Urgent: New police certificate requirement!!!

[LLabout 16]

2 hours ago, HarryWL said:

 

That’s strange. When did you submit it? Surely you could have disputed it if they wouldn’t take the privacy act. 

I did dispute it on the day it was rejected (Sept 17th), they sent it to a manager to review it and told me it could be 6 weeks until I hear from them.  so i didn't want to take the chance, so i got the one with the fingerprints on it (visa border crossing), submitted it on the 27th, and it was approved on October 10th.

[TimonLovesSkylour 7]

23 hours ago, SKB2017 said:

Whoever wrote the requirements on the website didn't do their homework.  The Privacy Act certificate does not have fingerprints or photo on it like the website states it should.  Most of us have or will be getting the Privacy Act as well as the Visa/Border crossing one which does have fingerprints on it.  It's a hit an miss on what they are accepting at NVC, and we still haven't heard anyone who went to the interview after Sept 10 and if there were any problems with what they want.

On that note, here's an update -- I just had my interview this past Wednesday (October 10), and I went with the privacy act version of the RCMP check (I was told this was what I should get, by the Commissionaires person I spoke to), as well as a police criminal background check certificate from the York Regional Police (the only place in the Greater Toronto Area that will do them while you wait, regardless of where you live, as long as you're a Canadian resident). They accepted these documents without complaint or comment. It probably helps that I have had no criminal record or trouble with the law of any kind to speak of, I'm not sure what they'd have done if I'd had any record -- probably would have insisted on much more detailed documentation. Also, given the times we're in, it probably helped to be white, male, and a Canadian-born citizen...

 

The RCMP check arrived just in the nick of time, on the Tuesday afternoon a few hours before I left to get on the Via from Toronto to Montreal. That was a little nerve wracking, leave yourself plenty of time for that part of the process if you can. I went to the Commissionaires office on Wednesday, September 26th, and I got the letter from the RCMP on October 9th -- so that makes it a 9 business day wait (Monday 8th was a holiday for Thanksgiving). It will take longer the farther the mail has to travel (Ottawa to Toronto isn't so long a distance obviously).

[MeghanK 629]

1 hour ago, TimonLovesSkylour said:

On that note, here's an update -- I just had my interview this past Wednesday (October 10), and I went with the privacy act version of the RCMP check (I was told this was what I should get, by the Commissionaires person I spoke to), as well as a police criminal background check certificate from the York Regional Police (the only place in the Greater Toronto Area that will do them while you wait, regardless of where you live, as long as you're a Canadian resident). They accepted these documents without complaint or comment. It probably helps that I have had no criminal record or trouble with the law of any kind to speak of, I'm not sure what they'd have done if I'd had any record -- probably would have insisted on much more detailed documentation. Also, given the times we're in, it probably helped to be white, male, and a Canadian-born citizen...

This is so helpful, thanks very much. Should we assume then that the privacy act one was the main one they needed? As the USC, I'm still a bit fuzzy on federal vs city/county police checks in Canada. Was the York one the fingerprints/photo/visa border crossing cert or was it a totally different local/city police cert that you just got as supplemental because you could? Because either of the certs they specifically ask for (privacy or border crossing) have to be federal, don't they? Ugh - this cert stuff is so confusing!!! 😵 

[TimonLovesSkylour 7]

1 hour ago, MeghanK said:

This is so helpful, thanks very much. Should we assume then that the privacy act one was the main one they needed? As the USC, I'm still a bit fuzzy on federal vs city/county police checks in Canada. Was the York one the fingerprints/photo/visa border crossing cert or was it a totally different local/city police cert that you just got as supplemental because you could? Because either of the certs they specifically ask for (privacy or border crossing) have to be federal, don't they? Ugh - this cert stuff is so confusing!!! 😵 

Okay, good question. To clarify this further -- both of the checks are of the federal police database -- that is, the RCMP database. The thing is that the one from the York Regional Police only used my name and date of birth to perform the check, whereas the one I referred to as the RCMP check, is actually submitted directly to the RCMP in Ottawa, with fingerprints, as well as name and date of birth. That the York Regional Police check didn't require fingerprint processing was part of why they were able to process it nearly instantly for me -- they didn't need to send any fingerprints off to the RCMP in Ottawa to have them checked out there.

 

About the RCMP fingerprint check, the standard procedure is that the Commissionaires person (or if you go to a Morpho office, then it would be a person who works for them) takes your fingerprints with a machine they have, and then submits the information to the RCMP in Ottawa, digitally, via internet. I think the only time it isn't submitted online is if you ask for the fingerprint check through a police station, then they mail the information via snail mail to Ottawa first, so it adds some time to how long the whole process takes. And then, once they've checked your fingerprints (as well as name and date of birth, though I think this is secondary since they have biometric identifying data in this case), then they mail a letter to you saying that you haven't had any criminal record (or something to that effect, I can't remember exactly what my letter said. It was really short, and didn't include any photo of me or any fingerprints, like other people have described on this thread about the privacy act version of the request). If you submit under the Visa/Border crossing request category, then you get a letter with a photo and your fingerprints as well.

