Netherlands Police Clearance

[T.S. 2]

Does anybody have experience getting Netherlands Police Clearance?

I have both a CR-1 and a K3 filed for my wife. For the CR-1, the NVC requested her Netherlands information and said that they are requesting the police clearance for us. We assumed they were doing they same for her K3. She went to her K3 interview in Manila a couple days ago and she was told that she needed to get it herself. First they gave her a sheet for the Netherlands Antilles, and told her to send a request to the island of Curacao in the Caribbean. After arguing with them that the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands are not the same country, they finally gave her a sheet for the Netherlands I guess, and basically told her to follow the instructions on their website, then come back to Manila Embassy when she gets it.

It makes little sense to me that they would get it for us for the CR-1 and tell us to get it ourselves for the K3.

This is what the embassy website says for the Netherlands.....

POLICE RECORD

Available. Police records will not be provided by Dutch police to individuals requesting them, but may be requested by bona fide applicants for immigrant visas through the United States Consulate/Embassy where visa application is made.

Dutch police will not provide arrest and conviction records for outside posts unless requests for such records are routed through the Consulate General in Amsterdam by email:

CONSULARAMSTER@STATE.GOV- for Immigrant Visa Unit. All such requests must include the period of residence and applicant's last complete address of residence in the Netherlands.

United States consular officers should require the police certificate of good conduct issued by the Ministry of Justice of The Netherlands. Certificates of good conduct (Bewijs van Goed Gedrag) issued by the Ministry of Justice, Dienst Justis, Judicial Agency for Scrutiny, Integrity, and Screening/Depart Covog should not be accepted.

Approximately four weeks are required to obtain the certificate from The Netherlands Government, provided there is no derogatory information concerning the applicant. In cases where there is derogatory information it will take up to eight weeks before the record is received at the Consulate General in Amsterdam. The certificate, which is in the Dutch language, covers criminal investigation only. Criminal records are expunged twenty years following termination of the case (i.e., after service of any prison sentence) provided no other offense is committed in the interim.

These certificates may be used only in processing visa applications and may not be given to the applicant or to a private individual. If there is criminal information, it may be shown on the front or reverse of the certificate, or in some cases only on the reverse of one copy of the certificate. The visa applicant may not be informed of the source of any derogatory information contained in the police certificate.

This is what another website says about the Netherlands.....

http://www.usvisa.com/policecertificates.shtml

Police Certificates in the following countries are only available through the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Contact the U.S. Consular Office if you currently are or have been a resident of one of these countries: Bermuda, Brunei, Korea*, Netherlands*

Netherlands

You don't have to collect police certificates in the Netherlands. The police certificate is handled by the U.S. Consulate General. There is no separate procedure for the Dutch Citizen to acquire one, since the Consulate receives these certificates directly from the Dutch Department of Justice.

Any experiences, ideas, or suggestions?

[garyandkris 0]

I can't help from personal experience because my husband and I are dealing with the UK, but you might be able to get some useful feedback in this thread: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=176 . (If that link doesn't work, it's in General Discussion Area > Regional Discussion > Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia) forum) It's devoted to the Netherlands so, hopefully, they'll know what they're talking about.

Good luck.

[alix 20]

Hi garyandkris,

I lived in the Netherlands for 15 months and needed a police certificate from them. The consulate/embassy requested one to the Dutch police in my behalf. Contact the consulate/embassy and say you'll need a police certificate from the Netherlands and how can you have them request it. Don't take their bullshit. I had contacted the consulate in Rio a few months earlier and they had told me by e-mail that they'd request the form. Once my case was sent from the NVC to Rio, I called the consulate again to check when I could send the form with my info. The person on the phone told me I needed to get it myself. I panicked! I faxed them all the info I had, their e-mails, etc.... and then they realized the mistake they were doing and got me the certificate. I took them about two weeks to get it back.

Alix

[T.S. 2]

Hi garyandkris,

I lived in the Netherlands for 15 months and needed a police certificate from them. The consulate/embassy requested one to the Dutch police in my behalf. Contact the consulate/embassy and say you'll need a police certificate from the Netherlands and how can you have them request it. Don't take their bullshit. I had contacted the consulate in Rio a few months earlier and they had told me by e-mail that they'd request the form. Once my case was sent from the NVC to Rio, I called the consulate again to check when I could send the form with my info. The person on the phone told me I needed to get it myself. I panicked! I faxed them all the info I had, their e-mails, etc.... and then they realized the mistake they were doing and got me the certificate. I took them about two weeks to get it back.

