Criminal Background check

[Delicia 1]

My husband called the OPP today (the station near his house) to inquire about getting his criminal thingy done. The OPP told him that only the main station in downtown Toronto will process his request and they have all the necessary forms there. They told him that he had to have his fingerprints taken and it takes up to 4 months to get it back. He doesn't have any criminal charges, arrests, or convictions, so I thought I read that just a country-wide name check was required. He had asked the OPP about it and they said no, that they only do the fingerprinting. What's the real deal?

[trailmix 77]

That's just not true, well the part about the fingerprints anyway (from an immigration standpoint - no criminal convictions - name check is fine) - he does have to go to the main police station - they even have the info posted on their website:

Clearance Letter

A Clearance Letter is a formal document produced on secure paper indicating that the subject of the inquiry has no criminal convictions in the National Repository of Criminal Records maintained by the RCMP.

Requests must be made in person. Please download and complete this form, then bring it to police headquarters, 40 College Street, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). Two pieces of government issued identification are required, one of which must contain a photograph and signature. Click here to read about the suitable forms of identification.

Edited January 8, 2008 by trailmix

[David_n_Amber 3]

I was told my the police service in alberta that i only needed my fingers printed if i had a criminal record.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

My husband called the OPP today (the station near his house) to inquire about getting his criminal thingy done. The OPP told him that only the main station in downtown Toronto will process his request and they have all the necessary forms there. They told him that he had to have his fingerprints taken and it takes up to 4 months to get it back. He doesn't have any criminal charges, arrests, or convictions, so I thought I read that just a country-wide name check was required. He had asked the OPP about it and they said no, that they only do the fingerprinting. What's the real deal?

If you go to Toronto, tell DH to go during bad weather. I went when it was pouring rain and the officer told me that nobody shows up during bad weather but at other times you may need to wait in line for at least an hour. Toronto mails it out to you. Durham police do it 24/7 but they mail out the results. Peel does it at one location but it takes 10 minutes. I believe Peel is the cheapest and fastest. NVC told me that if you have been refused entry you need fingerprints, that's not what I was told at MTL. Go with the name check.

[Reba 2]

If they've changed things since I've done it then great, correct me if I'm wrong, but when I was doing all of this but the OPP in the GTA did not do certificates for immigration purposes, only employment. Pretty much everyone from the GTA that's ever gone thru VJ has had to go to the RCMP office downtown, or a Commissionaire's office. I went to Commissionaire's in Scarboro.

The rules however may be different for non-citizens, and he may well need to get the fingerprint check. Confirm with the Montreal consulate if you have questions. But look up the Commissionaire's offices in the GTA and get just the regular Canada wide certificate done there.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Reba

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

If they've changed things since I've done it then great, correct me if I'm wrong, but when I was doing all of this but the OPP in the GTA did not do certificates for immigration purposes, only employment. Pretty much everyone from the GTA that's ever gone thru VJ has had to go to the RCMP office downtown, or a Commissionaire's office. I went to Commissionaire's in Scarboro.

The rules however may be different for non-citizens, and he may well need to get the fingerprint check. Confirm with the Montreal consulate if you have questions. But look up the Commissionaire's offices in the GTA and get just the regular Canada wide certificate done there.

All police forces will do it as well as the Commissionaire's (ex-military) and International Fingerprint Services (ex-Toronto Police, that's the one that the Consulate recommends) and a few others. I think International is the cheapest for the RCMP certificate but I think Peel Regional Police is the cheapest for the name check. Pop did his through Toronto Police and Mom did hers through Peel (very fast) and International Fingerprint Services (NVC told us she needed fingerprints for border refusals, NVC was wrong as the namecheck was good enough!).

BTW, RCMP building is not in downtown Toronto anymore, they moved to Newmarket and Bowmanville and the airport. They moved move than ten years ago.

Edited January 8, 2008 by IR5FORMUMSIE

[trailmix 77]

If they've changed things since I've done it then great, correct me if I'm wrong, but when I was doing all of this but the OPP in the GTA did not do certificates for immigration purposes, only employment. Pretty much everyone from the GTA that's ever gone thru VJ has had to go to the RCMP office downtown, or a Commissionaire's office. I went to Commissionaire's in Scarboro.

The rules however may be different for non-citizens, and he may well need to get the fingerprint check. Confirm with the Montreal consulate if you have questions. But look up the Commissionaire's offices in the GTA and get just the regular Canada wide certificate done there.

My Husband isn't a citizen and he just got the country wide name check from the good ole Calgary Police.

[CBR 0]

Can the police thing be done before you get your info from the embassy? I'm so confused by all these terms. If my fiance has no record and just needs a name check where does he go for that? He lives in Ontario south of Sarnia. It's a hike to Toronto.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Can the police thing be done before you get your info from the embassy? I'm so confused by all these terms. If my fiance has no record and just needs a name check where does he go for that? He lives in Ontario south of Sarnia. It's a hike to Toronto.

Police certificates are good for one year. Any local police force will do the name check. Here's the info for Sarnia (assuming that that is his closest police service/force):

The following services are offered at the Sarnia Police Service Headquarters:

555 Christina Street North,

Sarnia, ON

N7T 7X6

Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm

Clearance Letters $35 cash only

Police Record Request Forms $30 cash or agency cheque

Statement of Local Convictions $30 cash only

Part 2 - Pardon Applications $30 cash only

Fingerprinting (Wednesday's only) $27 cash only

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Can the police thing be done before you get your info from the embassy? I'm so confused by all these terms. If my fiance has no record and just needs a name check where does he go for that? He lives in Ontario south of Sarnia. It's a hike to Toronto.

If he isn't able to get them done in Sarnia he can definitely go to the RCMP station in Windsor to do them. That is where I got mine done. It was a few years ago now, but they did it while I waited.

[Gypsyangel 11]

Clearance Letter

A Clearance Letter is a formal document produced on secure paper indicating that the subject of the inquiry has no criminal convictions in the National Repository of Criminal Records maintained by the RCMP.

Requests must be made in person. Please download and complete this form, then bring it to police headquarters, 40 College Street, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). Two pieces of government issued identification are required, one of which must contain a photograph and signature. Click here to read about the suitable forms of identification.

I did this in October at the Toronto Police Services station at Yonge and College. I lined up for about 10 minutes, paid $25, showed my ID, and had my letter mailed to me within the week. I downloaded the form from the web site and filled it out before I went, but they also had forms there that you could fill out. No fingerprints. Very, very easy.

Karen

[Delicia 1]

Thanks for all the good info. Hubby got them done at the downtown location of the Toronto PD. Cost about $25 and no one was there so no waiting.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Thanks for all the good info. Hubby got them done at the downtown location of the Toronto PD. Cost about $25 and no one was there so no waiting.

Strange, it's pouring rain today in Toronto and when I got my Dad's done it was the same kind of weather. So this proves that you should only get police namechecks in Toronto during rainy days.