HK police clearance? Never been to HK...

[dbbri 0]

If you want to skip my rant, just go to the bottom.

So this has just been a mess from go. We started this process November 2007 and at every step there has been something that has caused delays. Certain agencies have entered her information wrong, had to send letters for that. At first it was almost entertaining because they were telling me that they could not discuss the visa application because I did not know my fiancees information. I had copies of the very forms I sent them sitting in front of me. They lost forms, I've had to resend them. Our son was born the 1st of July ( he is 6 months old now ), we had to send letters to explain this discrepancy from what was initially sent and that it was ok with us. Yes, my child is a discrepancy according to immigration and we had to send certified letters saying we were ok with it. She failed her initial medical because she has scar tissue in her lungs. After consulting a doctor for a second opinion ( the doctors at St' Lukes won't tell you anything ) it was explained that she probably had pneumonia as a child and worked through it, it is not even a sign of TB. Does not matter, they cancelled her interview. She had to go back to Manila for a cultured test that would take over 30 days to get the results, surprise it came back negative ( which is good ). Both our child and my fiancee had their interviews about a week apart, told her that she should get frequent flyer miles with how much traveling she was doing ( so far 5 trips to Manila ). We thought we were in the clear when all she had left was the interview ( which happened about a month ago ). It did turn out to be a no-brainer, they barely asked her any questions. I kind of wish they would have, she memorized everything on every form we sent ( she put so much work into making shure she would not make a mistake and be able to answer every question ). At the end of her interview the embassy said that they were not going to process her paperwork until after they processed our childs. Which I did not understand because they are completely different and not dependant on each other ( she is a K-1, he is granted citizenship through CRBA ). Of course it took a while to get his BC on NSO paper, I thought he might actually hold up the process. I was wrong, his passport arrived before Christmas. Another good sign I thought, I have tried to maintain a positive attitude through this and cling to what has gone right. We also have had to prove that we are not going to sell our child when we get him to the US. Another wonderful act of our government to prevent children from Asia being sold into slavery. Now the embassy has finally gotten back to us.

They want police clearance from Hong Kong! My fiancee has never been to Hong Kong, no where in our paper work did we mention Hong Kong, there are no stamps for Hong Kong in her passport ( the only place she has been is to Thailand for a 1 week visit ). I guess some agency they farm the background checks out to requested it. So what are we supposed to do now? I'm trying to fashion another letter but am guessing it will go no where and we will have to embark on the futile quest to get police clearance from a country she has never set foot in. Another delay, and how long will this take? I've just had it with this BS process and the crappy service we get from our government. I wish I had a job where I was not held accountable for the quality/quantity/speed of my work. While I'll never give up, this is getting plain ridiculous! If anyone has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.

[beans 7]

I have no experience in this but I just want to say thats damn unfortunate. (lol I know that doesn't help but hey)

[freelancer 0]

Just seeing if I can shed some light here, since I am receiving help from others on my own questions.

I am thinking the reason a HK clearance is requested is that they don't trust that your fiancee has not been to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a VERY POPULAR destination for Filipinos and some of them have even worked in Hong Kong (legally or not) so I am guessing the US government wants verification by fingerprint.

Hope this helps and the best of luck! This is a tough process for all of us, but eventually things will work out...

http://sc.info.gov.hk/gb/www.police.gov.hk...cc-overseas.htm

They want police clearance from Hong Kong! My fiancee has never been to Hong Kong, no where in our paper work did we mention Hong Kong, there are no stamps for Hong Kong in her passport ( the only place she has been is to Thailand for a 1 week visit ). I guess some agency they farm the background checks out to requested it. So what are we supposed to do now? I'm trying to fashion another letter but am guessing it will go no where and we will have to embark on the futile quest to get police clearance from a country she has never set foot in. Another delay, and how long will this take? I've just had it with this BS process and the crappy service we get from our government. I wish I had a job where I was not held accountable for the quality/quantity/speed of my work. While I'll never give up, this is getting plain ridiculous! If anyone has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Jasman0717 9]

It could be a name match issue on the HK thingy. She can call the embassy to get more information. The 5184 extension was great for our issues.

