Beneficiary’s police clearance for K1 visa

[Nora&Jobany 11]

5 hours ago, Mike E said:

So for Myanmar, everything we read, including at state.gov, said that we needed police certificates for a K-1 applicant from every place she resided more for 6 months or more.

 

We then receive an email from the embassy that says:

 

"-Police Certificate: Original certificate & notarized translation, plus one photocopy. Police certificates must be obtained from each Myanmar Township where you have resided for six month or more past the age of 16, and all other countries you have resided for over one year.  For persons residing overseas, the most practical way to obtain the certificate is through close relatives or friends still in Burma."

 

OK, so not as bad as we were told, but not great. 

 

So, I sent my then fiancee on a world tour to gather police certificates. Including the dreaded Singapore police clearance. With a final stop in Yangon to get them all (but the Singaporean)l translated.

 

So 4 weeks later and $5000 lighter,  she then applies for a DS-160, and the embassy then says:

 

"After reviewing your case, you are required to bring the following documents on your interview date.

Additional form

Visa fees $265

Two Photos (2 x2 inches with white background and without glasses)

Original and English notarized police Certificate from Nyaung Shwe

Any relationship proof such as the photos with the petitioner

[...]"

 

So IOW, they only wanted have her police cert from the place she was currently residing. IOW they lied. Now were they lying in the first email or the second email?

 

😡😡😡😡😡😡

 

My then fiancee brought the additional police certs to the interview, and the CO didn't want them. So they lied in the first email. 

 

When she arrived in the USA we asked her lawyer if she needed the police certs the embassy didn't collect for the AOS. The lawyer said no: "No. The additional police certificates are not for K-1 visa holders".

 

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

So my advice is to not collect police certificates unless your embassy/consulate asks for them after your visa interview is scheduled. Or if it requires them before it will schedule a visa interview.

 

 

Oh... that sucked!! So sorry to hear that, and thank you very much for sharing your experience! 

 

My questions are, how long did she stay in those countries? And did she apply for fingerprint-based police certificates? Is that why she had to be there in person? 

 

Should I actually send an email to the consulate and ask beforehand? 

[Mike E 11,742]

3 hours ago, Nora&Jobany said:

Oh... that sucked!! So sorry to hear that, and thank you very much for sharing your experience! 

 

My questions are, how long did she stay in those countries? And did she apply for fingerprint-based police certificates? Is that why she had to be there in person? 

 

Should I actually send an email to the consulate and ask beforehand? 

Over 12 months in each foreign country. 

Each city in Myanmar country and each city required her fingerprints. 

 

The advice from the embassy that she can get police certs done by friends and family in Myanmar is just nonsense.  

 

In theory she could have done the Singaporean police clearance remotely but it turns out they have very specific ways of taking prints that Myanmar police are not aware of.  

 

You can ask the consulate ahead of time. It wouldn’t have done us any good. 

[Nora&Jobany 11]

2 hours ago, Mike E said:

Over 12 months in each foreign country. 

Each city in Myanmar country and each city required her fingerprints. 

 

The advice from the embassy that she can get police certs done by friends and family in Myanmar is just nonsense.  

 

In theory she could have done the Singaporean police clearance remotely but it turns out they have very specific ways of taking prints that Myanmar police are not aware of.  

 

You can ask the consulate ahead of time. It wouldn’t have done us any good. 

Oh... but it’s always better to be well-prepared 😊 at least at last she had her visa approved! 

[Mike E 11,742]

5 hours ago, Nora&Jobany said:

Oh... but it’s always better to be well-prepared 😊 at least at last she had her visa approved! 

Well if one has inexhaustible resources sure.  I gather from most posts on VJ, that many couples don’t.  Just read the health insurance threads.  Or the threads where sponsors are finding that they cannot afford to support their spouse.  

 

The big big issue for me wasn’t the money wasted getting these useless police certs. It was the time wasted. It cost a month.  

[Nora&Jobany 11]

3 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Well if one has inexhaustible resources sure.  I gather from most posts on VJ, that many couples don’t.  Just read the health insurance threads.  Or the threads where sponsors are finding that they cannot afford to support their spouse.  

 

The big big issue for me wasn’t the money wasted getting these useless police certs. It was the time wasted. It cost a month.  

That's true..! hmmm... I have sent a visa inquiry form to the consulate, hopefully they accept the non-fingerprint based police certificate.