Urgent: New police certificate requirement!!!

[arellah 125]

2 hours ago, loo2 said:

Hello everyone! Let me tell you what i've learned.

 

The TWO police checks at issue are:

 

1) RCMP certified criminal records check with fingerprints - this is for people who HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD and/or that were pardoned and have applied for for an immigration benefit. This is when they (RCMP/Commissionaires) select "for visa/immigration purposes". The outcome mailed to you DOES HAVE your fingerprint visible on the form. This form is sealed with RCMP certified insignia. The problem arose when you are asking RCMP to run certified criminal records check with fingerprints checks on people without criminal records and have those handed over to USA officials as i gather that is against our current privacy laws and RCMP policy.

 

2) RCMP non certified criminal records check with fingerprints- this is for people who DO NOT HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD and have applied for for an immigration benefit. This is when they (RCMP/Commissionaires) select "Privacy check" under the privacy act/Canadian law. The outcome mailed to you DOES NOT HAVE your fingerprint visible on the form due to Canadian privacy laws but your fingerprints have been checked against their biometrics databases. This form is not sealed with RCMP certified insignia. THIS is the form that will be required for k1 visa's.

 

I got both because by the time i unraveled all the facts i had already ordered the certified with fingerprints visible. I have now ordered another via the commissionaires via "privacy check". 

 

Hope this helps with this discussion.

Thanks for sharing!

[MC1 36]

4 hours ago, loo2 said:

Hello everyone! Let me tell you what i've learned.

 

The TWO police checks at issue are:

 

1) RCMP certified criminal records check with fingerprints - this is for people who HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD and/or that were pardoned and have applied for for an immigration benefit. This is when they (RCMP/Commissionaires) select "for visa/immigration purposes". The outcome mailed to you DOES HAVE your fingerprint visible on the form. This form is sealed with RCMP certified insignia. The problem arose when you are asking RCMP to run certified criminal records check with fingerprints checks on people without criminal records and have those handed over to USA officials as i gather that is against our current privacy laws and RCMP policy.

 

2) RCMP non certified criminal records check with fingerprints- this is for people who DO NOT HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD and have applied for for an immigration benefit. This is when they (RCMP/Commissionaires) select "Privacy check" under the privacy act/Canadian law. The outcome mailed to you DOES NOT HAVE your fingerprint visible on the form due to Canadian privacy laws but your fingerprints have been checked against their biometrics databases. This form is not sealed with RCMP certified insignia. THIS is the form that will be required for k1 visa's.

 

I got both because by the time i unraveled all the facts i had already ordered the certified with fingerprints visible. I have now ordered another via the commissionaires via "privacy check". 

 

Hope this helps with this discussion.

This advice might be late as this thread is 25 pages long now, and I only started to look through this (cc Sept 6 on the name-based search, and only recently decided to take on figuring out the Privacy Act search thing in preparation for interview Dec 13):

 

If you're in the Vancouver area, go to the Commissionaires in Surrey because they know what type of check to do.  I went to my local RCMP station in Burnaby, and they were guessing, so I decided not to go through with a check that day.  The next day I called various notaries, fingerprinting companies, and some type of company that had commissionary in its name, but none of those could say they were familiar.  Finally, I remembered I had read someone post in another forum thread to go to the Commissionaires in Surrey so I called first their Head Office to check them out, then drove to the Surrey Office.  Because of my prior experiences, I was literally reading off the criteria on the Reciprocity website to them, checking if they followed whenever I paused at a comma or period, and they did not draw blank stares, and even was able to fill me in on drama and changes that I vaguely remember reading about in this forum.  Very reassured, I did the check with them.

 

 

 

 

 

[C32 46]

16 hours ago, loo2 said:

Hello everyone! Let me tell you what i've learned.

