What is a Migration Certificate & Complete Process

School is the center for primary education. It is from here that a child begins their educational journey. After school completion, the sky is open for a child to fly and achieve the career of their choice. For the transition from school to college, a migration certificate is an essential document in addition to proof of successfully clearing the 10+2 examinations. A student cannot get admission into a university without this certificate. The school board simultaneously issues the migration, pass certificates, and mark sheets to successful students.

What is a Migration Certificate?

Educational institutes issue a migration certificate, which requires no legal validation when a student migrates from school board to university for higher studies or from one university to another.

It is an essential document without which the student cannot pursue higher education. So, all the students passing the 12th board exams get the migration document and all the certificates and mark sheets from the affiliated board. The school can approach the council by writing an application requesting the issuance of the certificate for migration before the class 12 board exams.

Students need to apply for this certificate after the completion of their graduation so that they can apply to different universities for a higher degree. They need the certificate if they plan to study abroad.

Why is a Migration Certificate Required?

The school education boards- ICSE, CBSE, IB, and state boards or universities issue students their school migration certificates, character certificates, and mark sheets after they have completed their class 12 board exams successfully.

All students who aspire to study further after school need this certificate. Hence, in India, after a student sails through the class 12 board exams, they issue a certificate to ease the migration process along with the mark sheets and other required documents. Also, undergraduates who want to pursue higher education in a different university need this certificate.

Benefits of Obtaining Migration Certificate

The 10+2 exam marks the end of school education. From here, the students determine their career path and apply to the colleges/universities of their choice.

• The migration certificate helps students to traverse from school to university. It enables the students to enroll for higher studies in professional or degree colleges.
• School boards in India issue the certificate as a mandatory certificate like all the other certificates after one passes the 10+2 examinations.
• The certificate also acts as proof of school changes on different boards or course changes. A student needs to journey from a school-level course to a university-level course and change boards if necessary.

If an individual after class 10 wants to switch from ICSE to CBSE, they need a certificate from the board to migrate. Even students from state boards who wish to enroll in schools of other boards require this certificate.

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How to get a Migration Certificate?

After the school education is over, a person gets into college to pursue an undergraduate degree. It is mandatory to produce a migration certificate at the time of admission. Therefore, in India, the school board gives students this certificate and all other certificates and mark sheets after the declaration of results.

Do You Need to Apply for a Migration Certificate?

Only exceptional cases require an application for the issuance of a migration document.

• If, after the 10th board, a student wishes to get into a diploma course, the student has to write to the council chief requesting certification for migration. This is then submitted to the school’s principal. In the application, one has to mention the reason for leaving school after class 10.
• If the certificate gets misplaced or lost, one can contact the affiliate board of the school for a duplicate copy. The student has to write an application addressing the council chief. While requesting for issuance of a duplicate certificate, one has to specifically state the reason for the need for a new copy.
• After completing the undergraduate program, a student can write an application to the concerned authority to issue a certificate for migration. The university gives them the same by charging a nominal fee for it.

Now, mark sheets and migration, pass, transfer, and conduct certificates can be downloaded into individuals’ DigiLockers.

Are Transfer Certificates and Migration Certificates the Same?

A question that comes into everybody’s mind is whether TC and migration certificates are the same. The answer is no. They are very different in terms of their purpose. Both are important when leaving an educational institute for another, but TC (transfer certificate) is always mandatory, whereas you may not always need a certificate for migration.

Transfer Certificate

A student must obtain a transfer certificate every time they leave school/college to get admission to another, as it is a certificate for transferring from one institution to another. The head of the institution- the principal or dean issues this certificate.

Migration Certificate

Somebody needs a certificate for migration when migrating from one university to another or from school board to university. The school board issues the certificate with the signatures of the council head and principal. At the university level, it is issued by their office and duly signed by the Dean.

Difference Between Migration Certificate And Transfer Certificate

The fundamental difference between a transfer certificate and a migration certificate is: the former is used for transfer between two institutions in the same or different vertical (e.g., from school to school or college to college at the same level), while the latter is used when moving into another vertical (e.g., from school to university or from university to university typically for higher education).

Also Read: What is a Provisional Certificate and Why do you Need it?

How to Apply for a Migration Certificate

The process for applying for certification for migration differs for different boards. But here is an elaborated basic procedure:

• The office of the Council issues the certificates to decentralize the process for smooth distribution. Council offices in every region are responsible for printing and distributing the certificates to the schools in their area.
• The school deposits a fee of around 150 rupees for each child at the council office. The fee covers the cost of processing the information, printing the certificates, and sending it by post to the respective schools.
• Certification for migration is given to students who clear the 10+2 examinations. So these are distributed only after the declaration of the results.
• While collecting the certificate, it is necessary to ensure that it also has the signature of the principal. Without the signature of the head of the institute, the certificate has no value. The certificate should also have the signature of the council head.
• The school must keep records of all the distributed certificates for future reference. The school must maintain a log book containing the serial number of all the certificates issued and the respective students’ roll numbers. This information will come in handy if the certificates are misplaced or there is a complaint of non-receipt of certificates by any student.
• All the certificates and mark sheets are printed on special paper, making it challenging to reproduce fake copies of these documents. For this reason, the council prints and sends it to schools for distribution to students. Fake certificates are an issue faced by every country all over the world. It is a punishable offense by law, surmounting imprisonment and penalty.

Documents Required for Migration Certificate

A certificate for migration is a must to get into another university. The certificate is given to students who have completed the course, be it 10+2 or undergraduate or higher. So the essential requirement for this certificate is to clear the final exams and complete the course.

There is no special requirement for any document. All that the student needs to show is that they have completed the course successfully. For that, students must produce their mark sheets and pass certificates in front of the concerned authority along with an application requesting them to issue the certificate for migration.

Sample Application for Migration Certificate

The school issues the certificate after the completion of the 10+2 exams. In the eventuality of an urgent requirement for the certificate or if the need arises after class 10, an application must be written to the head of the council.

Here is a sample application for reference while writing one to request the certificate issue.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I _, a student of your reputed school. As I have successfully cleared the class.

I wish to pursue a professional course from an institute affiliated with __ university. Since I am going from _ board to a university, it is mandatory to submit my migration certificate. Moreover, I will need it to submit my application for higher education.

I request you issue me the certificate for migration as early as possible.

Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
(Name)
(Class)
(School)
(Contact Details)

Points to Remember

• A migration certificate is an important document to help you to take your first step into a college/university.
• The purpose of migration and transfer certificates are different. The former is used to change school boards or move from school to college. The latter is used to transfer from one institute to another.
• The certificate is issued after the completion of 10+2. It is also needed after the completion of an undergraduate program.

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