Urgent: New police certificate requirement!!!

[LaurenJSchafer 13]

5 hours ago, ITMFA said:

I imagine it's fine since they often send the fingerprints out of province for processing. The problem right now is that the commissionaires have put a hold on fulfilling requests through the privacy act because there's pushback on this new rule from the RCMP. I was told they won't do it for me and neither will the RCMP...hoping something gets resolved by Monday because those are the only two places that run fingerprint checks in my city! 

So if we requested it directly from the RCMP last week and they sent it on, do you think it'll get processed? I think we requested it before they started pushing back about it. But I was thinking of going to Commissionaires because he did his prints on paper and even with no criminal record it was going to take a very long time to get it back. So we thought about making the drive to Lethbridge or Kelowna. But now I am guessing we just need to wait? If the RCMP in his town made the request and processed it I am hoping we get it back and don't just wait pointlessly for a long time. This is so confusing and frustrating. 

[ITMFA 241]

On 9/8/2018 at 4:05 PM, LaurenJSchafer said:

So if we requested it directly from the RCMP last week and they sent it on, do you think it'll get processed? I think we requested it before they started pushing back about it. But I was thinking of going to Commissionaires because he did his prints on paper and even with no criminal record it was going to take a very long time to get it back. So we thought about making the drive to Lethbridge or Kelowna. But now I am guessing we just need to wait? If the RCMP in his town made the request and processed it I am hoping we get it back and don't just wait pointlessly for a long time. This is so confusing and frustrating. 

Yeah it really sucks - especially for those of us with interviews in the next few weeks! I have an appointment at the commissionaires tomorrow morning and will update you with any new info the man has for me. If he can't help me I'm also going to make a trip to see the RCMP afterwards. Also I imagine in the next few days we will hear from people having their interviews who didn't have time to get the new type of check, and we'll see what they get told at the consulate. 

[Jlomartin 71]

Hi everyone,

 

so so I called to follow up on my “privacy act” fingerprint and the officer I dealt with said that this is a NON-certified document and from the years she has worked U.S. border will need a CERTIFIED document.

 

She also recommends me to go back and get a certified document under visa/border even though I had mentioned they specifically state on their website to not classify it under this. 

 

I am so confused on what they want. RCMP is saying we are going to run into problems in MTL.

[SMK 89 65]

1 hour ago, Jlomartin said:

Hi everyone,

 

so so I called to follow up on my “privacy act” fingerprint and the officer I dealt with said that this is a NON-certified document and from the years she has worked U.S. border will need a CERTIFIED document.

 

She also recommends me to go back and get a certified document under visa/border even though I had mentioned they specifically state on their website to not classify it under this. 

 

I am so confused on what they want. RCMP is saying we are going to run into problems in MTL.

Guys - I think there is a caveat here - if you go on the USICIS website it specifically says: "Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available"

 

The only reason the word certified is even in the name is because CANADA calls a criminal check with finger prints a certified police check versus just a police check. 

 

Of course - we know that no one ever talks to anyone and there could still be some confusion but according to THEIR website, they say certified copies are not available. 

 

It's scary to think we won't really know whats what until someone goes into the actual interview with the requested document per their instructions and see what they say - ESPECIALLY since in my experience, you never get any real information-loaded answers from the Consulate.

 

I spoke with Commissionaires in Ottawa throughout this process and we came to the same conclusion as above. It seems the US Gov does realize these will not be certified. I still have my basica Name/DOB police check with a seal on it, so I'll bring both I guess. 

 

WHAT A STRESSFUL EXERCISE RIGHT WHEN WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING

Edited September 10, 2018 by SMK 89

[ITMFA 241]

Update: I went to the Commissionaires at 8:30 this morning, and they have resumed processing fingerprint checks under the Privacy Act. The two men who helped me were so kind, and absolutely sympathized with the mess that this has caused for us all! It'll be a miracle if I receive my results in the mail before next Tuesday when I'm flying to Montreal, but at least I'll be able to show them that it's being processed if it doesn't arrive in time. I will also be taking the certified name check certificate that I got a month ago. Interested to see what the consulate tells people who have interviews this week...

[darth vader 133]

5 minutes ago, ITMFA said:

Update: I went to the Commissionaires at 8:30 this morning, and they have resumed processing fingerprint checks under the Privacy Act. The two men who helped me were so kind, and absolutely sympathized with the mess that this has caused for us all! It'll be a miracle if I receive my results in the mail before next Tuesday when I'm flying to Montreal, but at least I'll be able to show them that it's being processed if it doesn't arrive in time. I will also be taking the certified name check certificate that I got a month ago. Interested to see what the consulate tells people who have interviews this week...

