Question About Police Checks and Previous L3 Visa

[SunDrop 59]

Hi there

We're still in the planning stages of applying for our K1, as I need to finalise my divorce first. I'm one to get as organised as I can be, mainly because my life's been a little complicated. Here's the background:

At 16, I was living in Germany permanently with my parents. I spent my last 2 years of school in England, but my permanent address was always Germany. I understand that I will therefore need to get a German Police Report. January - July 1996, I spent 7 months in Paris, France. I was actually born there, registered birth both with the french authorities and also the british embassy and am a UK citizen (not dual UK/ French). We left when I was 6. November 1996, a month before my 20th birthday, my parents moved to New York with my father's job. I was granted an L3 visa up to my 21st birthday, but I started college in London in October 1996. I never lived with my parents but was given a SSN (no work permitted) so that I could be covered by my father's healthcare plan for the year that I was still eligible for coverage (until my 21st birthday). Although my parents went on to renew their L1 & 2 visas and eventually were granted Green Cards, I only had that 1 L3 because I'd reached the age of 21 during my first L3.

Questions are:

* Would the USCIS/ Embassy consider me as having resided in the US during the 13 months for which my L3 visa was valid and if so, am I required to obtain a US Police Certificate? I list 1996 as the first year I resided in the UK, when I started college.

* Am I required to get a French Police Certificate (which I can order online as I was born there) to cover the 7 month period when I was resident in both Germany (parents) and France (had a job and a lease, for example)

* How long are my German and French Police Checks 'good' for, considering I have not lived in either country since 1996. Can I order them now and use them if I'm unlikely to be interviewed within the next 12 months (we're planning on applying in April 09 to avoid problems at POE on the VWP when I travel out there over easter).

TIA for your suggestions and reading this far in my complicated life!

Tish