Breaking News: US DOS Reduces Document Processing To 5 Weeks

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WCS has received notice that the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, will now process documents within 5 weeks, starting in March 2023. Additional staffing has been recruited to reduce the current backlog. The timeline for completing documents had expanded to 11 weeks, causing concern among businesses and individuals using the service.

WCS expresses special gratitude to the office of U.S. Senator Van Hollen (Maryland) and to the State Department for achieving the improved timeline. The Department’s Office of Authentications is expected to return to pre-pandemic staffing by April 2023. This will further expedite document processing.

The two main types of required authentication are Apostille and Legalization. For government-issued documents, issued by agencies such as the FDA and the FBI, international protocol requires stamping by the responsible ministry, represented in the U.S. by the Department of State.

WCS welcomes this news as a great step forward in the promotion of global trade and the timely distribution of vital medicines and medical equipment, as well as other crucial products and services, such as food and academic records.

Pakistan accedes to the Apostille Convention

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Fifty-two years after the Apostille Treaty was created at the Hague Convention, growth in new signatories continues: On March 9th, 2023, Pakistan will become the newest participant.

As of this date, the Pakistani Embassy will no longer accept documents for the legalization process, but rather engage in the streamlined Apostille process, as established by the treaty.

At WCS, we have already prepared for a smooth transition. WCS will provide you with an apostille for Pakistan. From there, your document will be completed and ready for use in Pakistan—no additional steps are required.

Processing time at the U.S. Department of State is currently 11 weeks. All new document authentications, therefore, will be processed as apostilles starting March 9, 2023.

Pakistan will abolish the traditional requirement for legalization, which is often a lengthy and costly legalization process, with the issuance of a single Apostille certificate. This simplified framework facilitates the international circulation of public documents for individuals, families, and regulatory operators.

The HCCH 1961 Apostille convention has over 120 contracting parties and has become one of the most widely applied multilateral treaties in legal cooperation, with several million Apostilles issued each year.

Pakistan now joins recent new participants to the Hague treaty, such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. As always, you can count on WCS to manage the transition.
Westex CEO

WCS – Westex Group Gains Advisory Board Seat at the Global Chamber

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WCS and its sister company, Westex Group, were delighted to host the Global Chamber’s Autumn event in support of global trade. During the event, Varghese George, founder and CEO was welcomed and introduced as the newest member of the Advisory Board by the Chamber’s Mi Jeong Hibbitts.

Varghese George recounted how his company began in a one-room office on Washington’s storied K Street corridor. He professed optimism for the future of global trade and breakthroughs in the supply-chain system. On K Street, situated among Washington’s influential power-brokers, he built a dynamic enterprise in the mid-1980s, exporting American goods to international infrastructure projects.

Shortly after, he saw a new business opportunity and founded WCS (Washington Consular Services) to meet the documentation requirements of the same businesses sending goods abroad. As developments have progressed, WCS is now a pioneer in document legalization and apostille services for the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. Many of the most well-known global brands in various areas are represented on the company’s esteemed client list.

WCS, or Washington Consular Services, handles direct, comprehensive, and trustworthy document authentication services for international corporations. Westex Group is a renowned supply-chain management service specializing in locating materials, managing procurement, and facilitating export while adhering to budgets and deadlines. Please reach out to our associates at:

WCS: Info@wcss.com

Westex: Sales@westexgroup.com

Maryland State Capital Building.

WCS OCTOBER UPDATE

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The State of Maryland has moved to Stage Three of the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery. Stage Three updates safety protocols and expands reopening plans. However, Washington DC and other neighboring states are still in Phase 2 of their respective COVID-19 recovery plans.

We continue to experience delays in authentication from the US Department of State. We are hopeful of an improvement in the coming months, as we have enlisted the assistance of our congressional delegations and industry associations to encourage more efficiency in document processing to reduce turnaround times for documents. State authorities and Embassies in Washington, DC have adapted to the crisis and turnaround times are predictable and improving.

We are also pleased to inform you that the Embassies of Vietnam and Egypt are now accepting documents directly (without processing through the U.S. Department of State) and this has greatly improved processing for these countries.

Our staff is practicing social distancing while working to meet our client needs. Additionally, we are taking all preventative measures to sanitize and safeguard the workspace as guided by our state.

WCS has recently launched a new website to bring in an exclusive user experience. WCS Express™ application provides the best option for legalization of your documents. The Submit a Request form is now replaced by the Order Now button, which will take you directly to WCS Express™. If you’ve never created an account–don’t worry, it’s simple and free to register! Please, contact us if you need more information. The WCS team is at your service, should you require any additional assistance,

Thank you for your continued support, stay safe and we hope you will enjoy using WCS Express™!

WCS Website: A New Look!

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WCS has launched a new website recently to bring in an exclusive user experience. WCS Express™ application provides the best option for legalization of your documents. It provides very clear instructions and makes the process of order management seamless and transparent. We have created this application to give you the convenience of placing orders, checking status, making payments and tracking document submissions and more.

Watch a short video we made recently to introduce WCS Express.

The Submit a Request form is now replaced by the Order Now button, which will take you directly to WCS Express.

It is completely free to use, and very easy to create an account & navigate our services. Click here to log-on to WCS Express™ today!

If you are an existing customer; you should already have the login information to WCS Express. Place your orders in WCS Express and send the original document via mail or request us to process the attachment in WCS Express. Please, reach out to the WCS team at info@wcss.com should you require any additional assistance or have any suggestions.

Thank you for your continued support, we hope you will enjoy using WCS Express!

-WCS TEAM 

 

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