What you need for the United States
Why people send Canadian documents to the United States
Each situation has its own requirements. Here are the ones we see most often, with the detail that avoids a refusal.
Immigration: green card, visa or citizenship
USCIS, the US immigration service, accepts originals or photocopies and can ask for the original if needed; it does not require an apostille. For an immigrant visa, the State Department publishes the list of acceptable Canadian documents: a full-size birth certificate or certified copy of the registration, a court-certified final divorce decree, and an RCMP criminal record check based on fingerprints.
Buying or selling a condo in Florida or elsewhere
Many Canadians own property in the United States. To sign a deed or a power of attorney from Canada, the signature is taken by a Canadian notary. Florida law, for example, recognizes an acknowledgment made before a foreign notary or a civil-law notary who affixes their official seal. Depending on the state, the county or the title insurance company, an apostille may also be required.
Settling the US assets of a relative who died
When someone domiciled in Canada leaves real estate, an account or a vehicle in the United States, a probate proceeding may be needed in the state where the asset is located. The US lawyer generally asks for the death certificate, the will and the document confirming the liquidator's or executor's authority, as certified copies.
Setting up a subsidiary or doing business in a state
A Canadian company registering in a US state, opening a bank account or signing with a partner often has to prove it exists: certificate of status, articles of incorporation, board resolution. Each secretary of state sets its own requirements, including how recent the certificate must be. Banks and lawyers may also ask for an apostille on these documents.
Which Canadian authority apostilles your document
The authority depends on where in Canada the document was issued or notarized, never on where you live now or where the document is going. We confirm it at the free pre-check, before you send anything.
| Document | Canadian authority | Notary first? |
|---|---|---|
| Birth, marriage or death certificate | The province that issued it (Québec, Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan), or Global Affairs Canada for all others | No |
| RCMP criminal record check | Global Affairs Canada | No |
| Degree, diploma, transcript | The province of the institution | Often, depending on the province |
| Power of attorney, statutory declaration, affidavit | The province of the notary or lawyer | Yes, the notarial act is what gets apostilled |
| Corporate documents | The province of the registry, or Global Affairs Canada for Corporations Canada | Sometimes, depending on the document |
Do you need a translation for the United States?
For immigration, USCIS does not require a sworn translator. The federal rule is specific: any document containing a foreign language must come with a full English translation, and the translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate into English. A translator certified in Canada is generally fine, as long as that certification is attached.
Courts, county recorders and title insurance companies may have their own requirements, such as a notarized translation. A Quebec document in French, even with an apostille, will not be processed without a translation. If the recipient wants a complete translation, have the apostille and stamps translated too. The authority that receives your document decides; we confirm the requirement during our pre-check.
Three mistakes that delay a file for the United States
Avoid this
A wallet-size birth certificate
The State Department does not accept short-form birth cards or commemorative certificates for an immigrant visa. You need the full-size certificate or the certified copy of the registration. Order the right format from the start to avoid a second round.
Avoid this
The wrong kind of record check
Only the RCMP fingerprint-based check is accepted for an immigrant visa. A local police check, or a check requested for visa or travel purposes, will be refused. Be precise about the request type when you get fingerprinted.
Avoid this
A translation without the translator's certification
An English translation, however good, is not enough for USCIS without the translator's certification of competence and accuracy. That missing page often triggers a request for evidence. Make sure it is attached to every translation.
Useful guides: RCMP fingerprints from abroad · RCMP criminal record check · Birth certificates · Powers of attorney · Ordering a Canadian document
Does the United States accept Canadian apostilles?
Does USCIS require an apostille?
Which Canadian birth certificate should I provide for an immigrant visa?
Can my Canadian or Quebec notary take my signature for a US document?
Who can translate my documents for the United States?
I already live in the US. Can you get my Canadian documents?
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