I could just cry... some comfort please

[moiraesfate 0]

So the interview and everything went great mostly. They said I have the Visa but they need a couple things first.

There's just a couple things.... nowhere did it say that they need a copy of my birth certificate with my parents names and places of birth on it so now I have to go home and order that but it could be there in a week so thats not a big deal. All I need to do is send it to them along with my passport.

The problem is the stupid criminal records check. When I got the information, it just said that I needed a "Police Certificate" from the RCMP. So I called the RCMP to ask them about it. I even told them what it was for. That was three months ago. They said no... you don't need one from us, you just have to go to the city to get it and you can use that one.

But I didn't grow up in this city. Mind you, I've lived in this city since I was 16 years old. So, I went and got one from my city and didn't think it would be a problem BECAUSE THE STUPID RCMP SAID IT WOULDN'T BE.

But then I go for the interview, and the interviewer tells me that I had the wrong Criminal Records Check done and have to go back home to get the real one.

I can send it back along with my large birth certificate and my passport and they'll send me my Visa.

Cool right? NOT!!!

I just checked the internet for information about National Criminal Records Checks from the RCMP. They said the wait is over 120 days.

I'm going to cry. Seriously. Especially since I don't go home from Vancouver until Monday so I won't be able to go into the RCMP office until Tuesday.

Heck with it... I am crying. We were so close. So close. Now I have to wait probably 6 months. All because the RCMP woman on the phone gave me the wrong information in the first place.

Edited February 24, 2008 by moiraesfate

[♥Sora_9_Dam3a♥ 0]

i'm so sorry.

this stuff really sucks, i hope everything gets better for you soon...

(((hugs)))

[jeje 0]

i'm so sorry.

this stuff really sucks, i hope everything gets better for you soon...

(((hugs)))

if u dont have criminal record it doesn't take 120 days, u can get it in two weeks, once u fingerprint it sends electronically to ottawa and they will mail it to u in two weeks or less. but if u have one it goes from electrical to manual wich take longer time.

[moiraesfate 0]

jeje... thank you. thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you. I want to hug you. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'm crying in relief right now. I don't have a criminal record.

Edited February 24, 2008 by moiraesfate

[Marilyn. 340]

what you need is a "Canada wide name check"... this usually doesn't take very much time to get and in most cases you can get it right ways...

the thing that takes longer is if you get the criminal check with fingerprints which you only need if you had any convictions etc....

as for the Birth certificate.. it says somewhere that you need the long form birth certificate, which is the one that has your parents names on it....

Edited February 24, 2008 by MarilynP

[Reba 2]

Did they say anything about needing the fingerprint check, or just the Canada wide check?

Its the fingerprints check that takes so long, but the Canada wide name and birthdate check only takes about a week. And yes, your local RCMP detatchment or the local Commissionaire's can do that for you. Whoever you spoke to at the RCMP was obviously confused.

The "long form" birth certificate has always been a requirement for immigration, rather than the "short form" (or wallet size) that we all usually carry with us in Canada. They need your parents info in order to complete the background check.

[pushbrk 12,898]

I"m sorry for your troubles. It really sucks. I don't want to think about the difficulties we might have had if I hadn't found and wisely used support like we have here at VJ, early in and throughout our process.

Please forgive me for using your situation as an educational tool for others. We hear a lot about high "denial rates" at most Consulates. Your case is a good example of many of them. You'll get your visa after the initial denial but the delay will go in the statistics as a denial. For some reason we seldom if ever hear the "eventual success" statistics.

I'm not faulting you. On the contrary, your level of preparation may well have been far above the average and it's usually the USC that finds the support anyway. Groups like VJ can't be of nearly as much help to members who find us late in their visa process or who, instead of reading guides and following the ongoing threads in the appropriate forum throughout their process, only ask the questions that occur to them.

Finding us early, combined with studying the guides and following the discussion threads in the appropriate forums is how most of our successful members achieve that success. All the reading and study, provides them with far more information and prompts far more questions than would acrue or occur to them otherwise.

