police checks australia

[Salt&Pepper 4]

The petitioner will receive correspondence from NVC once they have assigned a case number and forwarded it to the US Consulate in Sydney. You don't need to call, but you can if you find it is taking longer than expected to be processed by NVC. (NVC had our petition for less than a week).

I believe only NSW and QLD will require your case number allocated by NVC, as they are the only states that will send the certificate directly to the consulate (so the case number is necessary to match it up with your file). If you are applying through another state, then you can apply for your police certificate at any time.

When you apply for the police check, you will want either a 'name check' or 'name and finger print check'. If you chose the later, you will be required to go to a police station to have your finger prints taken (some do ink, some will scan. If you go through the AFP they will require ink). The police service in your state will then do a check against national databases based on your name (and finger prints if you have that done). They will then send the police certificate you, or the consulate if you are in NSW or QLD. You will not receive a copy of your finger prints.

There is also a service for 'name check and finger prints' which is something different. This means they will provide a certificate based on a name check, and then take your prints and provide you with a copy but not actually do a check on them. This is for those people who also need to apply for a police certificate in other countries and have to supply finger prints taken by an authorised law enforcement agency.

Conducting the actual police check doesn't take very long, but the processing time will vary depending on the workload of the state in which you are applying. So it could be turned around in a week, or it could take up to a month. In our case, it took two months.

Darin&josh, you seem to know a lot on the topic of police checks. I have a question for you...

We live in NSW. My fiance (the beneficiary) did the NSW National Police Check (this one: https://npcoapr.police.nsw.gov.au/aspx/dataentry/Introduction.aspx) and opted for the fingerprint check. In the section where it asks the purpose of the check, he wrote something like Overseas Visa, USA K-1. (There wasn't any space to put the details of exactly who to send it to. It only asked for our personal address.) Then he went and got his fingerprints taken at a local police station. They sent it off to the NSW Criminal Records Section. We thought that because it's NSW, the certificate should go directly to the U.S. Consulate, but yesterday, we received it at our home address. Is this a problem? Did we do something wrong? Will the U.S. Consulate still accept it if we bring it in at the interview? Can we open it? Or should we it in the sealed envelope?

And has anyone else living in NSW been in this situation? If so, how did you go? Did the U.S. Consulate accept your police check (even though it wasn't sent directly from the NSW Criminal Records Section)?

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

[darin&josh 18]

Darin&josh, you seem to know a lot on the topic of police checks. I have a question for you...

We live in NSW. My fiance (the beneficiary) did the NSW National Police Check (this one: https://npcoapr.police.nsw.gov.au/aspx/dataentry/Introduction.aspx) and opted for the fingerprint check. In the section where it asks the purpose of the check, he wrote something like Overseas Visa, USA K-1. (There wasn't any space to put the details of exactly who to send it to. It only asked for our personal address.) Then he went and got his fingerprints taken at a local police station. They sent it off to the NSW Criminal Records Section. We thought that because it's NSW, the certificate should go directly to the U.S. Consulate, but yesterday, we received it at our home address. Is this a problem? Did we do something wrong? Will the U.S. Consulate still accept it if we bring it in at the interview? Can we open it? Or should we it in the sealed envelope?

And has anyone else living in NSW been in this situation? If so, how did you go? Did the U.S. Consulate accept your police check (even though it wasn't sent directly from the NSW Criminal Records Section)?

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

I've read of a few people from NSW that have had their police certificate sent directly to them rather than the Consulate. I wouldn't worry about it being sent to you, as it won't be a problem for the Consulate so long as it is an official police certificate. You can open it and include it with your DSL-1076 checklist and required documents that you will take to the interview, just as someone from another jurisdiction would do.

Good luck with your interview next week

[sweetswinks 400]

I've read of a few people from NSW that have had their police certificate sent directly to them rather than the Consulate. I wouldn't worry about it being sent to you, as it won't be a problem for the Consulate so long as it is an official police certificate. You can open it and include it with your DSL-1076 checklist and required documents that you will take to the interview, just as someone from another jurisdiction would do.

Good luck with your interview next week

I didn't ask the original question but you have so much knowledge so....

I thought I saw on the AFP online form box to check to send to another address, I'm wondering if i should put the Sydney consulate address here but i wonder if that is safe, what if it gets lost?!

Am I better off talking to the police when I get my fingerprints done?

[darin&josh 18]

I didn't ask the original question but you have so much knowledge so....

I thought I saw on the AFP online form box to check to send to another address, I'm wondering if i should put the Sydney consulate address here but i wonder if that is safe, what if it gets lost?!

Am I better off talking to the police when I get my fingerprints done?

I would probably have it sent to you rather than the Consulate, as I don't think there is a field to put a case or reference number in order for it to be matched with your file when it arrives at the Consulate. Also, I am guessing that you would probably feel more comfortable having it in your hand so you can be confident you have everything in order prior to your interview.

If you are choosing to have a name and fingerprint check, you may find it easier (and perhaps slightly cheaper) to do the check through your state police rather than sending it off to the AFP (unless of course you are in the ACT or WA, or are overseas at the moment).

Hope that helps

[sweetswinks 400]

I would probably have it sent to you rather than the Consulate, as I don't think there is a field to put a case or reference number in order for it to be matched with your file when it arrives at the Consulate. Also, I am guessing that you would probably feel more comfortable having it in your hand so you can be confident you have everything in order prior to your interview.

If you are choosing to have a name and fingerprint check, you may find it easier (and perhaps slightly cheaper) to do the check through your state police rather than sending it off to the AFP (unless of course you are in the ACT or WA, or are overseas at the moment).

Hope that helps

Thanks for that! I am going through the NSW police website. So I guess they will send me the certificate but send the fingerprints to the consulate via Parramatta criminal records?

[darin&josh 18]

Thanks for that! I am going through the NSW police website. So I guess they will send me the certificate but send the fingerprints to the consulate via Parramatta criminal records?

Once you have submitted your request, they will send the police certificate to the address supplied (it looks as though on the NSW site you can opt to have it sent to the applicants address and not the requesting organisation). If you opt for a fingerprint check it will just be used to look for any matches on the various state databases. They won't send the fingerprints anywhere, and the Consulate won't need them.

What you will receive is a single sheet (assuming you have no convictions or matters before a court) that looks like this sample and it will include your name, date of birth, and including wording to the effect that:

"A nationwide name check (or name and fingerprint check) has been conducted for the person listed below, for the stated purpose of Visa to the United States of America. This is to certify that at the date of issue, there are No Disclosable Court Outcomes or outstanding matters recorded within the records of police jurisdictions in Australia."

On the NSW Police website you are able to apply for the police check through their site, or if you fit into certain categories, they direct you to the AFP. Do you plan to apply for your national police certificate through NSW Police? An information sheet on using their site is available, which is fairly helpful. It also includes instructions on contacting your local police station if you need to have fingerprints taken and how to have your identification confirmed.

(If you've lived in a country other than Australia or the US, you may need fingerprints to send to a law enforcement agency in that country in order for them to provide a police certificate to cover your time there. However, obtaining fingerprints for that purpose would be a separate request from the application for an Australian national police certificate).