Criminal record / Police certificate from Canada

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

My wife went to her interview at the US embassy in Brussels today to be told her police report for Canada doesn't match what they expect. She said she didn't understand because it had been accepted by NVC. They said they had different functions...

They will now check with Department of Homeland Security and get back to her. They explained it wasn't simply a matter of whether the embassy would accept it, they also need to know whether the point of entry will.

There is a lot of contradicting information out there about which type of report is needed but the instructions at http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_4881.html?cid=3531 are pretty clear that "Applicants who are not physically present in Canada must obtain a Certified Criminal Record Check by sending a duplicate set of fingerprints (taken by a local police force) to the RCMP." She got the report for applicants in Canada, based on name search.

Why the latter is good for people currently in Canada and not for those who used to live there but aren't there anymore is beyond me but that's irrelevant when dealing with administrations...

The problem is that getting by mail a fingerprint based report currently takes 4 to 5 months! The US embassy would take the prints with ink. From what I understand in Canada the fingerprints can be taken electronically and then it only takes about 2 to 3 weeks to get the record. See: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cr-cj/time-temp-eng.htm

We're going to see if she could go to Canada and do the electronic processing. It's a pain and it's expensive but the alternative is truly depressing.

If anyone has additional information on that, please, let us know.

I'll keep posting on the development but beware. If you need a police report from Canada and won't do your interview in Canada, make sure you get the fingerprints based report.

We made a mistake, but NVC failed to catch it and finding this out now is quite devastating. We thought we were done with the hurdle of getting all the papers in order, and she had not problem with the interview otherwise (other than the lack of privacy, people get asked about their life for 20mn in front of everybody else waiting)...

[usmcwife 3]

I would email them and ask if it's possible to get the fingerprints done in canada. For some reason i'm thinking that might only be for residents of Canada. I'm hoping I'm wrong but for some reason it seems like a current canadian address is required.

I had almost the exact same thing happen to me. Only difference is that I was missing the police report from Japan. I had to go to the Japanese consulate and be fingerprinted (ink-not electronically). On the USCIS website it says that reports from japan can take 3 months but I got it in 1.5 months so that was good.

I guess I'm saying if it saves a significant amount of money, it might not take the full 4 months. I know how hard it is to wait for a document like that particularly when you know there is nothing to report on the report!

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

For some reason i'm thinking that might only be for residents of Canada.

That's also what we are wondering.

I know how hard it is to wait for a document like that particularly when you know there is nothing to report on the report!

Indeed.

Thanks for the reply.

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

I called one of the private agencies that provide fingerprinting services and got confirmation that the application can be done electronically if one travels to Canada. It costs $70 (CAD I suppose), including the $25 fee for RCMP.

Officially RCMP aims at processing it in 72h, which in practice translates to a week. However, I was told that these days it tends to take a bit longer, like 2 weeks. Still this is years better than the 4-5 months for ink prints processing.

So, if, as we expect, the embassy confirms that Sachiko needs the fingerprints based report she will fly to Canada to get it done.

I'll keep you posted.

[Darnell 8,478]

so - going to a police department with the FBI finger print card, in Brussels, didn't work out for her?

I would have thought that IF she presented

--FBI finger print card(blank) and

--prepaid global mailer to RCMP address and

--cover letter from her to RCMP inside the prepaid global mailer and

--authentication letters from the local police department and

--prepaid return envelope for RCMP to use, to send to her address in Brussels

via postal mail to RCMP, sent from the police office in Brussels,

then all could be handled, within a reasonable amount of time. IMO, doing it that way covers all the bases, the request with the fingerprints is sent FROM a police office in Brussels, direct to RCMP in Canada.

How very strange, this turn of events, for you.

Good Luck, however it turns out.

Edited October 1, 2010 by Darnell

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

Hi Darnell,

where did you get that idea from? First, I seriously doubt the police in Belgium would do that. The notion of service there is sub-par to say the least. Second, if they did I don't see why this would be processed any faster by RCMP in Canada. This remains a civil request that will get into the queue. It's not like it's a criminal case for which the Belgian police is contacting RCMP.

For that matter the US embassy does offer fringerprinting services but it's ink based and I think it comes down to the same.

We'll ask but it seems clear that the only way to really speed that process is electronic fingerprinting which is only available within Canada (or the US). Ink fingerprints based searches take 4-5 months, electronic ones take 1-2 weeks.

[Darnell 8,478]

Pardon me whilst I spit into an authorized spittooon...

