The processing time to obtain an apostille through the US Department of State – Office of Authentications has increased to over 60 days!
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 – An apostille is a certificate issued by the US Department of State which authenticates the official who has signed your U.S. Federal documents. Since 1980, the United States has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.
What was once a four-business day turn around to obtain a U.S. Department of State Apostille has now ballooned to an unheard of 8-12 weeks with no indication that the processing time will subside this year. Since March 20, 2020, the US Department of State – Office of Authentications has closed their in-person counter service thus eliminating the quick turn-around time most people and businesses have been accustomed to.
We can estimate that the U.S. Department of State will not reopen their in-person counter service until February 2021. We believe the delays are because of the ongoing health risks related to COVID-19, limited staff, and the upcoming 2020 Presidential election.
The US Department of State requires all documents submitted to also include Form DS-4194. If you have questions on how to complete Form DS-4194, please contact our office. In an effort to help streamline the process, our office will complete this form once we receive your documents at our Washington, D.C. office.
If you need to apostille your FBI background check, a good rule of thumb is to obtain a recent copy and immediately overnight or e-mail it to our office for processing. We can apostille a digital FBI background check in a PDF format or the hardcopy. Most countries will accept a background check issued within the past 90 days with an apostille. Please double check with your contact in the foreign country. We have also learned that the Consulates of Spain and Italy have been flexible in dealing with the delay of obtaining an apostille on the background check.
The most common documents we apostille through the US Department of State are: FBI background checks, Social Security Income and Benefits Statement (SSA), US Patent and Trademark documents (USPTO), IRS Form 6166, Certificate of Free Sale (FDA), Certificate to Foreign Government (FDA), Certificate of Naturalization, and documents from the USDA and USCIS.
Apostille, Inc. is the leader in document Authentication, Certification, Apostille, & Embassy or Consulate Legalization. We provide fast document authentication services through all 50 U.S. States, the Secretary of D.C., and the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. We are a registered service provider with the Secretary of State – Authentications, Apostilles, and Certificates.
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