The China Consulate in Chicago authenticates documents,
with Secretary of State certifications, from the following States:
Colorado Illinois
Indiana
Iowa Kansas
Michigan Minnesota Missouri
Wisconsin
|
Consulate Fee (per document) |
Consulate Fee (per Business document) |
Turnaround |
| $20 | $40 | 4 business days |
| $40 | $60 | 48 hours |
| $50 | $70 | 24 hours |
My Courier
Fee (per family): $ 60 1-4 Documents
$ 75 5 Documents
$ 90 6 Documents
$105 7 Documents
$120 8 Documents
$135 9 Documents
$150 10 or more Documents
Include
the following for Document Authentication (my address is listed below):
Consulate Document Fee: A
money order or cashier check made payable to:
"Chinese Consulate in Chicago"
(no personal
or business checks)
Adopting Families may
add the Consulate fee to my
courier fee
My Courier Fee: A money order, cashier
check or business check made payable to:
There's
Always Hope!
Adopting Families may pay my
courier fee by personal check and can also
include the Consulate Visa fee ... yes this is true...really!
Original Documents:
Send all of the original
documents that have been Certified by
the Secretary of State (list of States on
previous page),
that
you want
Authenticated
NOTE: The Chicago Consulate will no longer authenticate the following
documents if the date on the document is more than 6 months old:
Medical Forms/Letters, Police Clearances, Marriage License,
Financial Document and
Employment Letters*
* Recently some Employment letters have been rejected for the 6 month
rule for the "way" they were written. Because the Consulate could
not explain to me in what "way" caused them to be rejected, I suggest
them being less than 6 months old, but I will submit if older to see if
they will pass, if requested to do so.
Also make sure the notary date is the same date on the document and or the
same date as the signer of the document, or the Consulate will reject it...
call me to discuss if you think a
document has this issue.
G1 Form:
Application Form for Authentication or Notarization: Send me this form filled out
in Black or Blue ink. Note: Rush service is "Next Day",
not "Same Day" as the form states.
If you need more that 5 lines to list the documents, just make 2-3 columns out
of the 5 lines.
You do not need to be detailed on the description of each document,
example: Homestudy,
Medical-Wife, Medical-Husband, etc.
G1 Form Link <--- G1 form (PDF format)
Copies: Send a
copy of the passport
photo & signature page of the person who filled out the G1
form AND a
full copy (black
and white only, no color copies) of each document being
Authenticated
(including the homestudy) which will include the Secretary of
State page.
[do not
remove staples, just fold over and get the best copy you can]
If you cannot provide the copy of the passport photo/signature page call me to discuss.
Contact info: Your
Prepaid
Return Airbill: Enclose a prepaid,
self-addressed airbill (I have the envelopes)
And for added insurance, just put a little tape over the sealed area of the
envelope...
Submit to Consulate Date:
Documents are submitted to the Consulate
my next
Email
Me The Tracking Number:
Email me at
info@theres-always-hope.com
with the Send
Email: Email me when you have
received your documents back. I do
track them
and email address, so I can send you status updates.
I send a Status email after I have submitted your documents and after I have
sent your documents back to you.
There will
be no contact from me if I do not have your
email address.
I
cannot confirm delivery of your package to me (there
are not enough
hours
in a day!), so please make
note of the tracking number so you can verify
delivery (either online or
call the
shipper).
Even though the tracking info states your package was
left at my front door
or on my porch, it is placed in a
safe location known to the delivery
drivers.
of a trackable shipping service:
UPS, FedEx or USPS-Express Mail
(for USPS-Express Mail, No metered postage, only Stamps
that add up
to $18.30), for
the return of your documents.
[ Please Print Clearly and Press Hard on the
return airbill/mailing label]
Fill in where you want your documents returned to. In the FROM
section
put your name and address (or leave
blank), not my info (if possible).
Then
if there are any issues with your account number or credit card number
for
payment, the shipper will bill you and not
me! 
If you will not be home when delivery occurs and you
want the shipper to
leave your package, make sure you sign the Waiver of Signature or
Release
of Signature on the airbill.
