Police certification (Canada)

[JL & ML 20]

Hi there,

 

We now have an interview date and are finally going to set up a timeline on this website. We feel so relieved and are looking forward to everything.

 

In your experience (Canadians), how long does it take to get your police certification done? I did some searching today and came across this site: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/criminal-record-checks. It says in some cases (if manual entries are needed), processing can take up to 120 business days. We will certainly not get those before the interview. In other cases, it takes 3 business days. How has it been for most people?

 

Furthermore, this site https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/police-certificates/how/canada.html speaks of getting "biometrics and photo" for an application. Don't applicants need biometrics done as well? Or are those included in the background check?

 

Those processing times made me leery, that's all. I would imagine the consulate knows that once applicants are invited to an interview, they first need time to prepare the medical exam and police certificates -- all the while scheduling the interview within four months of NOA2...

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[payxibka 10,047]

2 minutes ago, JL & ML said:

Hi there,

 

We now have an interview date and are finally going to set up a timeline on this website. We feel so relieved and are looking forward to everything.

 

In your experience (Canadians), how long does it take to get your police certification done? I did some searching today and came across this site: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/criminal-record-checks. It says in some cases (if manual entries are needed), processing can take up to 120 business days. We will certainly not get those before the interview. In other cases, it takes 3 business days. How has it been for most people?

 

Furthermore, this site https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/police-certificates/how/canada.html speaks of getting "biometrics and photo" for an application. Don't applicants need biometrics done as well? Or are those included in the background check?

 

Those processing times made me leery, that's all. I would imagine the consulate knows that once applicants are invited to an interview, they first need time to prepare the medical exam and police certificates -- all the while scheduling the interview within four months of NOA2...

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Almost nobody makes the 4 month validity in Montreal, that's why the consulate automagically extends it.

[JL & ML 20]

Hi Payxibka, thanks for replying so quickly. Do police records really take that long to complete, though? The interview is in late November; we would have to reschedule our interview to half a year after that.

[payxibka 10,047]

3 minutes ago, JL & ML said:

Hi Payxibka, thanks for replying so quickly. Do police records really take that long to complete, though? The interview is in late November; we would have to reschedule our interview to half a year after that.

You might find the Canadian regional forum the best place for this question 

[Ontarkie 14,376]

~~Moved to the Canada forum, from K1 P&P - As the OP is asking about police checks and in Canada they now have new rules in place of the type required.~~

[Ontarkie 14,376]

Check out this thread. They are doing something new in Canada now. 

 

[wingman23 140]

i received mine in less than 2 weeks after going to the fingerprinting company that forwarded my application to RCMP. some got it in a week so you can safely say that if you have no records, you'll get the certificate in 2 weeks.

 

the link you provided is for canadian immigration, not US. use this reference in gathering the needed documents for US immigration - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Canada.html

 

we started gathering our documents after NOA2 and in transit from USCIS to NVC. my fiancee found this site and the people here and the guides and references helped us a lot.

[Thrillhouse 193]

I had mine done at my local RCMP station on August 14th, and it took just over a month for the results to be mailed back to me. Most people, however, seem to be getting them much sooner than that.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Thrillhouse

[don_mar 18]

Try http://www.commissionaires.ca/en/national/home

 

Got mine in about a week.

[designguy 1,179]

I did mine at the commissionaires as well and took about two weeks

[NikLR 13,231]

On 9/26/2019 at 7:09 PM, JL & ML said:

Hi there,

 

We now have an interview date and are finally going to set up a timeline on this website. We feel so relieved and are looking forward to everything.

 

In your experience (Canadians), how long does it take to get your police certification done? I did some searching today and came across this site: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/criminal-record-checks. It says in some cases (if manual entries are needed), processing can take up to 120 business days. We will certainly not get those before the interview. In other cases, it takes 3 business days. How has it been for most people?

 

Furthermore, this site https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/police-certificates/how/canada.html speaks of getting "biometrics and photo" for an application. Don't applicants need biometrics done as well? Or are those included in the background check?

 

Those processing times made me leery, that's all. I would imagine the consulate knows that once applicants are invited to an interview, they first need time to prepare the medical exam and police certificates -- all the while scheduling the interview within four months of NOA2...

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

The interview should be scheduled within 4 months, it doesn't need to happen within 4 months.  But occasionally it can't be.

That website is for Canadian immigration, not American and has nothing to do with the K1 process to the USA.

As long as you acquired the correct police certificate, the privacy act, non-certified one with fingerprints taken (which will not show up on the final certificate) you should recieve it back within 2-4 weeks.  I haven't seen it take much longer than that.  If you needed a certified police certificate due to an arrest or conviction, that may take longer. 

 

To add, biometrics is literally your fingerprints.  They do it at interview electronically. 

[LOve17 87]

On 9/26/2019 at 9:09 PM, JL & ML said:

Hi there,

 

We now have an interview date and are finally going to set up a timeline on this website. We feel so relieved and are looking forward to everything.

 

In your experience (Canadians), how long does it take to get your police certification done? I did some searching today and came across this site: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/criminal-record-checks. It says in some cases (if manual entries are needed), processing can take up to 120 business days. We will certainly not get those before the interview. In other cases, it takes 3 business days. How has it been for most people?

 

Furthermore, this site https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/police-certificates/how/canada.html speaks of getting "biometrics and photo" for an application. Don't applicants need biometrics done as well? Or are those included in the background check?

 

Those processing times made me leery, that's all. I would imagine the consulate knows that once applicants are invited to an interview, they first need time to prepare the medical exam and police certificates -- all the while scheduling the interview within four months of NOA2...

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

I got my police certificate back in less than 2 weeks, that’s the average unless you have a criminal history in Canada. Also as mentioned below, NOA2 will probably expire by the time of your appointment (mine did). I did nothing about it and just attended my interview and was issued my visa the next day, they extend it for you automatically.

Edited September 29, 2019 by LOve17

[JL & ML 20]

Thank you for this. I think I will use the Commissionnaires website.

 

You have all been so helpful!

[NikLR 13,231]

2 hours ago, JL & ML said:

Thank you for this. I think I will use the Commissionnaires website.

 

You have all been so helpful!

You still need fingerprints so it won't be completely web based. 

[klgck 153]

I got mine done on the 17th and I am still waiting to get the results back. They said about 2-3 weeks. I went to an accredited fingerprinting company in Niagara Falls since that was a bit more convenient for me as opposed to Commissionaires. Commissionaires was much cheaper, though!