 

The TWO police checks at issue are:

 

1) RCMP certified criminal records check with fingerprints - this is for people who HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD and/or that were pardoned and have applied for for an immigration benefit. This is when they (RCMP/Commissionaires) select "for visa/immigration purposes". The outcome mailed to you DOES HAVE your fingerprint visible on the form. This form is sealed with RCMP certified insignia. The problem arose when you are asking RCMP to run certified criminal records check with fingerprints checks on people without criminal records and have those handed over to USA officials as i gather that is against our current privacy laws and RCMP policy.

 

2) RCMP non certified criminal records check with fingerprints- this is for people who DO NOT HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD and have applied for for an immigration benefit. This is when they (RCMP/Commissionaires) select "Privacy check" under the privacy act/Canadian law. The outcome mailed to you DOES NOT HAVE your fingerprint visible on the form due to Canadian privacy laws but your fingerprints have been checked against their biometrics databases. This form is not sealed with RCMP certified insignia. THIS is the form that will be required for k1 visa's.

 

I got both because by the time i unraveled all the facts i had already ordered the certified with fingerprints visible. I have now ordered another via the commissionaires via "privacy check". 

 

Hope this helps with this discussion.

Thank you! I’ve had so much anxiety over whether or not I’ve got the right one. It sounds like, from this, that I do. 

 

Did the RCMP give you this info?

[Smashy 155]

No, i had a clear & informed discussion with a senior member at the Commissionaires. He states that they have updated their commissionaires offices and everyone knows what is happening now. I viewed an RCMP email that was sent out to all commissionaires. I am glad i could help.

[skyzee 182]

Well, I have to say that this was a huge bomb after doing a final review of my documents for my interview which is coming up on November 28. With the Canada Post strike and me not actually being in Canada until next Wednesday makes this probably a lost cause, but does anyone have any advice on how to retrieve this said police check under the privacy act within a week's time when I get to Montreal next week? Can it be done in person in Montreal somewhere? I called the RCMP office and they said they have no idea what I'm talking about and that I need to do my fingerprints at an accredited fingerprint company, and commissionaires in Quebec (I'm assuming https://commissionnairesquebec.ca/en/services/identification/online-criminal-background/) aren't picking up the phone.

 

Otherwise, I'm going to have to rely on dumb luck and hope that the embassy takes my old police certificate which was accepted and approved by the NVC a long time ago. Loving life so much right now...

[skyzee 182]

24 minutes ago, skyzee said:

Well, I have to say that this was a huge bomb after doing a final review of my documents for my interview which is coming up on November 28. With the Canada Post strike and me not actually being in Canada until next Wednesday makes this probably a lost cause, but does anyone have any advice on how to retrieve this said police check under the privacy act within a week's time when I get to Montreal next week? Can it be done in person in Montreal somewhere? I called the RCMP office and they said they have no idea what I'm talking about and that I need to do my fingerprints at an accredited fingerprint company, and commissionaires in Quebec (I'm assuming https://commissionnairesquebec.ca/en/services/identification/online-criminal-background/) aren't picking up the phone.

 

Otherwise, I'm going to have to rely on dumb luck and hope that the embassy takes my old police certificate which was accepted and approved by the NVC a long time ago. Loving life so much right now...

Update - after some back and forth with a nice fellow and whoever he was conferring with at Commissionaries Quebec at the Montreal office, they said what's needed for US immigration is officially called the "Privacy Act Check" and it costs $68 to perform. However, this doesn't solve my problem since he says it goes through the same process in that RCMP processes within 3 days, and sends out, which thanks to Canada Post, might take up to 3 weeks right now. I figure worst case scenario is I'll do it in Montreal next week, show up with the old police report and receipt for this privacy act check for the interview the week after, and then send them the updated report via UPS/FedEx back in Vancouver if they deny my visa in person due to the missing police report.

 

If anyone has any other suggestions on how to have the <insert whatever the hell police report name they want> ready by interview, please let me know.

