Police clearance... conflicting requirements?

[Tim & Rocelle 0]

Hello again everyone,

Yesterday we got an email that our application was approved (NOA2 woo hoo!) so I started doing some research for our next step. According to my reading, my fiancee will be having her interview at the Montreal consulate. On different web pages for the Montreal Consulate both refering to K1 visas, they links to two documents that have conflicting requirements for police clearances.

This link, page 2, step #4 states that she has to get a police clearance for any country she has lived in for more than 6 months:

http://travel.state.gov/pdf/supplements/MTL-SUP-ENGL-0010-1205.pdf

But then this link, page 2, states that she has to get a clearance for any country she has lived in for more than one year:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/canada/303578/montreal/packet3-k1-mtl.pdf

So, I'm sort of confused... The reason I'm asking is that she lived in Qatar for less than one year and from what I'm reading, that place is notoriously difficult and long to get a police clearance. If the requirement is one year, then we're set. If it's the 6 month rule, then I'm afraid it will drag out our process further.

Does anyone have experience with this that could share their information with me?

Thanks!

Edited June 14, 2012 by Tim & Rocelle

[Oksana & Max 94]

The requirement is 1 year for living in the foreign country and 6 month for current country where you are currently residing. If his country of nationality would be Quatar then you would need one, if not then you are good to go.

Read this carefully. "Police certificates from each country in which the applicant has resided for one year or longer. The certificate(s) must be issued within one year of the date of the visa appointment. NOTE: An applicant must present a police certificate from his/her country of current residence and country of nationality, if residence in such country exceeds 6 months"

Edited June 14, 2012 by Oksana & Max

[Tim & Rocelle 0]

The requirement is 1 year for living in the foreign country and 6 month for current country where you are currently residing. If his country of nationality would be Quatar then you would need one, if not then you are good to go.

Read this carefully. "Police certificates from each country in which the applicant has resided for one year or longer. The certificate(s) must be issued within one year of the date of the visa appointment. NOTE: An applicant must present a police certificate from his/her country of current residence and country of nationality, if residence in such country exceeds 6 months"

That part I understand from the second link... however, look at the first link:

"Each visa applicant aged 16 years or older must submit a police certificate from every country where he/she resided for at least 6 months after the age of 16."

This conflicts with the second link from which you quoted. That's my confusion.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

Why are you looking at Montreal's site for the embassy? you are going through the embassy in manila right?

for the K1 you need a police clearance for living in any other country for more than 6 months since 16..

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/19452/public/Revised%20K1%20Instruction%20Packet%20_3__rtf2_005.pdf

g. OTHER COUNTRY POLICE CERTIFICATES. Applicants aged 16 years and older must also present police certificates from other countries where they have lived for six (6) months or more after reaching the age of 16. As with NBI clearances, foreign police certificates should be obtained in any maiden names, aliases or nicknames used while in the country in question, including different spellings you have used of those names. Country-specific information on how to secure police certificates is available on the State Department’s website at http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_3272.html.

only an NBI is needed for the philippines.

The one year requirement that you are reading about is for a CR-1/IR-1 visa

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/19452/public/Packet%204%20_appointment%20packet_%20English%20rtf%20_revised%20GSS_%20_2_%20rtf2_rtf_april2012_rtf2_001.pdf

7. OTHER COUNTRY POLICE CERTIFICATES. Applicants aged 16 years and older must also present police certificates from other countries where they have lived for one (1) year or more after reaching the age of 16. As with NBI clearances, foreign police certificates should be obtained in any maiden names, aliases or nicknames used while in the country in question, including different spellings you have used of those names. Country-specific information on how to secure police certificates is available on the State Department’s web site at http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_3272.html.

Edited June 14, 2012 by Scott and Mhay

[Scott and Mhay 57]

nevermind...I just read that you are doing the interview in Montreal...although for a fiancee visa I have seen it is 6 months for the police clearance. The second link tells you to check out packet 4. So the Qatar one will be needed if she was there over 6 months.

Edited June 14, 2012 by Scott and Mhay

[Tim & Rocelle 0]

Thanks for the information, but I'm still confused because the one-year requirement link clearly shows K1 Visa at the top, not CR like you're referencing. Am I reading something incorrectly?

And no, I'm not filing in Manila because my fiance is currently living in Canada.

[ClaireGio 35]

Yes it says same for London. I lived in Italy for 8 months and it definitely says on London website I'll need one for countries I've lived in over 12 months x it's confusing...