If you are the alien fiance(e) and have lived in other countries, read this.

[ricnally 259]

Hi All: just warning you of something I just found out, and wish I'd known sooner. I am the Canadian fiancee and it seems, for the final part of the K1 process, I need a police check not only from Canada, but also from Japan because I lived there (more than 6 months) many years ago. I have to go to the Japanese embassy with my passport to ask for the police check, and then it takes TWO MONTHS. This is going to slow us down, considerably I'm afraid. (we're expecting NOA2 any day/week now). It's likely there's a similar wait time for other countries, so if you've lived anywhere else, get going on that police check as soon as possible. Word.

[Smurf 3]

Wow, really? I also spent a few years in Japan.

Sigh!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

  On 2/26/2013 at 12:13 AM, ricnally said:

Hi All: just warning you of something I just found out, and wish I'd known sooner. I am the Canadian fiancee and it seems, for the final part of the K1 process, I need a police check not only from Canada, but also from Japan because I lived there (more than 6 months) many years ago. I have to go to the Japanese embassy with my passport to ask for the police check, and then it takes TWO MONTHS. This is going to slow us down, considerably I'm afraid. (we're expecting NOA2 any day/week now). It's likely there's a similar wait time for other countries, so if you've lived anywhere else, get going on that police check as soon as possible. Word.

In other words....read the instructions.

The visa is not the END, it is the beginning. You will need a lot more stuff along the way and the visa interview is just the FIRST examination of your relationship. There will be three more over the next 4-5 years.

Read ahead, this is a long process that STARTS when the visa is issued.

Police certificates are valid for 1 year at any consulate regardless of what the certificate may say. We had ours before we filed the I-129f petition. BEFORE you file a petition you should be aware of everything you need for the process and get it prepared. You are moving here for life.

[CaroSL 68]

  On 2/26/2013 at 12:13 AM, ricnally said:

Hi All: just warning you of something I just found out, and wish I'd known sooner. I am the Canadian fiancee and it seems, for the final part of the K1 process, I need a police check not only from Canada, but also from Japan because I lived there (more than 6 months) many years ago. I have to go to the Japanese embassy with my passport to ask for the police check, and then it takes TWO MONTHS. This is going to slow us down, considerably I'm afraid. (we're expecting NOA2 any day/week now). It's likely there's a similar wait time for other countries, so if you've lived anywhere else, get going on that police check as soon as possible. Word.

Great point Are you sure for the 6 months thing for Canada though?

Here is the rule in France:

For countries you lived in for at least a 12 months

For your home country (country you are a citizen of)

and for the country you currently live in, if you have been living there for at least 6 months (if different from your own country)?

I don't want to give you false hopes. This is the rule for France... I know the UK states it a bit differently ("more than a year" instead of "at least 12 months"). But I find it so wierd that the requirements (specially for police certificates) varry with the embassy? I just don't understand...

Anyone has any idea why it would be like this?

[CaroSL 68]

  On 2/26/2013 at 12:13 AM, ricnally said:

Hi All: just warning you of something I just found out, and wish I'd known sooner. I am the Canadian fiancee and it seems, for the final part of the K1 process, I need a police check not only from Canada, but also from Japan because I lived there (more than 6 months) many years ago. I have to go to the Japanese embassy with my passport to ask for the police check, and then it takes TWO MONTHS. This is going to slow us down, considerably I'm afraid. (we're expecting NOA2 any day/week now). It's likely there's a similar wait time for other countries, so if you've lived anywhere else, get going on that police check as soon as possible. Word.

See the bright side: You realised this before NOA2. It could take a months between NOA2 ant packet 3... so it is gonna slow you down a bit, but not by 2 months!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

  On 2/26/2013 at 12:13 AM, ricnally said:

Hi All: just warning you of something I just found out, and wish I'd known sooner. I am the Canadian fiancee and it seems, for the final part of the K1 process, I need a police check not only from Canada, but also from Japan because I lived there (more than 6 months) many years ago. I have to go to the Japanese embassy with my passport to ask for the police check, and then it takes TWO MONTHS. This is going to slow us down, considerably I'm afraid. (we're expecting NOA2 any day/week now). It's likely there's a similar wait time for other countries, so if you've lived anywhere else, get going on that police check as soon as possible. Word.

Actually it's more than 12 months outside of your home country.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html (scroll down to the bottom for the table).