[arellah 125]

1 hour ago, skyzee said:

Update - after some back and forth with a nice fellow and whoever he was conferring with at Commissionaries Quebec at the Montreal office, they said what's needed for US immigration is officially called the "Privacy Act Check" and it costs $68 to perform. However, this doesn't solve my problem since he says it goes through the same process in that RCMP processes within 3 days, and sends out, which thanks to Canada Post, might take up to 3 weeks right now. I figure worst case scenario is I'll do it in Montreal next week, show up with the old police report and receipt for this privacy act check for the interview the week after, and then send them the updated report via UPS/FedEx back in Vancouver if they deny my visa in person due to the missing police report.

 

If anyone has any other suggestions on how to have the <insert whatever the hell police report name they want> ready by interview, please let me know.

That is probably your best bet. Get it started when you get to Montreal and have the receipt. Supply the original one that you got, and see if they take it. If they ask you for the Privacy Act one, provide them with the receipt and let them know your situation. I would think that worst case scenario you may just have to send them the Privacy Act one once you get it, which would just delay the processing of your Visa by a little. My interview is on the 27th, which doesn't give you much time, but I can let you know what they end up taking for me. Good luck, I hope it all works out easily. So many hiccups with the police check and Canada Post... it'll be all worth it soon!

[skyzee 182]

19 hours ago, arellah said:

That is probably your best bet. Get it started when you get to Montreal and have the receipt. Supply the original one that you got, and see if they take it. If they ask you for the Privacy Act one, provide them with the receipt and let them know your situation. I would think that worst case scenario you may just have to send them the Privacy Act one once you get it, which would just delay the processing of your Visa by a little. My interview is on the 27th, which doesn't give you much time, but I can let you know what they end up taking for me. Good luck, I hope it all works out easily. So many hiccups with the police check and Canada Post... it'll be all worth it soon!

Thanks for the reply and offer to let me know how it goes, I'd appreciate it. Good luck to you as well.

[KN2018 18]

For anyone who has had their interview recently, which police check did they want? Did they want both? Or was the "Privacy Act" one sufficient? Our CC is October 17th and I just submitted the Privacy Act check to NVC as our case transfer to the NVC was after the date where they changed the rule in September. Just wondering if there is some actual discrepancy between the new rule and what the consulate wants to see. If you had an interview in the past few weeks or if you have one coming in the next few weeks, can you please let us know?

[NikLR 13,227]

18 hours ago, KN2018 said:

For anyone who has had their interview recently, which police check did they want? Did they want both? Or was the "Privacy Act" one sufficient? Our CC is October 17th and I just submitted the Privacy Act check to NVC as our case transfer to the NVC was after the date where they changed the rule in September. Just wondering if there is some actual discrepancy between the new rule and what the consulate wants to see. If you had an interview in the past few weeks or if you have one coming in the next few weeks, can you please let us know?

The real discrepancy was what that NVC was requiring and the consulate accepting.  Thus far no one has had issues with the consulate accepting the privacy act police cert. 

[raptora 48]

[Vancouver] My fiancee made the trek from home (Davie) to RCMP in North Vancouver only to find that they only serve residents of North Van; they're redirecting her to a VPD way closer to us... 

[Ahoy01 31]

Just to let everyone on here know. The old police clearance I submited (just the name check), was accepted by the embassy. So I think if you submitted the old check at the embassy. They still accept it.

[C32 46]

At my interview, I had both name check and border crossing one (VPD were extremely confused on what I needed last month so I was advised to get both). I told the lady collecting my documents that I had two different ones and she asked to see both and told me it’s a good thing I brought both. It sounds like there’s so much confusion in general that they’re being pretty lenient and will just accept what you’re able to get (this is my take, not something I was told. So take this with a grain of salt). 

[skyzee 182]

My interview is coming up on the 28th, and will post results after that. Only thing I have is a receipt showing I had the privacy act report done along with the RCMP fingerprint sheet that was submitted to them, and my old police certificate with just the name check. 

[BChance 38]

11 minutes ago, skyzee said:

My interview is coming up on the 28th, and will post results after that. Only thing I have is a receipt showing I had the privacy act report done along with the RCMP fingerprint sheet that was submitted to them, and my old police certificate with just the name check. 

Good luck. Maybe it will come in the mail before your interview. Mine came in one week. You should be okay with the proof though...