 

And I'm unsure if there is also a third option of getting a more localized version of the police criminal background check, or not. But I'd recommend getting the type that also checks the federal database, even if there are other options, if you decide to go with the name and DOB only type of check.

 

I'm not sure about assuming that the privacy act one was the main one they needed, LLabout in this thread just a few posts ago has been talking about how their submission with just the privacy act check was rejected, and then they had the visa/border crossing version done, submitted it after their interview, and that was accepted.

 

I went ahead and got the police certificate as well because I really wasn't sure what they wanted, but my guess is that that combined with the privacy act check was what made them happy. Perhaps LLabout had difficulty because they only submitted the privacy act version of the request, and no other police, name and DOB only (but still from the RCMP database) type check? Just speculating here, I'm not sure if they've posted to say precisely what they did and did not submit.

 

What I'd recommend at this point is to get the privacy act version of the fingerprint RCMP check completed, as well as the visa/border version (the one that includes a photo and fingerprints). Your fiancé might have to be insistent about filing both requests together, as I've seen some people further back in the thread having difficulty with getting the person they were paying to do the submissions to do the ones they asked for.

 

Alternatively you can try what I did, get the privacy act version of the fingerprint check, as well as a name and date of birth check through local police, and hope for the best. I'm guessing this would work out fine but I can't be sure that everyone else's case will proceed like mine did.

Edited October 13, 2018 by TimonLovesSkylour

[TimonLovesSkylour 7]

On 10/12/2018 at 11:39 AM, LLabout said:

Mine done under the Privacy Act got rejected.  The Visa Border Crossing Certificate (with the fingerprints on the form) got approved.  I submitted both to be safe and it worked.

Just wondering, when you submitted the Privacy Act version that was rejected, did you submit anything additional, like a police name and DOB only check? I'm wondering if maybe that's why some people have been okay with the privacy act version, rather than the visa/border version -- that is, maybe it's because they've also submitted name and DOB only police checks in addition, and that was what actually got them approved?

 

It's hard to for us to know since you can't exactly ask the interviewer right there when you're having your interview, which documents were the ones that were satisfactory? They'll only tell you if something is a problem, but not when it isn't, so..

[JP John 65]

It appears to me the only version being rejected is the privacy act version on its own. What I am doing is the privacy act version along with the border crossing version that has been working for everyone else. 

[MeghanK 629]

1 hour ago, JP John said:

It appears to me the only version being rejected is the privacy act version on its own. What I am doing is the privacy act version along with the border crossing version that has been working for everyone else. 

Right but it's being rejected by NVC? So far no one has been able to confirm whether or not just a privacy act cert would be accepted at the consulate (unless I've missed anything). That's the info I'm most curious for. Sigh. 

[MeghanK 629]

1 hour ago, TimonLovesSkylour said:

Okay, good question. To clarify this further -- both of the checks are of the federal police database -- that is, the RCMP database. The thing is that the one from the York Regional Police only used my name and date of birth to perform the check, whereas the one I referred to as the RCMP check, is actually submitted directly to the RCMP in Ottawa, with fingerprints, as well as name and date of birth. That the York Regional Police check didn't require fingerprint processing was part of why they were able to process it nearly instantly for me -- they didn't need to send any fingerprints off to the RCMP in Ottawa to have them checked out there.

 

About the RCMP fingerprint check, the standard procedure is that the Commissionaires person (or if you go to a Morpho office, then it would be a person who works for them) takes your fingerprints with a machine they have, and then submits the information to the RCMP in Ottawa, digitally, via internet. I think the only time it isn't submitted online is if you ask for the fingerprint check through a police station, then they mail the information via snail mail to Ottawa first, so it adds some time to how long the whole process takes. And then, once they've checked your fingerprints (as well as name and date of birth, though I think this is secondary since they have biometric identifying data in this case), then they mail a letter to you saying that you haven't had any criminal record (or something to that effect, I can't remember exactly what my letter said. It was really short, and didn't include any photo of me or any fingerprints, like other people have described on this thread about the privacy act version of the request). If you submit under the Visa/Border crossing request category, then you get a letter with a photo and your fingerprints as well.

 

And I'm unsure if there is also a third option of getting a more localized version of the police criminal background check, or not. But I'd recommend getting the type that also checks the federal database, even if there are other options, if you decide to go with the name and DOB only type of check.

 

I'm not sure about assuming that the privacy act one was the main one they needed, LLabout in this thread just a few posts ago has been talking about how their submission with just the privacy act check was rejected, and then they had the visa/border crossing version done, submitted it after their interview, and that was accepted.

