Is a Post Master from a UK Post Office acceptable for certifying documents? I know they can in Australia, but I'm not sure about the UK.

My parents are applying for a 143 in Perth and need some docs certified in the UK. One post office in the UK certified some documents but another I went to refused as they said it is not a standard post office service. If that is the case, are they accepted by DIAC as acceptable for certifying documents?

Thanks

http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/certification.html

Thanks for the link. Pretty sure therefore Post Office in the UK can't certify.

I thought there was some clause that said something like, "and anything legal in your country".

Post Office Identity Checking Service

When I tried to use the Post Office service, though, they said that there was no button on their tills (on any of them in any branch), so they couldn't do it. Don't know if they've updated their tills yet? I just walked into the Coop bank and they stamped and signed the copies for free and they were accepted by DIAC.

Irrelevant to what DIAC require, they're not interested in the Post Offices of other countries. Some people have been lucky enough to get away with using other people but it's more luck than judgement. The link provided by Roaringmouse shows who DIAC will accept.

The other option is if an applicant is spending any time in Australia before they apply for a visa (not sure if Perth in original post means Scotland or Australia), then they can see a JP to get documents certified. In Victoria they tend to be found in police stations, in Qld from memory in shopping centres - not sure about other states. This is what I did with various documents for my spouse visa, but that's because we were already coming to Australia for a 2nd wedding reception!

Application is being submitted in Perth, Australia where my parents will have a sponsoring son. I arrive in Melbourne in April which gives them the majority of children in Australia. Parents are currently in the UK. They seem to want to 'chance it' having already got docs certified by UK post office but I will try to persuade them otherwise. Not a risk I would have taken. Presumably they risk being asked for properly certified docs which will slow down their application rather than having their application rejected immediately and losing their $80k (for the 2 of them).

Chancing something with such an expensive application would be stupid.

I totally agree..but since when do parents listen to their children! I have photocopies of original certified copies (certified by a lawyer in December 2011). Would these be acceptable or do they have to be the original certified copy? Cheers

They haven't as my post office wouldn't let me do it either for the same reason - no buttn to push! But my parents local post office in Scotland and my brother's local PO in Derbyshire did certify. I think a post master, if they know you might certify as a favour. Problem is that UK Post Office certification is not on the DIAC list for UK certified documents. Back in 2001, I had some docs certified by a bank official which was accepted by DIAC.

Given a CO in Perth, Australia knows that Australian Post Office certification is acceptable, they might accept a UK Post Office Cert when they are not meant to. Not worth taking a chance on with an $80k visa application!

Needs to be the certified copy, not a copy of a certified copy.

Cheers

Just to not that for on-line applications a colour scan is enough, no certification required then.

You can't apply online for a 143.