FSW Education requirements

[campbjames]

Hi there,

I'm applying for a FSW visa. I see that, to prove one's education level, you're asked to provide:

•College or university documents: certification of completion and the graduation degree, diploma, or certificate issued by the college or university and the evaluation committee;
•Transcripts: original transcripts of all degrees must be submitted in university-sealed envelopes.

Does anyone know if they expect the original degree certificate and, if so, will it be returned?

And also, what exactly is a "university-sealed envelope"?

Thanks!

[Richter]

You take your certificates to a public notary and the notary makes a copy and puts a seal on each document and notarises it as a true copy, they also attempt to contact the educational establishments as far as possible to ascertain that the certificates are genuine. This is what you send to CIC.

Some people have just made photocopies and got their solicitors to certify them because it is cheaper.

Contact the university and ask them to provide you with a sealed transcript of your degree. This is a copy of your degree transcript which they seal up in an evelope and stamp so that CIC know no one has opened it and possibly tampered with it. You send the unopened envelope to CIC.

When we applied we had everything returned apart from the forms printed from the CIC website, but it is not advisable to send originals of anything (apart from police certs) unless you are prepared to lose them. You are not supposed to photocopy birth and marriage certificates but you can purchase 'legal copies' for a few pounds from the relevant registry offices.

[campbjames]

Thanks so much for the reply!

Would you also send in a notarised copy of the IELTs certificate, or would you send in the original for that?

[Richter]

Must admit I don't know because I didn't have to send one. Check the visa office specific instructions document - got a feeling I have seen somwhere you have to send the original. If in doubt, you could always send original and keep notarised copy.