National Police Check Rejected (Second Time!)

[Redrobot 91]

3 hours ago, JannaB said:

Thank you so much for your quick reply!! We only just found out four hours ago, this morning our time, where we are now in Taiwan. And so we are anxious to move along on this because due to the pandemic and a lot of delays, bureaucracy getting original copies of the required documents for the immigration visa application, it took two full years to submit all required documents . And we’ve had to extend our stay in Taiwan and renew a house lease into Dec 2022.

 

I think we made the mistake of not reading very very closely the travel.state.gov directions for Australia.

 

We probably did not select “purpose type” and “Commonwealth employment/purpose” and then we checked code 35 instead of code 33 “Immigration/citizenship – for supply to the department of immigration and border protection.” All this is written in the Reciprocity Schedule for Australia on the Travel.State.Gov website.

 

Do you think that’s what we need to do? Do we need to bother with fingerprints?

That will just add another level of frustration. However, I think we know how to do it. My husband is English but he lived in UK, Australia, Canada, UK and Taiwan needed police checks for all four.  He did need fingerprints for Canada.Only the Australia background check was rejected. I think it must be because we did not choose the right code.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi JannaB: would you mind sharing with us any and all dates in April that you submitted docs to NVC?  That would be helpful to users of this part of the forum. Thank you!

[JannaB 5]

15 hours ago, Redrobot said:

Hi JannaB: would you mind sharing with us any and all dates in April that you submitted docs to NVC?  That would be helpful to users of this part of the forum. Thank you!

The last of the required documents were submitted to NVC on April 5, 2022.  We received notice on June 16, 2022 that they wanted a different Australian police check than the one we sent.  Fingers crossed that we ordered the correct one this time following the “Exceptions” and “Comments” instructions from the referenced AFP website. 
 

NVC also on June 16 asked for proof of end of my first marriage which, in my case, is my late husband’s death certificate … no idea why they asked for it because it’s not on the required list and, anyway, it was already part of my I-130 petition.  I then submitted on July 17 it as requested.

Edited June 18, 2022 by JannaB

[Lil bear 4,138]

20 hours ago, JannaB said:

Thank you so much for your quick reply!! We only just found out four hours ago, this morning our time, where we are now in Taiwan. And so we are anxious to move along on this because due to the pandemic and a lot of delays, bureaucracy getting original copies of the required documents for the immigration visa application, it took two full years to submit all required documents . And we’ve had to extend our stay in Taiwan and renew a house lease into Dec 2022.

 

I think we made the mistake of not reading very very closely the travel.state.gov directions for Australia.

 

We probably did not select “purpose type” and “Commonwealth employment/purpose” and then we checked code 35 instead of code 33 “Immigration/citizenship – for supply to the department of immigration and border protection.” All this is written in the Reciprocity Schedule for Australia on the Travel.State.Gov website.

 

Do you think that’s what we need to do? Do we need to bother with fingerprints?

That will just add another level of frustration. However, I think we know how to do it. My husband is English but he lived in UK, Australia, Canada, UK and Taiwan needed police checks for all four.  He did need fingerprints for Canada.Only the Australia background check was rejected. I think it must be because we did not choose the right code.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes they are VERY picky on the code. It must be 33 for immigration purposes 

[Gray & Hockey 1]

On 6/16/2022 at 11:59 PM, JannaB said:

Thank you so much for your quick reply!! We only just found out four hours ago, this morning our time, where we are now in Taiwan. And so we are anxious to move along on this because due to the pandemic and a lot of delays, bureaucracy getting original copies of the required documents for the immigration visa application, it took two full years to submit all required documents . And we’ve had to extend our stay in Taiwan and renew a house lease into Dec 2022.

 

I think we made the mistake of not reading very very closely the travel.state.gov directions for Australia.

 

We probably did not select “purpose type” and “Commonwealth employment/purpose” and then we checked code 35 instead of code 33 “Immigration/citizenship – for supply to the department of immigration and border protection.” All this is written in the Reciprocity Schedule for Australia on the Travel.State.Gov website.

 

Do you think that’s what we need to do? Do we need to bother with fingerprints?

That will just add another level of frustration. However, I think we know how to do it. My husband is English but he lived in UK, Australia, Canada, UK and Taiwan needed police checks for all four.  He did need fingerprints for Canada.Only the Australia background check was rejected. I think it must be because we did not choose the right code.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think you actually need fingerprints for the Australian one, if I'm recalling correctly.

