Legalization of Documentations.... Heads Up!

Yes, I just made up a new word.. Documentations. Yes, I'm a strange little butterfly living in a world where a vast majority of the people who surround me worry about being judged.


I'm posting partially because I don't know what I'm doing, and partially because I want to try and keep people informed about legalizing documents for Chile when I find out information about the subject. I have dug a little bit on how to legalize documents for Chile. Legalizing your diploma from a college (not sure about high school ones) is important... because without it your degree is not LEGAL and DOESN'T mean anything in Chile.

If you are teaching English in Chile (at a language company or somewhere) you don't need to do this, but if you get a job teaching English at a regular school (like a K-12 one) then you need to do this. (Or so I've come to hear).  (I guess the government "looks" the other way for English teaching companies because the turn over rate is pretty high)

AS with most everything dealing with the Chilean government it takes a LOT of time if you wait until you're in the country to start this process. So, it's best to start it while you're stateside. Which is what I'm going to attempt to do.. I found a page on the Chicago Consulate that gives directions to legalize a document. It doesn't sound confusing, but I have heard that each university, where your degree originated, does the first step of notarizing the degree different.

I also have read that you're going to need a LOT of self addressed envelopes....

There is more info on my Websites for Chile... Not a whole lot more, but there's some.

Anyways, I'll keep you posted on what happens in this process. (I really don't have time to start this until next Friday because I have school. Thank God conferences are next week I need a break from the regular classroom teaching). Or if anyone has any info feel free to share. :)

Suerte,
Leslie

P.S. I'm doing this because if I do decide to stay longer than a year in Chile, and get a job at a school I won't have to worry about anything. :)