For instance, we must see long form birth certificates mentioned here at least weekly and a great Canada forum to discuss specifics like police reports.

I hope you won't mind some others learning from your misfortune. It looks like you can resolve your difficulties in short order. I hope you do. Good luck.

[kobi1 0]

I"m sorry for your troubles. It really sucks. I don't want to think about the difficulties we might have had if I hadn't found and wisely used support like we have here at VJ, early in and throughout our process.

Please forgive me for using your situation as an educational tool for others. We hear a lot about high "denial rates" at most Consulates. Your case is a good example of many of them. You'll get your visa after the initial denial but the delay will go in the statistics as a denial. For some reason we seldom if ever hear the "eventual success" statistics.

I'm not faulting you. On the contrary, your level of preparation may well have been far above the average and it's usually the USC that finds the support anyway. Groups like VJ can't be of nearly as much help to members who find us late in their visa process or who, instead of reading guides and following the ongoing threads in the appropriate forum throughout their process, only ask the questions that occur to them.

Finding us early, combined with studying the guides and following the discussion threads in the appropriate forums is how most of our successful members achieve that success. All the reading and study, provides them with far more information and prompts far more questions than would acrue or occur to them otherwise.

For instance, we must see long form birth certificates mentioned here at least weekly and a great Canada forum to discuss specifics like police reports.

I hope you won't mind some others learning from your misfortune. It looks like you can resolve your difficulties in short order. I hope you do. Good luck.

even they requested for fingerprint it does not take so long, i did my fingerprint in calgary here and electronically was sent to ottawa and i got it in mail in 10 business day, they told me 3 to 4 weeks i guess to cover their a$$ but got it less time, but if u do have criminal record as jeje said it goes from electronical to manual wich take longer time.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Other canucks have already told ya about the Police cert, and since u have no criminal record, it should not take ya long to get it!! And ya the birth certificate can be confusing, as many don't know what a long form birth certificate is, I sure did not at first!! Luckily both can normally be obtained fairly quickly. I know SK had mine in my hands in less than a week To bad they screwed up twice,lol but ti all worked out. Take a few deep breathes, all should be ok and hopefully once you have the documents and mail them in, they wil have a quick turn around, but there have been at least 2 others I know on VJ, where Mtl seemed to take their time in getting the passport with Visa back to the individual, so dont book any tickets until you have the visa in hand!!

[trailmix 77]

The problem is the stupid criminal records check. When I got the information, it just said that I needed a "Police Certificate" from the RCMP. So I called the RCMP to ask them about it. I even told them what it was for. That was three months ago. They said no... you don't need one from us, you just have to go to the city to get it and you can use that one.

But I didn't grow up in this city. Mind you, I've lived in this city since I was 16 years old. So, I went and got one from my city and didn't think it would be a problem BECAUSE THE STUPID RCMP SAID IT WOULDN'T BE.

Hi Maoiraesfate,

Sorry for your hassle, but I also wanted to clarify something.

You can in fact (generally) get a 'Canada Wide Name Check' from your local police. Obviously, as you mentioned, the RCMP didn't understand what you were talking about.

I don't know where you live (we live in Calgary), or if every single police department in every city offers this service, but they should be able to tell you if they can handle your request or not.

As an example, my Husband went to the Calgary Police Service for his Canada wide name check and it was accepted by the NVC/Montreal. I think it took about 10 days for him to receive it.

Yesterday a VJ member posted a copy of his police certificate in the Canada forum here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1606509

Just thought you might want to print out a copy to take with you when you request your new one, so you can be specific about what you need it to say.

Also, not all police certificates look like this, just so you know - my Husband's was an actual letter from the police service, rather than a certificate, however it contained the same wording : "This certifies that a search based" - "Note: search not confirmed by fingerprints" etc etc.