[Lil bear 4,138]

34 minutes ago, Gray & Hockey said:

I don't think you actually need fingerprints for the Australian one, if I'm recalling correctly.

Correct. No required 

[JannaB 5]

5 hours ago, Lil bear said:

Correct. No required 

Thanks! I appreciate your reply.  The website says “fingerprints preferred” and so we believe that means optional. Therefore, we went ahead and ordered a second background check without fingerprints.  

Edited June 18, 2022 by JannaB
Typo

[JannaB 5]

On 6/19/2022 at 6:46 AM, JannaB said:

Thanks! I appreciate your reply.  The website says “fingerprints preferred” and so we believe that means optional. Therefore, we went ahead and ordered a second background check without fingerprints.  

Hubby reapplied on June 17 for Australian police check using Code 33 instead of Code 35 this time.  On June 20, he received electronic copy and notification that hard copy would follow within 7-10 days.  We’re all set to upload the new police check electronically.  
 

The new certificate looks identical to first EXCEPT for the heading.

 

Does this heading, therefore, look like the correct one required by NVC?  
 

“Immigration/Citizenship - Australia Name Check Only”

[mekbus 9]

Hi all,

 

I'm currently having the same problem. I think we must have accidentally chosen 35 - they rejected this cert early May. Got the new cert with code 33 - It says Immigration/Citizen Australia Name Check Only and I just received a rejected email from NVC. 

It says this on the comment internal email when they rejected the cert "Please replace this with an acceptable police certificate with NAME AND FINGER PRINT CHECK or COMPLETE DISCLOSURE from Australian Federal Police. Please use our Document Finder at https://nvc.state.gov/find for acceptable documents guidelines."

 

I'll call the AFP when they're open and get confirmation, like someone mentioned earlier. Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks for the help

 

[JannaB 5]

4 hours ago, mekbus said:

Hi all,

 

I'm currently having the same problem. I think we must have accidentally chosen 35 - they rejected this cert early May. Got the new cert with code 33 - It says Immigration/Citizen Australia Name Check Only and I just received a rejected email from NVC. 

It says this on the comment internal email when they rejected the cert "Please replace this with an acceptable police certificate with NAME AND FINGER PRINT CHECK or COMPLETE DISCLOSURE from Australian Federal Police. Please use our Document Finder at https://nvc.state.gov/find for acceptable documents guidelines."

 

I'll call the AFP when they're open and get confirmation, like someone mentioned earlier. Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks for the help

 

How incredibly frustrating all this is!  A hardship on my husband (aged 78) and myself (aged 74) as we keep going around and around on this stupid Aussie police background check!

 

Now after spending two years finally getting all the paperwork together, with everything slowed down by Covid and other unbending bureaucracy just like this, I am myself at last back in the states but my husband is hanging around alone waiting in Taiwan for this one darn piece of paper so he can then get his immigration interview set.

 

We just want to get settled in our USA home and pursue normal lives!

 

Can you please explain, if you find out, WHERE on the online order form applicants are led from Code #33 to then choosing the correct option that produces “Immigration/Citizen Australia Complete Disclosure?”

It clearly reads that fingerprints are optional.

 

After seeing your remarks today, I’m afraid our second try is also going to be rejected!! 

For review, we followed these directions from the travel.state.gov website, the one you referenced and one that we also used for both applications:

”In same section under Purpose of Check, select Code ‘33’ – Immigration/Citizenship – for supply to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
DO NOT SELECT Code ‘35’.

 

“Australian Federal Police certificates based on fingerprints are “preferred”, but a certificate not based on fingerprints is acceptable if it shows all aliases ever used. Please note that Complete Disclosure police certificates may still be accepted at the discretion of the consular officer.”

 

Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/australia.html

Is the NVC telling you they will only accept a police check document heading that reads “Immigration/Citizen Australia Complete Disclosure?”  
 

Cannot understand what we did wrong that we did not receive such a document back.  The second application we submitted three weeks ago, in June 2022, produced a “ Digital national police certificate “ document (chose code 33 as directed) that reads “Immigration/Citizenship Australia Name Check Only” 

Below that, the next sentence reads, “This is to certify that there are no disclosable court outcomes recorded against the name of…”

All comments and reassurances, especially, are welcome!  

Edited July 11, 2022 by JannaB
Added further details

[Chanel H. 41]

On 7/12/2022 at 3:42 AM, mekbus said:

Hi all,

 

I'm currently having the same problem. I think we must have accidentally chosen 35 - they rejected this cert early May. Got the new cert with code 33 - It says Immigration/Citizen Australia Name Check Only and I just received a rejected email from NVC. 

