the process goes smoothly is to be physically present at the points of authentication and legalization. Unfortunately, the former is not feasible if you do not live in Ottawa. Even if you decide to make the trip to be present at each stage you would still not know if you have properly prepared the necessary requirements and may run into serious issues which cannot be fixed on the spot. Our agents see this every day both at Global Affairs Canada and various embassies in Ottawa. It can be particularly upsetting when you have traveled a long distance and have limited time to complete the process which is often the case. This is where our experts come in. We know exactly what to look for at each stage. We know exactly how each embassy prefers its documents organized and presented. Most importantly, we have a personal presence and the professional relationships that allows us to keep up with changing requirements and fees and resolve any issues or questions which may arise at either stage quickly and effectively. There is no surprise then that we have an A+ rating with the BBB, dozens of 5-star reviews on Facebook and Google. Simply put, we are the best in our industry. Our service guarantee means your Canadian documents will be valid for use in Australia. No headaches and minimal delays; just a few of the ALSC advantages. Click below to get started with your Canadian documents in Australia!