Police Records

Inside Canada: Applicants who are physically present in Canada should contact their local police service or Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) office regarding criminal record check procedures. Applicants may obtain a certificate of no conviction issued by any Canadian police service so long as it notes that Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) or the national criminal records repository was searched using the applicant’s name and date of birth. Applicants should ensure that the search includes all names that they have previously used, including maiden names, prior married names, or names used before Canadian naturalization. (Note: Because records checks based on name and date of birth only are sometimes less thorough than those based on fingerprints, U.S. diplomatic offices reserve the right to request that certain applicants obtain fingerprint-based searches from the RCMP.)

Applicants who have been convicted of a crime in Canada must contact their local RCMP office to obtain a “Certified Criminal Record Check,” which lists an applicant’s criminal history, indicating the section of the Canadian Criminal Code under which the applicant was charged, the disposition of the case, and the penalty imposed, if any. Obtaining a Certified Criminal Records Check requires submission of a fingerprint chart link

[Flames9_RN 358]

Good point trailmix!!! Ya and even the appearance of the paperwork from different RCMP's can be different!! Mine (from Greenwood NS detachment) looked like a 3 yr old drew it up!! And the fees even differ! Some are free, some charge $$$$. Seems to be no set standard even among a govt organization, wierd,lol And of course the waiting can even differ! Some do it on the spot, some take a few days, some a week or longer!! On the background check, should state something like Used Canadian national system,again wording can differ.

[moiraesfate 0]

Yeah, they said it needs to be a Canada Wide Name Check.

Thing is, I'm really not sure who to talk to. The Commissionares knew nothing about it (I'm from Lethbridge, not Calgary) because they're the ones that gave me the Lethbridge one and he wasn't sure about it in the first place.

I guess I'll be calling the local RCMP again then. But who do I talk to there? Or do I have to go to Calgary instead?

Or do I just talk to my local police station? Since its the Commissionaire at the station that gave me my local police check...

I'm so confused.

I feel better today, btw. I spent a long while talking to my husband last night. I'm still not happy about it but talking to him always helps. I guess its just been so long that we've been apart, and I thought we were closer to being together, and then I saw that on the net... I'm so tired of the separation. My whole life is on hold and I just want to get my life going already.

pushbrk, no its a good idea to learn from each other. I've been on this site but I didn't see anything about the long form birth certificates on here. Mostly what I've been seeing are posts about how the K3 has been cancelled (which I don't understand since the American gvt told my husband that it hasn't been).

And here I was hoping to be down there by mid March. I miss him so bad and I have a job waiting for me whenever I can finally get my butt down there. But the job won't wait forever.

Thank you to everyone who's helped me.

Edited February 24, 2008 by moiraesfate

[Flames9_RN 358]

Ya, not all RCMP detachments do them, but can't hurt to call back. Since u have NO criminal record, so no fingerprinting, ensure they understand that. Regarding the Commisionaires,the only place I have heard in Canada that uses them is in the Greater Toronto Area, but I could be wrong!!

I had a police check done by the local police in Winnipeg, and right on the check it stated it used the Canadian national system!! If after calling back, and they are all clueless, phone up Calgary, get ur coffee and hit the highway!! lol

[moiraesfate 0]

lol, you won't believe this... I went to the Police Station to ask them about this today. The lady that had prepared the Records Check came up to the front and she looked at me and said "turn it over". So I turned the Criminal Records Check over and, sure enough, everything the Consulate needed is there. I felt really dumb because I should have looked at it earlier, but the fact that the Consulate didn't look is just plain funny. Intensely annoying, and aggravating but also very funny.

One of the cops said to me "They're changing what they want every day and it seems you're one of the few where they didn't look".

The lady told me that if they still won't accept it, she'll manually retype it for me.

*sighs* This is alot of trouble for something so small.

At least the birth certificate will be here by next Monday. Then I'll overnight them both back to the Consulate along with an explanation.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Would really have sucked if it was just the police report they required!! But since u need the long form birth cert, one can laugh a bit!! Ensure u put a big yellow sticky stating to turn it over,lol