Alix

I guess I need to try getting through to somebody at the Embassy in Manila on monday that isn't completely retarded. Every time my wife has called they have just told her that she needs to get it herself and to follow the website. She has been crying since the interview ended.

Edited February 3, 2007 by T.S.

[kyle_lairic 0]

For the police clearance in Manila, Philippines. She need to get it personally coz she need to be photograph. It will take a day to get it. While she's in manila, she might need NBI clearance also. For nbi and police clearance, tell them for travel abroad purposes.

Hi garyandkris,

I lived in the Netherlands for 15 months and needed a police certificate from them. The consulate/embassy requested one to the Dutch police in my behalf. Contact the consulate/embassy and say you'll need a police certificate from the Netherlands and how can you have them request it. Don't take their bullshit. I had contacted the consulate in Rio a few months earlier and they had told me by e-mail that they'd request the form. Once my case was sent from the NVC to Rio, I called the consulate again to check when I could send the form with my info. The person on the phone told me I needed to get it myself. I panicked! I faxed them all the info I had, their e-mails, etc.... and then they realized the mistake they were doing and got me the certificate. I took them about two weeks to get it back.

Alix

I guess I need to try getting through to somebody at the Embassy in Manila on monday that isn't completely retarded. Every time my wife has called they have just told her that she needs to get it herself and to follow the website. She has been crying since the interview ended.

[keltic 1]

i can only speak from personal experience, i am no expert or lawyer...

my husband came thru the consulate in amsterdam in the summer of 2005... he did not have to call or request anything... the consulate took care of it all... in fact, when he did try to contact the police about it, he was told that he would not be capable of obtaining those records himself...

one suggestion, if the embassy in manila is not understanding when she goes back to them... as the USC, email the consulate in amsterdam and explain to them that the embassy in manila is requesting/expecting her to be able to obtain those records... perhaps the consulate in amsterdam could request them for her and send them on to manila... that way, they havent been released to the individual and manila doesnt have to request them directly

i do not know if this will help... i can say that when i have emailed the consulate in amsterdam with questions, i have had prompt and polite response... calling them would have been WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY too expensive

good luck!

[T.S. 2]

For the police clearance in Manila, Philippines. She need to get it personally coz she need to be photograph. It will take a day to get it. While she's in manila, she might need NBI clearance also. For nbi and police clearance, tell them for travel abroad purposes.

She already has those and went to the K3 interview with them. She is from the Philippines, she needs police clearance from the Netherlands because she stayed there for a year.

Edited February 4, 2007 by T.S.

[T.S. 2]

i can only speak from personal experience, i am no expert or lawyer...

my husband came thru the consulate in amsterdam in the summer of 2005... he did not have to call or request anything... the consulate took care of it all... in fact, when he did try to contact the police about it, he was told that he would not be capable of obtaining those records himself...

one suggestion, if the embassy in manila is not understanding when she goes back to them... as the USC, email the consulate in amsterdam and explain to them that the embassy in manila is requesting/expecting her to be able to obtain those records... perhaps the consulate in amsterdam could request them for her and send them on to manila... that way, they havent been released to the individual and manila doesnt have to request them directly

i do not know if this will help... i can say that when i have emailed the consulate in amsterdam with questions, i have had prompt and polite response... calling them would have been WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY too expensive

good luck!

Thank you for the suggestion, that is a good idea. I will give it a try.

[T.S. 2]

I received a reply from the email that I sent to U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam.

Your Dutch police certificate has been forwarded to the USEMBASSY MANILA on 22jan2007

Immigrant visa unit

Ms. Wyatt

Now I need to figure out how to get the people at the U.S. Embassy in Manila to understand that Netherlands police certificates are NOT obtained by individuals and that they should have it there somewhere already for us. They probably had it sitting there somewhere when they sent my wife home after her interview crying with no visa on February 1st.

[tom&tata 2]

I received a reply from the email that I sent to U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam.

