Police Certificate from USA?

[Sam & Jen 3]

Hello,

 

Question re: Police Certificates:  I am Canadian and my American wife has petitioned for me to come to the USA under a CR1 visa.  My interview is scheduled in Montreal in two weeks (mid March).  We received an email today requesting that I bring the following item to the interview (among other standard items you must bring):

 

"Original Canada Police Certificate (Canadian Police Certificates have a validity of 12 months from the date they were issued) and Police Certificate from countries where you resided for more than 12 months after the age of 16. "

 

I have lived in the US twice under two separate TN Visas after the age of 16.  California for approx. 16 months.  Colorado for approx. 11 months.  To date we have not been required to provide a Police Certificate for the USA, only for Canada (provided to the NVC through CEAC).

 

Does anyone know if I need to bring a Police Certificate from the USA (ie. California), if I am applying to enter the USA?  It seems redundant, and am surprised they are only notifying us now, if it truly is needed (ie. why not at the NVC stage of the application?).

 

If anyone has any experiences/insight with this, I'd appreciate your feedback.  I'm not sure I could even get a police check for California in time for the interview.

 

Cheers

B&W

 

[TNJ17 1,329]

USCIS runs a background check on you so US police certificates are not required. 

[Jeff_9802 121]

1 minute ago, TNJ17 said:

USCIS runs a background check on you so US police certificates are not required. 

That is my understanding also.  No US police certificates are required.

[TNJ17 1,329]

Notifying you of needing police certificates is not something they have to do. It’s something you find out when you are researching the visa process on their website. USCIS gives you a list of all documents and paperwork needed for this process. It’s your responsibility to read all the information on their website before applying and seeing what all is needed from you. 

[Sam & Jen 3]

10 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

Notifying you of needing police certificates is not something they have to do. It’s something you find out when you are researching the visa process on their website. USCIS gives you a list of all documents and paperwork needed for this process. It’s your responsibility to read all the information on their website before applying and seeing what all is needed from you. 

 

Yes, agreed, thanks for clarifying.  

 

I guess what I meant was that they had requested Police Certificates be submitted to NVC earlier in the process (via CEAC) and we only submitted a Canadian Police Certificate, even though I had openly declared that I had previously lived in the US for over 12 months.  They accepted only the Canadian Police Certificate and passed us along to the Montreal Embassy without requesting that we submit a USA Police Certificate.  It would seems strange that they didn't ask for it at that point, IF they needed it.

 

However, I think that 'not needing' the US Police Certificate is the reason why they didn't require it earlier (as you've noted).  And so they also wouldn't require it at the interview ... only the Canadian one in my case.

 

Has anyone be requested to provide one???

 

Cheers,

Nathan

 

 

21 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

USCIS runs a background check on you so US police certificates are not required. 

Thanks!  Makes sense to me too.

[Sam & Jen 3]

5 minutes ago, Dee elle said:

No US police checks are ever requested. They do their own background checks.

The information about providing police checks at the interview needs to be read in context of the statements follow the IF

      you must obtain a more recent check IF...   such as the check you sent to NVC is over 12 months old, or since you sent the documents to NVC you have lived in an additional country for over xx months and now need to provide a police check from that new country ....

 

so so if none of those conditions apply to you, then you do not need ANY new police checks 

Excellent thanks to everyone for responses. 

[Ryan H 3,812]

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