Melanie Clarke

Melanie Clarke

Melanie is a Digital Marketer and TEFL Specialist at Vital Consular. Before taking up a Marketing role, she spent 3 years building up a rich knowledge of global legalisation processes on the operations team. When she's not working, Melanie enjoys attending music events and pursuing many creative interests including screen printing and merchandise design.
teaching tefl tips

The Cons of Teaching ESL Overseas – Turning Them Into Pros

Going to teach overseas for the first time can feel like a mix of intense emotions. Excitement, nerves, curiosity...all of this is completely normal. One thing you should be sure of is that you've done your research. Whilst reading about something can never truly replace the experience, it can certainly at least prepare you for any obstacles and help you get around them confidently.
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non lucrative visa letter spain

Medical Letters For Residency Visas – Step-by-Step Guide on Legalisation

As COVID restrictions begin to ease, migration is on the rise now that travel is becoming possible again. With Brexit causing paperwork nightmares for many expats, gathering necessary medical documents for the move has become a stressful task for many. Here we explain why, as well as how you can get your paperwork through as quickly as possible if you're making the move abroad.
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Apostille Scam UK

The Latest Scam – How To Check Your Apostille Is Real

During the pandemic, many processes have been more difficult than usual. This has included legal, as well as access to consular services. Some procedures have been adapted where possible, to allow some progress, but others are unable to be by-passed due to their official nature and importance. Because of the difficulties, there have been scams creeping up in order to take advantage of people unaware of complex procedures, desperate to get things moving.
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leaving tefl job china

Leaving a TEFL Job in China – Complete Guide on Doing it Right

Whether you've decided you're leaving a TEFL job in China and returning home, or simply transferring to a different school, you'll need to make sure your paperwork is in order. By skipping any part of the process, you could get into problems later down the line which may cause major delays to your plans, or even worse! When you're overseas, the last thing you need is to be stuck in limbo. Check out our helpful guide on what to do when you're ready to leave your position.
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uk birth certificate change

Changing Your Name On A UK Birth Certificate

We often have customers who get in touch requesting an updated copy of their birth certificate if there have been changes to their name. Whilst changes to the original birth registration is, in some cases, possible, these are exceptional circumstances. In most situations, you don't need to make changes to it.
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working in china latest situation

Going to work in China – The latest on the situation

Although life in China is returning to something close to normal, the government continues to keep a close eye on who's allowed to come into the country. And while most schools are allowing children back into classrooms, there is a major shortage in teaching staff because of continuing travel restrictions across the globe. We look at the situation as it currently stands, from inside and outside China.
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apostille figures 2020

Did Apostille Figures Drop in 2020? – Official Statistics

Due to the travel restrictions, lockdown measures and widespread reductions in workforces across the globe for the majority of the year, you would be forgiven for assuming that the need for Apostilles would have dropped drastically in 2020. We requested official figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and compared them to our own customer data, to see what it revealed.
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qatar distance learning

Can a Distance Education Certificate be Attested for use in Qatar?

When deciding on a degree course to study, your main focus is choosing a quality provider and ensuring that the structure of study will fit in with your life. With so many adults deciding to re-train or boost their expertise around current jobs or family commitments, distance learning qualifications are becoming more and more popular. But what are the pitfalls you may face further down the line?
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teaching english overseas TEFL

All you need to know about legalising your TEFL for use overseas

Teaching English abroad with a TEFL qualification is becoming a popular option for many people who are looking to relocate. The chance to immerse yourself in the local culture through language can be a wonderful, rewarding and exciting experience. With this surge in popularity, a host of issues have come to light when qualified TEFL tutors are attempting to use these awards overseas. What are these issues and how can they be resolved?
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BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION WALK

Walking Batley to Dubai – Our journey so far

Here at Vital Consular we're undertaking a virtual step challenge in order to fundraise for the British Heart Foundation. Many charities have struggled with funding during lockdown, so we chose a fundraising activity we could all get involved with, as well as keep up fit. We set a huge target of walking from our head office in Batley to our Middle East office in Dubai, but we're almost half way already!
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certified notarizes difference

Document Verification, Legalisation, Notarisation, Authentication or Attestation?

Who would imagine that there are so many terms for essentially the same concept? The process of taking a document issued in one country and making it legally recognised in another isn't exactly a straightforward process, but it is often made more complicated by differing terminology. Here we will explain the differences (and similarities) between these terms and clear up any confusion.
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