Your Dutch police certificate has been forwarded to the USEMBASSY MANILA on 22jan2007

Immigrant visa unit

Ms. Wyatt

Now I need to figure out how to get the people at the U.S. Embassy in Manila to understand that Netherlands police certificates are NOT obtained by individuals and that they should have it there somewhere already for us. They probably had it sitting there somewhere when they sent my wife home after her interview crying with no visa on February 1st.

The embassy staff almost asked me to obtain Dutch police certificate. But I did read before I submitting document that ithe certificate has to be obtained directly by consulate. I even brought with me a print out from the reciprocity table.

If your wife could not get further appointment with consulate, maybe you can send email to the embassy asking about the status of your case. Put your case number on subject of case. I don't know about the Manila consulate, but it worked with consulate in Indonesia. It might be possible that Manila handles a lot of applicants that delays are possible.

Good luck !

[T.S. 2]

The embassy staff almost asked me to obtain Dutch police certificate. But I did read before I submitting document that ithe certificate has to be obtained directly by consulate. I even brought with me a print out from the reciprocity table.

If your wife could not get further appointment with consulate, maybe you can send email to the embassy asking about the status of your case. Put your case number on subject of case. I don't know about the Manila consulate, but it worked with consulate in Indonesia. It might be possible that Manila handles a lot of applicants that delays are possible.

Good luck !

She had a copy of the reciprocity table also, and after the guy doing her interview read it, he still thought that she needs to get it herself.

[keltic 1]

I received a reply from the email that I sent to U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam.

Your Dutch police certificate has been forwarded to the USEMBASSY MANILA on 22jan2007

Immigrant visa unit

Ms. Wyatt

Now I need to figure out how to get the people at the U.S. Embassy in Manila to understand that Netherlands police certificates are NOT obtained by individuals and that they should have it there somewhere already for us. They probably had it sitting there somewhere when they sent my wife home after her interview crying with no visa on February 1st.

it is *conceivable* that the mail had not delivered it by her interview... not likely, but possible... but, they do send things via regular international mail...

i would try to copy and paste your response email into another email from you (as the USC) to send to the embassy in manila and ask how to resolve this to everyones satisfaction (ie, they recognize they already have the certificate), allowing the next step in your wifes visa process...

again, i am NOT a lawyer and certainly have not dealt with the embassy in manila...

hope this helps

[T.S. 2]

I received a reply from the email that I sent to U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam.

Your Dutch police certificate has been forwarded to the USEMBASSY MANILA on 22jan2007

Immigrant visa unit

Ms. Wyatt

Now I need to figure out how to get the people at the U.S. Embassy in Manila to understand that Netherlands police certificates are NOT obtained by individuals and that they should have it there somewhere already for us. They probably had it sitting there somewhere when they sent my wife home after her interview crying with no visa on February 1st.

it is *conceivable* that the mail had not delivered it by her interview... not likely, but possible... but, they do send things via regular international mail...

i would try to copy and paste your response email into another email from you (as the USC) to send to the embassy in manila and ask how to resolve this to everyones satisfaction (ie, they recognize they already have the certificate), allowing the next step in your wifes visa process...

again, i am NOT a lawyer and certainly have not dealt with the embassy in manila...

hope this helps

Thanks again. I just sent the USEMBASSY MANILA another email including the response from the Amsterdam Consulate General. I am hoping this will finally get it resolved, but I won't hold my breath. I am still amazed that her interviewer first insisted that the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands are the same.

[T.S. 2]

I finally was able to get ahold of somebody at the U.S. Embassy Manila other than the usual call center agents at the following number 011-63-2-528-6300 ext 5184.

They asked me to fax a copy of the email I recieved from the Amsterdam Consulate General, then call them back. When I got home from faxing it to them and called back they claimed the Netherlands Police Certificate just arrived today while I was out sending the fax, and my wife needs to come back to Manila with her passport. I don't believe them that it just arrived today during the 20 minutes I was out sending the fax, it was probably there the entire time, but I am sending the wife to Manila again tomorrow to hopefully get her visa this time.

Thanks to everyone for the help. I will update this again after she leaves the Manila Embassy.

[T.S. 2]

So my wife just flew from Cebu to Manila, went to the Embassy, and was told once again that her Police Certificate is not there. They assured me yesterday that they had it and there would be no more problems when I send her to Manila this time. This game is getting old fast. Time to get on the phone with them again.

Edited February 7, 2007 by T.S.