We are asking NSW to let NSW JPs certify Indian documents  — the same way every other Australian state already allows — and to work with the Indian Consulate to remove the NSW-only Notary requirement.

 

Why I Started This Petition

I am a dad living in New South Wales.

A few weeks ago, we welcomed our newborn baby into the world — a moment filled with happiness, sleepless nights, hospital visits, and all the beautiful chaos that comes with becoming parents again.

During this time, like all Indian parents in Australia, I had to complete essential paperwork for my baby:

OCI application
Passport-related documents
Certified copies
Identity proofs

But instead of walking into a local Justice of the Peace (JP) for free — the same way parents in every other Australian state can — I was told:

“Because you live in NSW, you MUST use a Notary Public and pay $80–$110 per document.”

With a newborn in my arms.

With barely any sleep.

With multiple baby appointments every week.

With cost-of-living already crushing families.

It felt unfair, unnecessary, and discriminatory — a rule that only affects NSW Indians.

I had done this once before for my older child, but doing it again with a newborn made me realise how deeply wrong this NSW-only rule is.

The Unfair NSW Rule

Because of a legal technicality in NSW:

NSW Justices of the Peace are not allowed to certify documents for use overseas

Even when the foreign country (like India) explicitly accepts JP attestation
So the Indian Consulate in Sydney and VFS cannot accept JP-certified documents from NSW residents

Yet…

👉 In Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, ACT, Tasmania and NTparents can freely use JPs for these exact same Indian documents.

NSW is the only state in Australia where Indian residents must pay a Notary for basic consular paperwork.

This means:

❌ New parents have to find a Notary

❌ Travel long distances with newborn babies

❌ Take time off work

❌ Pay $80–$110 per document

❌ Go through stress at a time they should be bonding with their baby

Meanwhile parents in other states:

✔ Walk into their local JP

✔ Get their documents stamped in 5 minutes

✔ Pay nothing

✔ No stress, no cost, no confusion

Same country. Same documents. Completely unequal treatment.

Who This Affects

This issue impacts:

Families with newborn babies
Parents applying for OCI for their children
Seniors who need Life Certificates
Students renewing Indian passports
Anyone managing property or identity documents in India
More than 260,000 Indian-origin residents in NSW

This is not a niche problem — it affects thousands of households every year.

💙 What We Are Asking the NSW Government To Do

Here is the clear, simple request embedded directly in the petition:

1️⃣ Change NSW law so that NSW Justices of the Peace (JPs) are permitted to witness and certify documents for use overseas

when the foreign government already accepts a JP as an authorised witness — including the Government of India.

This includes:

OCI documents
Indian passport paperwork
PCC
Life certificates
Property declarations
Certified copies required by VFS/Indian Consulate

2️⃣ Work with the Consulate General of India (Sydney) and VFS Global to update their guidelines so NSW residents can use JPs just like residents of all other states.

3️⃣ Remove the NSW-only restriction that forces families to pay unnecessary Notary fees, even though:

Other states allow JP certification
JP services are free, trained, and regulated.The Indian Government accepts JP attestation

4️⃣ Recognise that JPs are an essential free community service especially for newborn parents, seniors, students, and workers who need certified documents for identity, travel, pensions, and property matters.

Why This Matters

No parent of a newborn should have to:

Pay $100 for a simple stamp
Travel across the city with an infant
Miss work to find a Notary
Stress about paperwork during the most emotional time of their lives

At a time when families are already stretched, NSW should not impose a barrier that no other Australian state has.

This isn’t about convenience — it’s about fairness, dignity and equal treatment for Indian families in NSW.