No Live Trace (K-1 police certificate)

[Julie+Matt 84]

My fiancé just got his police certificate for the K-1 visa. It says "No Live Trace". I've looked this up but haven't found anything that helps me.

When he was 16 he was caught loitering on abandoned property and got a citation. That's it.

Will this affect him? Does he have to dig deeper for proof that he's a clean citizen? Will he be denied for this?

His interview and medical aren't scheduled yet (but should be within a few weeks-waiting on the NVC to receive my petition). So, any information would be helpful.

Thanks!

[tru_loves_journey 117]

Hi, I found this info for you,

NO LIVE TRACE - this means that you do have a Police record and information for this is held about you on the Police National computer. This information does not appear on your Police certificate as it has been stepped down in accordance with the Retention Guidelines for nominal records on the Police National computer. The retention guidelines for nominal records can be found on the ACPO and homeoffice websites.
It must be stated that although your conviction/s may have been stepped down they still form part of your criminal history. Your visa application requires you to declare if you have been convicted of a criminal offence, you must declare all convictions. If your Police certificate stated NO LIVE TRACE and you have not declared your convictions you may be asked to explain this outcome which could delay your visa application.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

My fiancé just got his police certificate for the K-1 visa. It says "No Live Trace". I've looked this up but haven't found anything that helps me.

When he was 16 he was caught loitering on abandoned property and got a citation. That's it.

Will this affect him? Does he have to dig deeper for proof that he's a clean citizen? Will he be denied for this?

His interview and medical aren't scheduled yet (but should be within a few weeks-waiting on the NVC to receive my petition). So, any information would be helpful.

Thanks!

People with No Live Trace order a Subject Access Report from ACPO. It will tell the charge and outcome. He does have a criminal record so needs to state that whenever asked for immigration...."have you ever been charged, cited, detain, arrested"...whatever words they use on the various forms. The documentation will be needed again in the US even for a citizenship interview so keep it with important papers for years. Then you won't have to order again from the US. Take a photocopy to the interview and ask for the original back. It's a very minor crime and won't cause a denial. The SARs take longer to receive so might slow your progress while you wait on it. Readiness for Interview form is not supposed to be submitted until you are actually ready...meaning all documents in hand.

[Julie+Matt 84]

People with No Live Trace order a Subject Access Report from ACPO. It will tell the charge and outcome. He does have a criminal record so needs to state that whenever asked for immigration...."have you ever been charged, cited, detain, arrested"...whatever words they use on the various forms. The documentation will be needed again in the US even for a citizenship interview so keep it with important papers for years. Then you won't have to order again from the US. Take a photocopy to the interview and ask for the original back. It's a very minor crime and won't cause a denial. The SARs take longer to receive so might slow your progress while you wait on it. Readiness for Interview form is not supposed to be submitted until you are actually ready...meaning all documents in hand.

So, he needs to order this report, then? Because the police report he got is what was sent when he told them what he needed it for. I'm so confused...

[Julie+Matt 84]

Why didn't the police certificate that he got (that stated it was what was needed for this application process we are currently going through) give more detailed information if more detailed information is required? What? So you have to spend more money and waste more time waiting? Seriously? So, he actually needs to order a further investigative report for a stupid trespassing crime from his youth? I'm so sick and tired of having to jump through hoops just to get married to the man that I love. No one else has to go through any of this #######, but because I fell in love with a foreigner, I have to go through so much…I'm getting annoyed. If this extra step was required, why didn't they just send it too? They phoned him up and asked him what he needed the police certificate for and he told them and this is what they sent. I'm sorry, I'm really irritated…this process isn't fair. Everything just keeps trying to delay our timing.

[Boiler 45,516]

It is not a UK issue. It is a US issue. They say jump, you ask how high.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

So, he needs to order this report, then? Because the police report he got is what was sent when he told them what he needed it for. I'm so confused...

The police report he got is the standard police report everybody gets. In the UK, they "hide" or step down some offenses, so they don't show up. Like if a UK employer was running a background check, they would not be able to know those kinds of things that were stepped down or expunged from the record. Only he can get his full report by ordering a Subject Access Report. It will tell what he was charged with.

If somebody has never had any incident with law enforcement (other than traffic tickets) their report says "no trace" meaning there nothing on this person.

Any activity considered a crime, including receiving what they call a caution, will produce a regular police certificate that says "no live trace." It means there nothing "live" that anybody has permission to see, but there is a record hidden that the person can request or give permission to release. That's kinda my own way of trying to help you understand it.

So on to immigration...the US doesn't buy in to that hidden record thing. They want to know every single charge. So consider if you were the interviewer and this guy says "oh I got cautioned 25 years ago for throwing an egg at my neighbors car." How do you know if that is correct? What if it was for shop lifting four years ago or punching some guy out two years ago? That's why having a Subject Access Report would establish the date and name the charge. There is no question.

Can he just go and tell his story and they take his word? I have hear of that happening in London. But having the written documentation is normally what people take to their interview. Same for later down the road. We had to track down a speeding ticket (US) and proof of paying the fine for my husband's citizenship interview. The same thing happened to Damian who posts here. He had his citizenship interview a week or two ago and has to track down documentation for a US ticket before they will approve and schedule his oath ceremony. A guy from Cambridge who was same timeline as us all the way from K1 petition to citizenship had to track down a UK mischief incident from when he was maybe 11 or 12 years old. So get the documentation.

[Julie+Matt 84]

Ok...will his police certificate that he has currently be ok for his medical? He's gonna order the other thing...& should have it in hand for the interview. Will that be ok, then? Cuz...that shouldn't delay the timeline that I have in my head. God, my government is annoying.

[Big Papa Zone 93]

Can he just go and tell his story and they take his word? I have hear of that happening in London. But having the written documentation is normally what people take to their interview. Same for later down the road. We had to track down a speeding ticket (US) and proof of paying the fine for my husband's citizenship interview. The same thing happened to Damian who posts here. He had his citizenship interview a week or two ago and has to track down documentation for a US ticket before they will approve and schedule his oath ceremony. A guy from Cambridge who was same timeline as us all the way from K1 petition to citizenship had to track down a UK mischief incident from when he was maybe 11 or 12 years old. So get the documentation.

And Damian who posts here is MIGHTY glad he kept that speeding ticket from 2010 or God only knows how I would have gotten the necessary documentation!

Still waiting on that damn oath letter, Nich. Being 99.9% of the way through the entire visa journey is worse than waiting for NOA2!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

And Damian who posts here is MIGHTY glad he kept that speeding ticket from 2010 or God only knows how I would have gotten the necessary documentation!

Still waiting on that damn oath letter, Nich. Being 99.9% of the way through the entire visa journey is worse than waiting for NOA2!

We had to do some tracking to go get a copy. I only remembered where we paid it in person 3+ years earlier and a vague timeframe. But somebody gave me the new court location. Then the lady there said they began computerizing records around that time. Otherwise out of luck. Amazing, they found it as one of their earliest computerized and could print out a copy. Plan B was going to be say "no" to any citations on the application form.

I hope you get the Halloween ceremony. There can't be that many to slot in. Houston naturalizes 1600-2000+ every month and popped us in to the one 20 days after interview. I thought they were extremely efficient and organized.