It says this on the comment internal email when they rejected the cert "Please replace this with an acceptable police certificate with NAME AND FINGER PRINT CHECK or COMPLETE DISCLOSURE from Australian Federal Police. Please use our Document Finder at https://nvc.state.gov/find for acceptable documents guidelines."

 

I'll call the AFP when they're open and get confirmation, like someone mentioned earlier. Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks for the help

 

Hi, just wondering how you went calling AFP? I am hoping to get NOA2 soon and need to send the police check but I've been reading everyone's horror stories and I'm so worried about getting an RFE and taking an additional 3 months each time. ☹️

[JannaB 5]

4 minutes ago, Chanel H. said:

Hi, just wondering how you went calling AFP? I am hoping to get NOA2 soon and need to send the police check but I've been reading everyone's horror stories and I'm so worried about getting an RFE and taking an additional 3 months each time. ☹️

Chanel … not sure I know the answer because I don’t understand your question.  Please rephrase and spell out abbreviations.

[Chanel H. 41]

8 minutes ago, JannaB said:

Chanel … not sure I know the answer because I don’t understand your question.  Please rephrase and spell out abbreviations.

Sorry about that, I have quoted the wrong post!

 

Anyway,

AFP = Australian Federal Police

NOA2 = it's the second notice that you get after filing I-130 and means it's time to go to the next stage where we would be submitting the police check

RFE = request for evidence

[JannaB 5]

8 hours ago, Chanel H. said:

Sorry about that, I have quoted the wrong post!

 

Anyway,

AFP = Australian Federal Police

NOA2 = it's the second notice that you get after filing I-130 and means it's time to go to the next stage where we would be submitting the police check

RFE = request for evidence

Thank you for your reply.  After all this we’ve done, I should probably know these!  🙄. 

I’d like to hear from you or anyone else who chose Code #33 as directed in instructions ( “Don’t choose #35!  Choose code #33!) and had that particular AFP rejected and/or accepted RECENTLY.  That is, experience in 2022.

 

We’re still waiting for NVC to reply if our June 16, 2022 re-submission of AFP (second try using code #33 this time) as part of my husband’s DS-260 application is acceptable.
 

Feeling all nervous, anxious and just want to get back together with my English husband and bring him to me in USA! 

[Chanel H. 41]

7 hours ago, JannaB said:

Thank you for your reply.  After all this we’ve done, I should probably know these!  🙄. 

I’d like to hear from you or anyone else who chose Code #33 as directed in instructions ( “Don’t choose #35!  Choose code #33!) and had that particular AFP rejected and/or accepted RECENTLY.  That is, experience in 2022.

 

We’re still waiting for NVC to reply if our June 16, 2022 re-submission of AFP (second try using code #33 this time) as part of my husband’s DS-260 application is acceptable.
 

Feeling all nervous, anxious and just want to get back together with my English husband and bring him to me in USA! 

Agree, I am super anxious about this step since NVC removed the option to call them. I just ordered the AFP and I'll let you know how it goes at NVC.

[JannaB 5]

49 minutes ago, Chanel H. said:

Agree, I am super anxious about this step since NVC removed the option to call them. I just ordered the AFP and I'll let you know how it goes at NVC.

I didn’t know NVC removed option to call them. Guess we’re all left with no news or updates on progress and are simply sitting in the dark, our futures on hold indefinitely!

 

We are steps ahead of your process, I think.  We finished the I-130 in May 2020 and it was accepted by USCIS after.  We then proceeded to gather documents to support the DS-260 application at NVC.
 

We completed submission of all required DS-260 documents and Affidavit of Support on April 6, 2022 to NVC.  Many slowdowns due to pandemic interruptions and bureaucracy. 

On about June 9, NVC notified us that the Australia Federal Police check was the wrong one.  We researched further and chose a different “reason for police check” code this second time. Sent it in and was formally received at NVC on June 16.  

Now,  we’re waiting impatiently for NVC reply. 

 

Meantime, another member of this forum reported same experience as us having used AFP “reason for need” code 35 first and been told it was wrong one. Then, they resubmitted an AFP using reason code 33 and that was also denied on their DS-260 application.  Still waiting for her to post an updated result of what they did next to resolve the problem … 

 

We’re also on pins and needles awaiting our own results.

 

What’s your experience?