Question for Australians

[cazandjohn 0]

So I have a question about the police checks. Do I need an Australian clearance or do I need one for the state? If its the state do I need one for both where I'm living now and where I am from and spent most my life??

Hope someone can help me out!

Thank you

[Pheebs1201 269]

Try posting in this forum, someone may be able to help you quicker: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/146-australia-and-new-zealand/

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K1 Process to Australia/New Zealand Regional Forum~

~Inquiry is country-specific~

[dwarrell 21]

So I have a question about the police checks. Do I need an Australian clearance or do I need one for the state? If its the state do I need one for both where I'm living now and where I am from and spent most my life??

Hope someone can help me out!

Thank you

It's a national criminal history record check (i.e. all of Australia), but the process for obtaining it varies depending on where you're currently living. Details are on the Canberra US Embassy website here: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html

If you live in NSW or Qld, they tell you not to apply for the check until you receive instructions to do so as these two states supposedly send the reports straight to the US Consulate in Sydney. However this doesn't make sense to me, as the police certificate is part of the documentation required by the NVC. So even though I live in NSW I already applied for mine, requesting that they send it to me instead of the consulate.

Which state are you living in currently? Which visa are you applying for?

[cazandjohn 0]

It's a national criminal history record check (i.e. all of Australia), but the process for obtaining it varies depending on where you're currently living. Details are on the Canberra US Embassy website here: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html

If you live in NSW or Qld, they tell you not to apply for the check until you receive instructions to do so as these two states supposedly send the reports straight to the US Consulate in Sydney. However this doesn't make sense to me, as the police certificate is part of the documentation required by the NVC. So even though I live in NSW I already applied for mine, requesting that they send it to me instead of the consulate.

Which state are you living in currently? Which visa are you applying for?

Thank you so much! I was confused because it says to apply within your state. I live in NSW now but have only been here since May. I'm applying for a K1 fiancé visa. They are only valid for 6 months, is that right?? I don't want to do it to early then have to do it again.

[dwarrell 21]

Thank you so much! I was confused because it says to apply within your state. I live in NSW now but have only been here since May. I'm applying for a K1 fiancé visa. They are only valid for 6 months, is that right?? I don't want to do it to early then have to do it again.

I applied for my certificate a couple of weeks ago, so it should arrive very soon. As soon as it does, I'll let you know how long it's valid for and the process I went through to get it.

[cazandjohn 0]

I applied for my certificate a couple of weeks ago, so it should arrive very soon. As soon as it does, I'll let you know how long it's valid for and the process I went through to get it.

Thank you I appreciate that!

[bellejimmy 10]

So I have a question about the police checks. Do I need an Australian clearance or do I need one for the state? If its the state do I need one for both where I'm living now and where I am from and spent most my life??

Hope someone can help me out!

Thank you

Hello,

I have just received my K1 visa and used a National Police Check through NSW Police, name check only (include your middle name). You just need to go to your local police station and bring forms of identity, you then receive the certificate by mail about 1-2 weeks later. I organised this weeks before the consulate sent me instructions.

I have lived in NSW my whole life and the USA on a J1, I didn't need a US police check.

If I was you I'd get one from where you are from and where you are living now, to be safe!! Nothing like getting to the interview stage and not having all the documents they require.

The K1 instructions emailed to me from the sydney consulate in October read:

Australian police certificates:

· Required for each visa applicant aged 16 years or older.

• Required if you have resided in Australia for a minimum of 6 months. Police certificates must list ALL ALIASES used during or prior to your residence in that country OR be based on fingerprints. When applying for an Australian police certificate, be sure to note that your request is for the purpose of immigration.

Other countries police certificates:

If you answer YES to the following:

1a. Since turning 16, I have resided in another country for 6 months or more.

m YES

1b. At that time I held / currently hold citizenship of that country.

m YES

The police certificate is required from that country.

Or;

2. Since turning 16, I have resided in another country (besides Australia and the U.S.) for 12 months or more?

m YES

The police certificate is required from that country.

Police certificates from certain countries are unavailable. Please refer to the reciprocity for further information.

[dwarrell 21]

Thank you so much! I was confused because it says to apply within your state. I live in NSW now but have only been here since May. I'm applying for a K1 fiancé visa. They are only valid for 6 months, is that right?? I don't want to do it to early then have to do it again.

My police certificate arrived today. There is no validity period marked on it, so if there are concerns about the police certificate 'expiring,' it would only be that the NVC won't consider a certificate that was issued more than a certain amount of time ago. If I were you, I'd look into that, and maybe consider holding off on requesting it until you're within a couple of weeks of being ready to send all your documents off. I requested my certificate on 20-Oct, and it was issued on 29-Oct - I would say 1.5-2 weeks total for the certificate to be issued.

I filled out the form online here: https://npcoapr.police.nsw.gov.au/aspx/dataentry/Introduction.aspx. I just filled out the form as you would expect to normally, noting that it was for a USA visa application, and putting in my address as the address for the certificate to be sent back to. I'm not sure why they make a special note of saying they'll send it straight to the consulate, but then apparently expect that you would put in the consulate's address when making the application.

I hope this helps!

[cazandjohn 0]

Hello,

I have just received my K1 visa and used a National Police Check through NSW Police, name check only (include your middle name). You just need to go to your local police station and bring forms of identity, you then receive the certificate by mail about 1-2 weeks later. I organised this weeks before the consulate sent me instructions.

I have lived in NSW my whole life and the USA on a J1, I didn't need a US police check.

If I was you I'd get one from where you are from and where you are living now, to be safe!! Nothing like getting to the interview stage and not having all the documents they require.

The K1 instructions emailed to me from the sydney consulate in October read:

Australian police certificates:

· Required for each visa applicant aged 16 years or older.

• Required if you have resided in Australia for a minimum of 6 months. Police certificates must list ALL ALIASES used during or prior to your residence in that country OR be based on fingerprints. When applying for an Australian police certificate, be sure to note that your request is for the purpose of immigration.

Other countries police certificates:

If you answer YES to the following:

1a. Since turning 16, I have resided in another country for 6 months or more.

m YES

1b. At that time I held / currently hold citizenship of that country.

m YES

The police certificate is required from that country.

Or;

2. Since turning 16, I have resided in another country (besides Australia and the U.S.) for 12 months or more?

m YES

The police certificate is required from that country.

Police certificates from certain countries are unavailable. Please refer to the reciprocity for further information.

Thank you! Yer I'm going to get a police check for the UK as well. Just have to figure out how to do the payment for it. Hope all comes through nice and quick!

[cazandjohn 0]

My police certificate arrived today. There is no validity period marked on it, so if there are concerns about the police certificate 'expiring,' it would only be that the NVC won't consider a certificate that was issued more than a certain amount of time ago. If I were you, I'd look into that, and maybe consider holding off on requesting it until you're within a couple of weeks of being ready to send all your documents off. I requested my certificate on 20-Oct, and it was issued on 29-Oct - I would say 1.5-2 weeks total for the certificate to be issued.

I filled out the form online here: https://npcoapr.police.nsw.gov.au/aspx/dataentry/Introduction.aspx. I just filled out the form as you would expect to normally, noting that it was for a USA visa application, and putting in my address as the address for the certificate to be sent back to. I'm not sure why they make a special note of saying they'll send it straight to the consulate, but then apparently expect that you would put in the consulate's address when making the application.

I hope this helps!

That is nice and quick which is a good thing. I will look into it now. Thank you again for keeping me so informed. I really appreciate it.