Victoria Police Check

[riss 12]

Hi, just wondering if someone can help me out with this! I called up Victoria Police about making an appointment for fingerprinting, and... I am so confused now. First of all, she said that the city appointments were all booked out until next January! The closest appointment I could get was for October 17th, in their regional office at Seymour - which I think is about a 90 minute drive from Melbourne. Then she said that she wasn't sure what form I needed to get, and she told me that I didn't need the fingerprinting that costs around $150, which was for 'security people', but that my fingerprinting check would be free. Which seems contradictory to some of the posts of other people I've read here. She also said that she thought I should be dealing with AFP (Australian Federal Police) instead of Victoria Police. Well I'm pretty sure I just followed the links that the embassy website gave for getting the police check things done, and ended up at the Victoria Police site.

I think I'm just confused, anyway, so if anyone has some advice/clarification, I'd appreciate it so much.

Oh, and I remember people mentioning that you can expedite the police check process. How do you do that? I asked if she could give me an earlier appointment but she just said no.

Riss

[Adrian_Trischa 6]

Hi, just wondering if someone can help me out with this! I called up Victoria Police about making an appointment for fingerprinting, and... I am so confused now. First of all, she said that the city appointments were all booked out until next January! The closest appointment I could get was for October 17th, in their regional office at Seymour - which I think is about a 90 minute drive from Melbourne. Then she said that she wasn't sure what form I needed to get, and she told me that I didn't need the fingerprinting that costs around $150, which was for 'security people', but that my fingerprinting check would be free. Which seems contradictory to some of the posts of other people I've read here. She also said that she thought I should be dealing with AFP (Australian Federal Police) instead of Victoria Police. Well I'm pretty sure I just followed the links that the embassy website gave for getting the police check things done, and ended up at the Victoria Police site.

I think I'm just confused, anyway, so if anyone has some advice/clarification, I'd appreciate it so much.

Oh, and I remember people mentioning that you can expedite the police check process. How do you do that? I asked if she could give me an earlier appointment but she just said n

Riss

funnily enough, i just did my fingerprinting today, however, i'm in queensland. You NEED the fingerprinting done. AFP only deals with certain states (I think ACT), or they will refer you onto your state police. This lady is clearly misinformed. Try calling a different police station for clarification.

[Lainie B 465]

Hi, just wondering if someone can help me out with this! I called up Victoria Police about making an appointment for fingerprinting, and... I am so confused now. First of all, she said that the city appointments were all booked out until next January! The closest appointment I could get was for October 17th, in their regional office at Seymour - which I think is about a 90 minute drive from Melbourne. Then she said that she wasn't sure what form I needed to get, and she told me that I didn't need the fingerprinting that costs around $150, which was for 'security people', but that my fingerprinting check would be free. Which seems contradictory to some of the posts of other people I've read here. She also said that she thought I should be dealing with AFP (Australian Federal Police) instead of Victoria Police. Well I'm pretty sure I just followed the links that the embassy website gave for getting the police check things done, and ended up at the Victoria Police site.

I think I'm just confused, anyway, so if anyone has some advice/clarification, I'd appreciate it so much.

Oh, and I remember people mentioning that you can expedite the police check process. How do you do that? I asked if she could give me an earlier appointment but she just said no.

Riss

Was this the Victoria Police Customer Service Centre in Melbourne's 1300 number? I had almost the exact same response when I got my police check done last August, and others here did too.

You need to keep calling back until you get someone who knows what they are talking about (this woman clearly doesn't, you DO need the fingerprint check, you DON'T need to go through AFP, and you CAN get an earlier appointment). When I called the first time I spoke with a lady (possibly the same one?) and was told they were all booked out for 2 months, and I should try a regional centre such as Geelong, or try AFP. Just keep calling back until you get someone more knowledgeable. Tell them it's really important you need it done fast. When I called back I spoke to a guy who told me there were three appointments available the next day. I went in at 8am the next day (I printed out the form and took it with me along with the identification documents) and paid there with credit card (no need for money order) and was done in about 10 minutes.

Also the police check itself arrived in 5 business days.

[riss 12]

Wow, thanks so much for the advice. I think it was that number for the Victoria Police, yes. I'll just keep calling back then, lol. I booked the appointment for Seymour yesterday but I'm not even sure it was the right one as she said that I wouldn't be charged for that particular category of fingerprinting, which she said was appropriate for visas. Didn't sound quite right.

I was thinking this was going to set me back by months.

Lainie do you happen to remember the name of the Melbourne doctor you saw? I'm in Melbourne, and the list of doctors that's on the guides here seems a bit outdated, there's only two listed in Melbourne and one doesn't seem to be practicing anymore.

I'm also unsure which embassy I should be dealing with if I call to ask questions, would it be the Canberra one, or the Sydney one?

Riss.

Edited September 5, 2012 by riss

[Safety Chick 5]

Hi, just wondering if someone can help me out with this! I called up Victoria Police about making an appointment for fingerprinting, and... I am so confused now. First of all, she said that the city appointments were all booked out until next January! The closest appointment I could get was for October 17th, in their regional office at Seymour - which I think is about a 90 minute drive from Melbourne. Then she said that she wasn't sure what form I needed to get, and she told me that I didn't need the fingerprinting that costs around $150, which was for 'security people', but that my fingerprinting check would be free. Which seems contradictory to some of the posts of other people I've read here. She also said that she thought I should be dealing with AFP (Australian Federal Police) instead of Victoria Police. Well I'm pretty sure I just followed the links that the embassy website gave for getting the police check things done, and ended up at the Victoria Police site.