Where Did I Get 'that' Idea from?

I got it from reading the documentation and guidelines and the @#$@#$@$@#$ CFR.

We differ, in opinion, much, for what the

'Police in Belgium'

would do.

Look - if you ( or her) or anyone -

showed up with an FBI fingerprinting card

with my bullet list of stuff.....

You'd be 'done'.

Wrap yer head around the concept of 'being done'

and

Go Forth...

Seriously...

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

Pardon me whilst I spit into an authorized spittooon...

Where Did I Get 'that' Idea from?

I got it from reading the documentation and guidelines and the @#$@#$@$@#$ CFR.

We differ, in opinion, much, for what the

'Police in Belgium'

would do.

Look - if you ( or her) or anyone -

showed up with an FBI fingerprinting card

with my bullet list of stuff.....

You'd be 'done'.

Wrap yer head around the concept of 'being done'

and

Go Forth...

Seriously...

Hi again Darnell. Don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to be condescending with my question. This was a genuine question. I'm obviously very interested in all possible options.

Do you have a pointer to the documentation and guidelines you're talking about? What does CFR stand for?

My opinion is based on what I've gathered from the RCMP. I'm happy to be proven wrong!

Do you have any info on how much time this might take this way? In your previous post you said "reasonable". Can you be more precise?

Thanks. I really appreciate your input.

[Darnell 8,478]

ReRead, read a 2nd time. (Take note of usage of If/Or/And/Then - as these are specific logic blocks.....)

what I've written to you

when yer reading it................

make copious notes..

Pen To Paper ............... Paper is really important, at this stage of yer knowledge aquisition. I can't stress this, enough - as any knowledge that YOU acquire, IS YOURS.... You Paid the Price, calcu-able or not, to acquire this knowledge....................

and then

Let me Know - if!?!?!!??!

You Still have questions?

Seriously - I've outlined, to you, a process that works.

It's Up To You, to decide to 'make that path'

or not.

------------------

reasonable amount of time = 5 weeks, from start to finish.

-----------

my apologies IF I seem argumentative - Truly - no one cares about yer casefile MORE THAN YOU - I only suggest 'what to do', to streamline an already 'paperwork laden' process - in the hopes that you'll understand that there is really an 'approved process' for the thing that you wish to accomplish - ie - the proper documentiary procedure for 'passing' the fingerprints into NVC.

IMO, you still need to decide 'how to do', and 'what to do'. It pains me, much, that you still need to think, still need to decide, for 'what to do' ............. but - in time, I sense - you'll twig to the concept of 'Good Lord, I need PCC for NVC Processing !!!!!!!!!!!!! '

Suggest to you, for the moment, that I'm full of #######, that everything that I've suggested to you is a waste of your time, waste of your effort. How to vette my opinion? Get an immigration attorney, pay $$$$$$$ for their opinion on your status on YOUR casefile, and GO FORTH !!!! I'll remind you, here and now, that VisaJourney.Com is a 'DIY' web portal, with a major emphasis on 'D' and 'Y'. If you choose to ignore 'D' - DO - and 'Y' - Yourself' - then you've only yourself to blame for any knowledge acquisition. Knowledge is Power - How Powerful do you wish to be?

Seriously, there's only one way to vette my position, vette my opinion- and it's that -

you must engage with an Immigration Attorney, to go over yer entire casefile, all that you've already submitted... (I'll remind you, in passing, that VJ is a DIY immigration web portal, with the base concept that most Immigration Attornies are useless, and a secondary presumption that YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! know and understand exactly what the filing process is all 'about'..... ) and..... Any Knowledge that you gain, along the way, in the path, IS YOURS !!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Good Luck, for whatever path you decide to take. Vette yer data, Vette yer path, ALWAYS !

Edited October 2, 2010 by Darnell

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

ReRead, read a 2nd time.

what I've written to you

when yer reading it................

make copious notes..

Pen To Paper

and then

Let me Know - if!?!?!!??!

You Still have questions?

Seriously - I've outlined, to you, a process that works.

It's Up To You, to decide to 'make that path'

or not.

Come on. :-) Why being so cryptic?

I did read what you wrote, and I just reread it. I'm an engineer and I actually write specifications so, believe me, I know what following instructions mean. I could do that, although some questions do come up like: how do I prepay an envelop that will be valid in Canada? I can probably figure out whether I can buy some stamp online I can print out and put an envelop like I would with the US post office but that's not the real question.

