NSW police check timeline

[David R 2]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know how long it will take to get a police check in NSW and whether or not I will have to be physically present in Australia for it?

The police check is for the K1 visa.

[heyray 2]

From my experience it is a nationwide police check that can be done at any police station in Australia. It is an easy process that takes a few weeks to get the results back. You should enquire with the police station to see if you need an appointment but I didn't need one. For the K1 visa you need to have fingerprints taken at the same time to go along with the police check. Do you currently live in Australia? If you do not I am unsure as to how to get the fingerprint check done with the police check. I hope this helps.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

No you won't. See here: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html

[David R 2]

Ah, so I will need to be in Aus for the finger printing. We are planning a two month trip to Europe and if we get the interview date during our time away I dont want to have to wait to get back to Aus to get the process started on the police check. Do you know if I can get the fingerprints done on the spot and then maybe do the name check while still overseas.

I just want to have everything ready to go for my interview when I am called.

Thanks guys

David

[heyray 2]

I am unsure as to how long it is valid for but I believe that the police certificate is valid for 12 months. When are you planning your trip? I would suggest that, depending on how your case is progressing at the time, you go to your police station shortly before you depart for overseas. But with that being said you will also be required to take a medical at an authorised physician. In my case the doctor would not schedule an appointment until I had my consulate case number (which is different to your USCIS number). So I had to wait for everything to be approved, sent to the US consulate in Sydney and then sent to me. That took a few weeks too.

I do believe too, that once approved (get your NOA2) your USCIS approval is valid for 4 months too. So that is another limitation on you as well

[David R 2]

I am unsure as to how long it is valid for but I believe that the police certificate is valid for 12 months. When are you planning your trip? I would suggest that, depending on how your case is progressing at the time, you go to your police station shortly before you depart for overseas. But with that being said you will also be required to take a medical at an authorised physician. In my case the doctor would not schedule an appointment until I had my consulate case number (which is different to your USCIS number). So I had to wait for everything to be approved, sent to the US consulate in Sydney and then sent to me. That took a few weeks too.

I do believe too, that once approved (get your NOA2) your USCIS approval is valid for 4 months too. So that is another limitation on you as well

Thank you so much for your help. I am trying to make sense of it all. I thought I had to wait until I had an interview date to get my police check?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Ah, so I will need to be in Aus for the finger printing. We are planning a two month trip to Europe and if we get the interview date during our time away I dont want to have to wait to get back to Aus to get the process started on the police check. Do you know if I can get the fingerprints done on the spot and then maybe do the name check while still overseas.

I just want to have everything ready to go for my interview when I am called.

No you don't. Did you not read the link I posted? It would be easier of course but you could get them done at a local police office wherever you are (if they'll do it).

Out of interest, you will NOT get your interview until you have returned packet 3 which is the police check and medical. So you won't get the interview while you are away. You might get P3 but that's about it until you send in the required docs.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I am unsure as to how long it is valid for but I believe that the police certificate is valid for 12 months. When are you planning your trip? I would suggest that, depending on how your case is progressing at the time, you go to your police station shortly before you depart for overseas. But with that being said you will also be required to take a medical at an authorised physician. In my case the doctor would not schedule an appointment until I had my consulate case number (which is different to your USCIS number). So I had to wait for everything to be approved, sent to the US consulate in Sydney and then sent to me. That took a few weeks too.

I do believe too, that once approved (get your NOA2) your USCIS approval is valid for 4 months too. So that is another limitation on you as well

Yes the medical and police are valid for 12 months. In Victoria the doctor didn't require the case number (issued by NVC, not by the consulate incidentally).

Also no. The NOA2 validity is automatically extended by activity by USCIS. Basically it's a "deadline" for USCIS to take action as well. There a few threads about it if you type "K1 NOA2 expiration date" you'll see that it's not a big deal. By all means I wouldn't dilly-dally but I would prepare the P3 documents and have them ready to go in the event they receive P3 while they're gone... bearing in mind some people report a really quick turn around on interview date so they might want to wait till they're back to return P3 (rather than having someone else send P3 for them).

Edited August 31, 2012 by Vanessa&Tony

[David R 2]

Yes the medical and police are valid for 12 months. In Victoria the doctor didn't require the case number (issued by NVC, not by the consulate incidentally).

Also no. The NOA2 validity is automatically extended by activity by USCIS. Basically it's a "deadline" for USCIS to take action as well. There a few threads about it if you type "K1 NOA2 expiration date" you'll see that it's not a big deal. By all means I wouldn't dilly-dally but I would prepare the P3 documents and have them ready to go in the event they receive P3 while they're gone... bearing in mind some people report a really quick turn around on interview date so they might want to wait till they're back to return P3 (rather than having someone else send P3 for them).

I am thinking if I am overseas I will be unable to go to the local police station to get my police check done. I guess I could wait until I have an idea of what point I am at when I plan to travel and figure out the best course of action in terms of my medical and police check.

Thanks so much for all you help. You have been really helpful!

David