I think I'm just confused, anyway, so if anyone has some advice/clarification, I'd appreciate it so much.

Oh, and I remember people mentioning that you can expedite the police check process. How do you do that? I asked if she could give me an earlier appointment but she just said no.

Riss

Hi Riss

Call them again - I live in Melbourne and I got mine scheduled within 1 week of me calling... they can be a bit like that. I got my police certificate back within 8 working days....there is no reason it shouldn't take you the same.

I also did my medical not long ago with Dr Charles Okraglik, Bridge Street Clinic 141 Bridge St 03 9646 3551. It cost about $450 with all the vaccines.

And by the way - you need to deal with the Sydney embassy.

Sorry Lainie - beat you to it

Good luck!

Edited September 5, 2012 by Safety Chick

[Lainie B 465]

Wow, thanks so much for the advice. I think it was that number for the Victoria Police, yes. I'll just keep calling back then, lol. I booked the appointment for Seymour yesterday but I'm not even sure it was the right one as she said that I wouldn't be charged for that particular category of fingerprinting, which she said was appropriate for visas. Didn't sound quite right.

I was thinking this was going to set me back by months.

Lainie do you happen to remember the name of the Melbourne doctor you saw? I'm in Melbourne, and the list of doctors that's on the guides here seems a bit outdated, there's only two listed in Melbourne and one doesn't seem to be practicing anymore.

I'm also unsure which embassy I should be dealing with if I call to ask questions, would it be the Canberra one, or the Sydney one?

Riss.

You deal with the Sydney consulate, but the information for the K-1 is on the Canberra embassy website.

Here are the instructions:

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/fiance_niv_appl.html

Use this doctor list:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/adana/5/1/Aug%202012%20Updtaed%20Medical%20Instruct%20With%20List%20of%20Doctors.pdf

not the one on Visajourney.

You don't have to wait for your case number to see Dr Charles. The medical cost me about $400 last year plus vaccinations.

[riss 12]

Oh my lord!!! Thank you so much you guys. I just called back again, got the same spiel from a guy who said they were booked out till January and very few cancellations, etc. I just kept saying, listen, I've been talking to other people who have gotten fiancé visas in the past and needed to do this police check, and they all said that they were able to get this expedited, that there were people in the Vic Police office who were able to do this and who told them the correct type of fingerprinting they needed. He kept saying it didn't cost anything and I said 'No, the people I spoke to who have been through this procedure all told me it costs around $150.' Finally he went and talked to someone, came back, and told me I could have my appointment TOMORROW in the city, and that yes it was a different fingerprinting procedure that costs $141. He didn't realise I was talking about an *overseas* visa, even though I told him that it was for me to go to the UNITED STATES. To be kind to him, I guess he probably hadn't dealt with that stuff before, so he probably didn't realise it mattered. Wait a minute. You don't need visas to go anywhere if it isn't overseas anyway...???

How would I ever get through this stuff without this site??? Thanks so much Lainie and Safety Chick, and Tas006. I really needed something to go right today.

Riss

Edited September 6, 2012 by riss

[Safety Chick 5]

Oh my lord!!! Thank you so much you guys. I just called back again, got the same spiel from a guy who said they were booked out till January and very few cancellations, etc. I just kept saying, listen, I've been talking to other people who have gotten fiancé visas in the past and needed to do this police check, and they all said that they were able to get this expedited, that there were people in the Vic Police office who were able to do this and who told them the correct type of fingerprinting they needed. He kept saying it didn't cost anything and I said 'No, the people I spoke to who have been through this procedure all told me it costs around $150.' Finally he went and talked to someone, came back, and told me I could have my appointment TOMORROW in the city, and that yes it was a different fingerprinting procedure that costs $141. He didn't realise I was talking about an *overseas* visa, even though I told him that it was for me to go to the UNITED STATES. To be kind to him, I guess he probably hadn't dealt with that stuff before, so he probably didn't realise it mattered. Wait a minute. You don't need visas to go anywhere if it isn't overseas anyway...???

How would I ever get through this stuff without this site??? Thanks so much Lainie and Safety Chick, and Tas006. I really needed something to go right today.

Riss

Glad it went ok. Good luck!

[Lainie B 465]

That's great news!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Great news!! Good on you for being so strong and forthright!

[riss 12]

Thanks you guys. Can I ask another question now, lol? Did you have ink fingerprints done or live scan? I had to call them to reschedule my appointment and they were all confused again about where to send me and whether I needed to be on the ordinary (long) appointment list or the 'internal', shorter one - as the new person (and their manager) seemed to think I needed something different to what the last person thought. Craziness! They told me to contact the consulate and get back to them. I'm not too upset about it this time, will just figure this out and do what's needed. I've emailed the consulate and thought I'd ask here as well.

[Lainie B 465]

Thanks you guys. Can I ask another question now, lol? Did you have ink fingerprints done or live scan? I had to call them to reschedule my appointment and they were all confused again about where to send me and whether I needed to be on the ordinary (long) appointment list or the 'internal', shorter one - as the new person (and their manager) seemed to think I needed something different to what the last person thought. Craziness! They told me to contact the consulate and get back to them. I'm not too upset about it this time, will just figure this out and do what's needed. I've emailed the consulate and thought I'd ask here as well.

Scan, not ink. They had a big fancy machine at the customer service centre that they used to do the scan.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Either is fine. I prefered livescan of course 'cause it quicker and easier.

[dolqiu 0]

thanks for all the information guys

[riss 12]

Thanks Lainie & Vanessa!