UPS and FedEx drop boxes have
supplies (airbills & envelopes). If you do
not have a UPS or FedEx account number, you can put your credit card
number
on the airbill for payment. Also UPS Stores and FedEx-Kinko's can
assist you
with the shipment, but beware... some UPS Stores are independently owned
and
charge way to much $$$.
* * * IMPORTANT
* * *
When sending me your applications, do
not request the delivery service
obtain a signature, as I am at the Consulate when delivery occur, and Zoey the
cat cannot sign (no paw prints accepted).
If you are sending me your documents via "USPS Express
Mail", through the
U.S. Post Office, make sure you check
the box 
AND 
sign
the
Waiver of Signature (pink area on the airbill). If not, and I am not
available
at delivery time, it could be several days before I can get it from the Post
Office.
If you are sending me your applications via FedEx, UPS or DHL,
mark:
"No Signature Required".
Your package is
placed in a safe location, even though the tracking info
may state "left at front door". It seems to be the only
notation the delivery
companies have when a package is left, but not actually given to the
recipient.
Express Mail from the USPS Post Office is not
necessarily next day delivery,
to me or back to you... it could be 2 days, depending on your zipcode.
Also
Priority Mail is not trackable, you can purchase delivery confirmation,
but it
is not trackable.
Note: Your return package will not be in the shippers tracking
system
until sometime after 7
p.m. If I could not send back on the pickup
date I will call to let
you know.
with cold or hot weather,
sometimes the seal does not stay completely sealed
(now if you cover the entire
top of the package including the pull tabs, I might
charge you a retrieval fee!)
business day after receiving
them. I do not go to
the Consulate on Wednesdays or Fridays, but
phone calls and
deliveries are
accepted, as well
as
deliveries on Saturday.
tracking number, to let me know your documents
have been sent. This is very
important to ensure no
package has gone astray
and also so I can
plan my
workday.
and close
out your file when I see that they have been delivered, but
this
will let me know that you actually have them.
It also gives you the
opportunity to say how wonderful, fabulous, and great I am!
(just checking to see how many read this far!)
More
1. Before documents are Authenticated
by the Chinese Consulate, they
first
Notes! must be
Certified
(NOT Apostiled)
by the "Secretary of
State", in the
State in which the
document was issued (Vital Records: Birth & Marriage)
or was
Notarized. Certification at the Secretary of State, ensures the
Government Official
is valid or the Notary
is valid
(stamp and signature
match
the Notary's
original application and expiration date is correct).
2. When
making copies (one set for the Consulate, one set for your agency,
and one set for you to take to
China), do not remove any
staples, as that
would "technically"
void the Certification
& Authentication
process.
Just do the best you can, folding over the pages to get
the best complete
copy... and yes, your documents will look like you
wrestled them from a
Panda after you have finished your copies!
(No color copies)
3.
Vacation Notice: If I am on vacation or will be closed, there will be a
notice located at
the top of every web page well in advance... so check
the website before sending your documents.
I understand if you need to call and verify that I will be
available and to
hear a live
voice, but be forewarned... I might go on and on and on about
my
fantastic kids, my husband and our cat!
process. There have
been a few times that the delivery service did not
deliver the
documents to
me or back to you,
on the scheduled delivery date.
Documents submitted Monday: pickup is the following
Monday
Documents submitted Tuesday: pickup is the following
Monday
Documents submitted Thursday: pickup is the following Thursday
If there is a holiday or closing within the
4 business days, add an
extra day for each day
the Consulate is closed.
Documents are submitted to the Consulate
my next
business day after
receiving
them. I do not go to the Consulate on Wednesdays or Fridays
(I am working) but phone calls and
deliveries are
accepted, as well as
deliveries on Saturday.
6. Business Documents: Call to discuss as there are other
requirements for Business
Documents.
7. Once your documents have been submitted to the Consulate, the
turnaround
cannot be changed.
If you will
be using another courier service, mailing or walking in your documents
yourself, the
process will be different.
There's
Always Hope!
c/o Denise Hope
23408 South Kathey Drive
Channahon, IL 60410
(815)
690-7035
email: info@theres-always-hope.com
9/11/2001
Jeff Mladenik † China A-Parent
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