[fleuryweury 0]

This doesn't help your specific situation but might help someone else.

If the USA is one of the countries you have lived for 6 months, you do NOT need a police record for there. - I had lived in the USA for 6 months on a tourist visa and I just needed my New Zealand police record for my K1.

That might seem like silly advice but as i've found out on this journey, there are so many little details that you are expected to know and not everything is spelled out for you along the way.

[ricnally 259]

  On 2/26/2013 at 1:01 AM, Gary and Alla said:

In other words....read the instructions.

Of course this is good advice, but honestly to absorb the WHOLE process is pretty overwhelming, so I've been going at it in smaller more digestible chunks.

The visa is not the END, it is the beginning. You will need a lot more stuff along the way and the visa interview is just the FIRST examination of your relationship. There will be three more over the next 4-5 years.

Read ahead, this is a long process that STARTS when the visa is issued.

Police certificates are valid for 1 year at any consulate regardless of what the certificate may say. We had ours before we filed the I-129f petition. BEFORE you file a petition you should be aware of everything you need for the process and get it prepared. You are moving here for life.

  On 2/26/2013 at 1:04 AM, CaroSL said:

Great point Are you sure for the 6 months thing for Canada though?

Here is the rule in France:

For countries you lived in for at least a 12 months

For your home country (country you are a citizen of)

and for the country you currently live in, if you have been living there for at least 6 months (if different from your own country)?

I don't want to give you false hopes. This is the rule for France... I know the UK states it a bit differently ("more than a year" instead of "at least 12 months"). But I find it so wierd that the requirements (specially for police certificates) varry with the embassy? I just don't understand...

Anyone has any idea why it would be like this?

Yes, sure that it's 6 months for Canada.

[ricnally 259]

  On 2/26/2013 at 1:32 AM, fleuryweury said:

This doesn't help your specific situation but might help someone else.

If the USA is one of the countries you have lived for 6 months, you do NOT need a police record for there. - I had lived in the USA for 6 months on a tourist visa and I just needed my New Zealand police record for my K1.

That might seem like silly advice but as i've found out on this journey, there are so many little details that you are expected to know and not everything is spelled out for you along the way.

Oh, great to know! I've also lived in the US (but for 18 months--on a media visa), wonder if I need the police check in that case?

  On 2/26/2013 at 1:10 AM, Vanessa&Tony said:

Actually it's more than 12 months outside of your home country.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html (scroll down to the bottom for the table).

It's 6 months for Canada.

[fleuryweury 0]

  On 2/26/2013 at 2:30 AM, ricnally said:

Oh, great to know! I've also lived in the US (but for 18 months--on a media visa), wonder if I need the police check in that case?

It's 6 months for Canada.

I shouldn't imagine you'd need any police checks for living in the USA. As for Canada and your time in Asia (or anywhere else for 6 months or more), you'll need police certs/ clearance.

It's also 6 months for New Zealand.

[ricnally 259]

  On 2/26/2013 at 2:37 AM, fleuryweury said:

I shouldn't imagine you'd need any police checks for living in the USA. As for Canada and your time in Asia (or anywhere else for 6 months or more), you'll need police certs/ clearance.

It's also 6 months for New Zealand.

OK, just found it in the fine print: I DO NOT need police check for time in U.S. Whew!

[CaroSL 68]

  On 2/26/2013 at 2:30 AM, ricnally said:

Oh, great to know! I've also lived in the US (but for 18 months--on a media visa), wonder if I need the police check in that case?

It's 6 months for Canada.

If it is 6 months for canada, it might be a good idea to add that info in the consulate information in the canadian portal, so others won't have that problem.

I am very sorry you found this out so late in the process...

Good luck, hope you won't have to wait 2 months for the PC from japan...

[Alex&Amy 28]

Just to clarify I'v also lived abroad in the US for over 12 months, I shouldn't need a criminal record check for that as well as one from Australia right?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

  On 2/27/2013 at 6:28 AM, Alex&Amy said:

Just to clarify I'v also lived abroad in the US for over 12 months, I shouldn't need a criminal record check for that as well as one from Australia right?

No. The US does their own checks.

[agnesb 47]

http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_3272.html this website has great deal of info regarding documents available in all countries, how to obain them and how long it akes, just choose from a drop down menu the country you need police record from (or birth/divore certificate, court records etc) press ok and scroll down to the documens section