 

I went ahead and got the police certificate as well because I really wasn't sure what they wanted, but my guess is that that combined with the privacy act check was what made them happy. Perhaps LLabout had difficulty because they only submitted the privacy act version of the request, and no other police, name and DOB only (but still from the RCMP database) type check? Just speculating here, I'm not sure if they've posted to say precisely what they did and did not submit.

 

What I'd recommend at this point is to get the privacy act version of the fingerprint RCMP check completed, as well as the visa/border version (the one that includes a photo and fingerprints). Your fiancé might have to be insistent about filing both requests together, as I've seen some people further back in the thread having difficulty with getting the person they were paying to do the submissions to do the ones they asked for.

 

Alternatively you can try what I did, get the privacy act version of the fingerprint check, as well as a name and date of birth check through local police, and hope for the best. I'm guessing this would work out fine but I can't be sure that everyone else's case will proceed like mine did.

Thanks for all this info. We already have the privacy act one, just trying to get insider I for from the consulate stage if the privacy act one is enough alone. But since your other one was also federal I still don't have solid evidence for either way. That's why I was wondering if you had something supplement that couldn't stand on its own to rule out it having an affect on the privacy act one, but it sounds like your name check one might have been able to stand on its own.

 

Will keep waiting for more interview stage insider info before spending $$ on further certs.

[MeghanK 629]

1 hour ago, TimonLovesSkylour said:

I'm not sure about assuming that the privacy act one was the main one they needed, LLabout in this thread just a few posts ago has been talking about how their submission with just the privacy act check was rejected, and then they had the visa/border crossing version done, submitted it after their interview, and that was accepted.

 

I went ahead and got the police certificate as well because I really wasn't sure what they wanted, but my guess is that that combined with the privacy act check was what made them happy. Perhaps LLabout had difficulty because they only submitted the privacy act version of the request, and no other police, name and DOB only (but still from the RCMP database) type check? Just speculating here, I'm not sure if they've posted to say precisely what they did and did not submit.

Also just a note here, that person is going through a different Visa process. If I'm reading correctly, their police cert was rejected at NVC stage not at the interview stage where you submitted yours. @LLabout is that correct?

[LLabout 16]

37 minutes ago, MeghanK said:

Also just a note here, that person is going through a different Visa process. If I'm reading correctly, their police cert was rejected at NVC stage not at the interview stage where you submitted yours. @LLabout is that correct?

I'm applying for a IR-1 Visa. 

The privacy act got rejected. Then I removed that document from the NVC site. 

Uploaded the Visa border crossing as my main "police check" with fingerprints and picture, and I uploaded my privacy act under "other documents". That's when they both got accepted. 

 

So I don't know if they needed both, or just the one Visa border crossing one, I'm just happy they accepted it.

 

[LLabout 16]

2 hours ago, TimonLovesSkylour said:

Just wondering, when you submitted the Privacy Act version that was rejected, did you submit anything additional, like a police name and DOB only check? I'm wondering if maybe that's why some people have been okay with the privacy act version, rather than the visa/border version -- that is, maybe it's because they've also submitted name and DOB only police checks in addition, and that was what actually got them approved?

 

It's hard to for us to know since you can't exactly ask the interviewer right there when you're having your interview, which documents were the ones that were satisfactory? They'll only tell you if something is a problem, but not when it isn't, so..

I know that when i went to request the certificate, i gave my fingerprints, but the privacy act one doesn't display them.  When I called the NVC they told me that it was rejected because it wasn't the correct one.  That fingerprints needed to be displayed on the sheet and it must say its certified. 

[LLabout 16]

45 minutes ago, MeghanK said:

Also just a note here, that person is going through a different Visa process. If I'm reading correctly, their police cert was rejected at NVC stage not at the interview stage where you submitted yours. @LLabout is that correct?

Yes, it got rejected at the NVC document submitting stage

[NikLR 13,227]

I think changing the requirements is stupid.

But honestly people have had zero issues with just the regular police check with fingerprints so if you are only going to get one, get that one. 

[HarryWL 262]

15 hours ago, LLabout said:

I did dispute it on the day it was rejected (Sept 17th), they sent it to a manager to review it and told me it could be 6 weeks until I hear from them.  so i didn't want to take the chance, so i got the one with the fingerprints on it (visa border crossing), submitted it on the 27th, and it was approved on October 10th.

 

Ehh. I’m just going to roll with just the privacy act. I’m leaving Canada in 2 weeks and changing embassy from Montreal to London anyway. 

 

Fingers crossed 😭 this whole situation is just stupid. I feel like the person reviewing your case was just clueless. 

[MeghanK 629]

11 hours ago, HarryWL said:

 

Ehh. I’m just going to roll with just the privacy act. I’m leaving Canada in 2 weeks and changing embassy from Montreal to London anyway. 

 

Fingers crossed 😭 this whole situation is just stupid. I feel like the person reviewing your case was just clueless. 

I like your style lol, we will probably do the same unless we see concrete evidence that privacy act alone gets rejected at interview