Put yourself in my shoes a minute. Wouldn't you wonder what this is based on?

And again how long is that supposed to take in practice?

Quite frankly if this is going to take a month or more, we'd rather have her take a trip to Toronto where she can visit some friends and get it done in 1-2 weeks. We are fortunate enough that money isn't so much of a problem. We can afford her flying to Canada and would rather do that if it saves us time and a lot of uncertain waiting. It's one thing to wait for a specific date, it's another to wait for something open ended, not knowing when it might actually happen.

Thanks.

Arnaud

Edited October 2, 2010 by Sachiko n Arnaud

[Darnell 8,478]

If I put myself in yer shoes for a minute,

I'd worry/wonder just

#######

the communication breakdown really was,

as

The Universe That You've described..................

Isn't the Universe That I've described............

Jump up, please? to my level of understanding.

I'm betting that you can - as

I'm an engineer -

and

so ARE you...

Think of it as a 'basic requirements document'

and

you've missed a bit,

of

the basic requirements.

No No No - I'm not being cryptic -

I'll suggest to you, instead -

that the 'update queue' on VJ,

is a bit lagged.. Deal with 'the lag'

and re-read 'all' that I've written.

Refresh yer cache, even.

Edited October 2, 2010 by Darnell

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

So, without waiting Sachiko decided to get a flight ticket to go to Toronto so she could get her fingerprints taken electronically. She has friends there and it's an opportunity to visit them making the trip enjoyable anyway.

Without surprise, the US embassy eventually came back to her saying she really needs the fingerprint based report because the name based one she got from the Canadian embassy in Brussels won't do. She informed them she was going to Toronto to get it and they said to just drop her passport and certificate at the embassy when she gets it, and they would issue her visa in 2 days.

She got to Toronto on Friday last week mid-day, went straight to a fingerprinting place where the process took a whole 5mn, and a week later she received her certificate (in Toronto) just in time to fly back home with the paper in hand!

So, on Monday she's going to the embassy and we hope this will be the end of it.

In the process we learned something interesting. When Sachiko asked the embassy why they couldn't accept her certificate when it was acceptable by NVC, she was told "NVC is Department of State, we are Homeland Security, these are two different agencies". In other words: "we don't care what the other agency says"...

[Sachiko n Arnaud 3]

That's it. The embassy approved my wife's visa, and she will get it this afternoon!

So three lessons learned:

1) if you're applying outside Canada, get the fingerprint based report for Canada

2) by going to Canada you can get your fingerprints taken electronically and get your report in a week

3) NVC is Department of State, embassies are Homeland Security, just because NVC accepts your document doesn't mean the embassy will. Because the embassy is of a different agency it doesn't even feel any pressure to honor the NVC decision.

[Armenia 18]

For those who choose not to travel back to Canada to get their RCMP certificate:

I requested mine this year via mail (courier). RCMP-Ottawa received my request Aug 23. The Criminal Record Search was completed on Oct. 6. The RCMP certificate was issued Oct. 7. My husband, in the US, received it Oct. 19 (snail mail between the US and Canada is very slow).

I did not include a prepaid courier/Canada Post Xpresspost envelope in my request (which would have insured that my husband received the certificate in 2 days instead of 12 days) because the RCMP website said that "The results are always returned by regular mail." (http://www.rcmp-grc....g-empr2-eng.htm).

[OBX 51]

That's it. The embassy approved my wife's visa, and she will get it this afternoon!

So three lessons learned:

1) if you're applying outside Canada, get the fingerprint based report for Canada

2) by going to Canada you can get your fingerprints taken electronically and get your report in a week

3) NVC is Department of State, embassies are Homeland Security, just because NVC accepts your document doesn't mean the embassy will. Because the embassy is of a different agency it doesn't even feel any pressure to honor the NVC decision.

Congratulations, happy to hear it all worked out...eventually!

For those who choose not to travel back to Canada to get their RCMP certificate:

I requested mine this year via mail (courier). RCMP-Ottawa received my request Aug 23. The Criminal Record Search was completed on Oct. 6. The RCMP certificate was issued Oct. 7. My husband, in the US, received it Oct. 19 (snail mail between the US and Canada is very slow).

I did not include a prepaid courier/Canada Post Xpresspost envelope in my request (which would have insured that my husband received the certificate in 2 days instead of 12 days) because the RCMP website said that "The results are always returned by regular mail." (http://www.rcmp-grc....g-empr2-eng.htm).

Good to know.

Edited October 26, 2010 by OBX