Can you tell us who here on VJ has their interviews this week?

[MariahK 16]

9 minutes ago, ITMFA said:

Update: I went to the Commissionaires at 8:30 this morning, and they have resumed processing fingerprint checks under the Privacy Act. The two men who helped me were so kind, and absolutely sympathized with the mess that this has caused for us all! It'll be a miracle if I receive my results in the mail before next Tuesday when I'm flying to Montreal, but at least I'll be able to show them that it's being processed if it doesn't arrive in time. I will also be taking the certified name check certificate that I got a month ago. Interested to see what the consulate tells people who have interviews this week...

I'm curious did you just go in and ask for a criminal record check with fingerprints under the privacy act and say nothing about the visa? I'm going to be in Toronto on Thursday.. so I am thinking of going to the Commissionaires then.. 

[darth vader 133]

Commissionaires in downtown Toronto responded to my email:

we have been advised that we can process these requests as indicated on the U.S. instruction list, with the following caveats:

 

RCMP will process the requests, but they have asked that we advise clients of the following:

·         Results will not be certified by RCMP and therefore won’t be embossed, nor display any fingerprints beside the photo as the certified results do

·         Results have to be sent directly to the individual, 3^rd party addresses will not be accepted

·         Results are likely to take much longer than the regular 3 business day processing time

[IndigoFlowers 130]

4 hours ago, Jlomartin said:

Hi everyone,

 

so so I called to follow up on my “privacy act” fingerprint and the officer I dealt with said that this is a NON-certified document and from the years she has worked U.S. border will need a CERTIFIED document.

 

She also recommends me to go back and get a certified document under visa/border even though I had mentioned they specifically state on their website to not classify it under this. 

 

I am so confused on what they want. RCMP is saying we are going to run into problems in MTL.

I basically had the same experience. I was able to get the non-certified "privacy act" criminal record check with the RCMP, but the RCMP also recommended getting the certified finger print criminal record check under "visa/border" reasons... just to cover ALL bases. So I did both (plus I stupidly got just a name search certified criminal record check last month without any finger prints at all, before any of this new information appeared 😒). Either way, I will have certified and non certified documents to bring with me from the RCMP. All documents have the same results too, so I imagine bringing both the certified finger print criminal record check and non-certified privacy act document will be fine. 

 

 

[SKB2017 95]

I went and got the name search records check a couple weeks ago as well, before all of this.  My documents are all uploaded but have not yet been looked at i don't think.  Not exactly sure what to do, wait for an RFE for it (if that's what they are going to do) or just go now and get the privacy act one done.  What is the fee for the privacy act one?  I heard if its being requested under the privacy act, then the fee is waived???

[BChance 38]

US Consulate in Montreal replied to me to contact the NVC about this document - in other words, they have no idea what to do.....

[BChance 38]

Plus, if no third party agencies can do this, how does a person who lives outside of Canada do it? I am so confused....

[Alyssamac90 40]

56 minutes ago, BChance said:

US Consulate in Montreal replied to me to contact the NVC about this document - in other words, they have no idea what to do.....

Same thing happened to me... so not helpful. Especially since people who have contacted the NVC were told to contact the Montreal Consulate!

 

This was the Montreal Consulate's reply to my email (in which I asked specifically which police check was required):

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for your inquiry.

 

The NVC does all the pre-processing for all the Consulates worldwide and schedules the immigrant visa appointments on our behalf for all the cases that are documentarily qualified.

 

Please contact the NVC for any updates on your case and next steps in processing. The NVC contact details are available here https://nvc.state.gov/ask   

 

We hope that this information is helpful in replying to your inquiry.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

 

Regards,

OP03

Correspondence Unit

US Consulate General in Montreal

 

 

[darth vader 133]

1 hour ago, BChance said:

US Consulate in Montreal replied to me to contact the NVC about this document - in other words, they have no idea what to do.....

lol

[BChance 38]

44 minutes ago, Alyssamac90 said:

Same thing happened to me... so not helpful. Especially since people who have contacted the NVC were told to contact the Montreal Consulate!

 

This was the Montreal Consulate's reply to my email (in which I asked specifically which police check was required):

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for your inquiry.

 

The NVC does all the pre-processing for all the Consulates worldwide and schedules the immigrant visa appointments on our behalf for all the cases that are documentarily qualified.

 

Please contact the NVC for any updates on your case and next steps in processing. The NVC contact details are available here https://nvc.state.gov/ask   

 

We hope that this information is helpful in replying to your inquiry.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

 

Regards,

OP03

Correspondence Unit

US Consulate General in Montreal

 

 

I got the exact same answer.