[pushbrk 12,898]

It could be a name match issue on the HK thingy. She can call the embassy to get more information. The 5184 extension was great for our issues.

I would agree either a name hit or simply a mistake. I'd email the Consulate informing them the applicant has never been to Hong Kong and offer to supply a copy of the full passport or simply to submit it so it can be inspected at visa issue, then ask that they waive this requirement on the basis the applicant has never been in Hong Kong. It's worth a try, as the process for obtaining an HK police certificate from outside HK is pretty cumbersome.

Certificate of No-Criminal Conviction (CNCC)

The issuanceof a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction is a charged service provided by the Hong Kong Police Force. Both individuals residing in Hong Kong and individuals residing outside of Hong Kong may apply.

Individuals residing in Hong Kong

All applicants should appear in person at the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction Office which is located at 14/F, Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The office is open from 9am to 5:15pm from Monday to Friday. (Note: The payment window is closed daily between 1-2pm and stops accepting payments at 5pm.) Applicants may elect to make an advance appointment through the Automatic Telephone Appointment System at 2396-5351, no less than one day in advance of the intended appointment. Please note that the "Certificate of No Criminal Conviction" or an appropriate reply together with the applicant's police record will be sent directly to the Consulate General and/or immigration office specified on the application.

An applicant should be prepared to present the following items:

his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;

the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);

the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant’s name;

the processing fee of HK$180 per person – payment via cash, Octopus cards or checks payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”

All applicants must consent to have their fingerprints taken. Each applicant must sign an authorization that the fingerprints can be retained by the Hong Kong Police and that details of any criminal conviction recorded in Hong Kong can be disclosed to the U.S. Consulate General.

Individuals residing outside Hong Kong

Applications should be made in writing to:

The Commission of Police (Attn: EO CNCC)

14/F, Arsenal House

Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street

Wan Chai, Hong Kong

An applicant residing outside Hong Kong must submit the following items. Please note that documents issued in languages other than Chinese or English, must be accompanied by an official transcript, in Chinese or English, endorsed either by the issuing authority or a certificated translation services body.

his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;

the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);

the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant’s name;

a full set of the applicant’s fingerprints taken and certified by a recognized and official police or law enforcement agency where the applicant currently resides. Certification of the fingerprints must clearly state: (i) the full name and rank of the person taking the prints, (ii) the full name of the police or law enforcement agency with their official chop; and (iii) the date and place the prints were taken. Prints that do not clearly show certification will be refused. Fingerprints taken by the applicant him/herself, a legal representative or private/commercial agency are also unacceptable.

a bank draft in the amount of HK$180 per person, made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.” The draft must be payable in Hong Kong. A personal check in Hong Kong dollars, which is issued an authorized by any licensed banks in Hong Kong, is also acceptable.

If an applicant is under investigation by the Hong Kong Police or is currently a defendant in criminal proceedings in Hong Kong or is subject to non-payment of fines including traffic offences, his/her application will not be further processed until the matter has been concluded.

The relevant application form, standard personal data form, and fingerprint consent form can be downloaded from the Hong Kong Police homepage at www.police.gov.hk. Any inquiries may be addressed to Certificate of No Criminal Conviction office, email: eo-cncc-ib@police.gov.hk, phone: +852-2860-6557 (for local residents); +852-28... (for overseas applicants), fax: +852-2200-4321.

[dbbri 0]

Thanks folks. I've e-mailed a letter for her to fax to the embassy along with her passport pages. I don't know if this will work or not. In the meantime we're also going to apply for the police clearance from Hong Kong. I know that she has never been there, her timeline from school and work has no gaps. Along with the fact that every penny she makes goes to put her siblings through college, she has only been able to travel on my dime. I'm just hoping to have them both here before the kid starts college. Thanks for the link freelancer.