Police Clearance Validity and IR-1 CR-1 Visa

[KaneLumski 1]

1. Do we need to have police clearances from every country we have resided in? 
2. What is the validity of the clearance? 
3. Do we need new ones from those countries if we have previously obtained clearances and haven't returned to the country?

 

Background:

 

My husband (South African citizen) and I (the American) live in Johannesburg, South Africa. We submitted Form I-130 at the consulate in Johannesburg. We haven't yet received our approval, but we want to make sure all our papers are in order. We acquired a list of what the consulate needs for the next packet (shout out to Jenny for giving us a preview of what may be to come!) and that list says police clearances.

 

We previously lived in Thailand for just under two years (2014-2016) and received police clearances from Thailand in June 2016. We understand the validity is typically one year. But does that include if we haven't gone back to the country?

 

[onileowo 7]

1 hour ago, KaneLumski said:

1. Do we need to have police clearances from every country we have resided in? 
2. What is the validity of the clearance? 
3. Do we need new ones from those countries if we have previously obtained clearances and haven't returned to the country?

 

Background:

 

My husband (South African citizen) and I (the American) live in Johannesburg, South Africa. We submitted Form I-130 at the consulate in Johannesburg. We haven't yet received our approval, but we want to make sure all our papers are in order. We acquired a list of what the consulate needs for the next packet (shout out to Jenny for giving us a preview of what may be to come!) and that list says police clearances.

 

We previously lived in Thailand for just under two years (2014-2016) and received police clearances from Thailand in June 2016. We understand the validity is typically one year. But does that include if we haven't gone back to the country?

 

You will need to get the Thailand police clearance certificate too because according to rules of NVC, any countries that u have lived on for an average one year aside from your own country, you must get their police clearance certificate from that country. 

[JFH 12,191]

1 hour ago, onileowo said:

You will need to get the Thailand police clearance certificate too because according to rules of NVC, any countries that u have lived on for an average one year aside from your own country, you must get their police clearance certificate from that country. 

They already have that.

 

OP, you are correct that police certificates from countries where you have not returned to live do not expire. I sent a 10-year-old police certificate from Germany to the NVC that I had obtained when I applied to be a foster parent in the U.K. (my home country). Good thing I kept it! 

[jefraylee 18]

Any country you ever lived more than 6 months you must provide police clearance...

[aless02 9]

Actually someone got a 221(g) for an old police certificate recently, so your mileage may vary. It was in London, so other embassies may be more flexible.

[JFH 12,191]

59 minutes ago, aless02 said:

Actually someone got a 221(g) for an old police certificate recently, so your mileage may vary. It was in London, so other embassies may be more flexible.

Interesting... I went through the London embassy 6 months ago and my police certificate dated 2007 from Germany was accepted without a second glance. It even had my maiden name on and I have been married and divorced and now married again. 

 

Do you have a link to the post about the old certificate being refused? I like to keep my London information current for the benefit of newbies to the process. 

[aless02 9]

21 hours ago, JFH said:

Interesting... I went through the London embassy 6 months ago and my police certificate dated 2007 from Germany was accepted without a second glance. It even had my maiden name on and I have been married and divorced and now married again. 

 

Do you have a link to the post about the old certificate being refused? I like to keep my London information current for the benefit of newbies to the process. 

It was on this timeline: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?cfl=0&id=25657

I'm not saying that it's policy or correct, only that someone had problems fairly recently.

[JFH 12,191]

12 hours ago, aless02 said:

It was on this timeline: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?cfl=0&id=25657

I'm not saying that it's policy or correct, only that someone had problems fairly recently.

Ah totally different matter - his problem was not having a current certificate from his country of origin. We are talking about random third countries people may have lived in at some point during adulthood. For that purpose they don't need to be current. But they do for your current country of residence AND your country of origin (if that's different from your current country of residence).

[KaneLumski 1]

On 7/7/2017 at 1:55 PM, JFH said:

They already have that.

 

OP, you are correct that police certificates from countries where you have not returned to live do not expire. I sent a 10-year-old police certificate from Germany to the NVC that I had obtained when I applied to be a foster parent in the U.K. (my home country). Good thing I kept it! 

Thank you! We emailed the Consulate here and they quoted the regular website stuff about it having 12 months validity. My husband's logic is what rubbish if someone had to run around all over God's green earth to every country they've ever lived in for "new" certificates when they've never been back to the country after being issued a clearance. That country will have no more intel on us. *shoulder shrug*

 

I'm still sceptical with the answer the person at the immigration section told me. She was QUITE rude saying that she emailed me about it already saying a new clearance is needed. It really irks me. 

[KaneLumski 1]

On 7/9/2017 at 2:32 AM, JFH said:

Ah totally different matter - his problem was not having a current certificate from his country of origin. We are talking about random third countries people may have lived in at some point during adulthood. For that purpose they don't need to be current. But they do for your current country of residence AND your country of origin (if that's different from your current country of residence).

Just an update:

We did not have to get a new clearance according to multiple sources at the Johannesburg Embassy AS LONG AS WE DON'T RETURN TO THAILAND. We will see what happens in the interview at the end of the month.