National Police Check Rejected (Second Time!)

[JedMills 3]

@JannaB & @Chanel H. my Australian Police Check was accepted earlier this month by NVC, with the title "Immigration/Citizenship - Australia Name Check Only".

 

I'm now having issues with my NZ Police Check however, and am waiting for NVC to review my resubmitted version.

[Chanel H. 41]

1 hour ago, JannaB said:

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? 

We submitted I-130 in Sept 2021 so I'm still waiting on that before going to NVC. I've just seen a few people having problems with the Police Check so I thought I would check. I hope they review yours soon and accept it, good luck!

[webber777 13]

did you scan and upload both front and back of police check? i think some get rejected because that only scan the front and they want both sides uploaded

[JannaB 5]

1 hour ago, webber777 said:

did you scan and upload both front and back of police check? i think some get rejected because that only scan the front and they want both sides uploaded

We sent front only since back appeared not to have anything on it but explanatory notes. We just looked at the back and see a number at bottom right.  Unsure if that’s unique and important or not.  

 

Do you know if there were explicit instructions to scan and submit both sides to NVC?  
 

Do you happen to know more about this and can offer suggestions?  We have been told that anytime we upload new scans to NVC, we slow progress.  

 

[JannaB 5]

3 hours ago, Chanel H. said:

We submitted I-130 in Sept 2021 so I'm still waiting on that before going to NVC. I've just seen a few people having problems with the Police Check so I thought I would check. I hope they review yours soon and accept it, good luck!

You’ve been waiting a very long time! Sept 2021 and it’s now July 2022! 

[webber777 13]

1 hour ago, JannaB said:

We sent front only since back appeared not to have anything on it but explanatory notes. We just looked at the back and see a number at bottom right.  Unsure if that’s unique and important or not.  

 

Do you know if there were explicit instructions to scan and submit both sides to NVC?  
 

Do you happen to know more about this and can offer suggestions?  We have been told that anytime we upload new scans to NVC, we slow progress.  

 

its hard to actually tell what the NVC actually wants!

 

i have seen a few posts where people have said to make sure to scan back and front for various documents though and this NVC website - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-8-scan-collected-documents.html says to 'Include the front and back side of any document that has stamps, seals, or writing on the back.' but who knows if that is the actual reason for rejection. usually the rejection reason seems to be a generic one.

 

in terms of new uploads its a risk. some people say it puts you to back of line others say if you load under additional document it doesn't affect your position, no one really knows for sure how NVC works! We uploaded all our docs on 19th may. then uploaded some more docs in june so will see if our documents get reviewed over next 2 weeks or if the new docs pushed us back (i hope not!)

[JannaB 5]

4 hours ago, JedMills said:

@JannaB & @Chanel H. my Australian Police Check was accepted earlier this month by NVC, with the title "Immigration/Citizenship - Australia Name Check Only".

 

I'm now having issues with my NZ Police Check however, and am waiting for NVC to review my resubmitted version.

Ours says,

 

“Immigration/Citizenship - Australia Name Check Only.  This is to certify that there are no disclosable court outcomes …”.
 

We did not send a scan of the back of the page.  It was just instructions and explanation and a “security number.”  Was that important?  The front page reads “page 1 of one” so we assumed only the front was needed.

 

 IMPORTANT QUESTION - Did your accepted Aussie police check include scans of BOTH sides?  

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by JannaB
More details

[JedMills 3]

@JannaB sounds like we both have the same document, I only submitted the front page as no information was provided on the back. 

[JannaB 5]

37 minutes ago, JedMills said:

@JannaB sounds like we both have the same document, I only submitted the front page as no information was provided on the back. 

I cannot tell you what a HUGE relief it is learning that you submitted the same document as us and with the front page only AND it was accepted!  We can exhale now and relax enough to hope our result is the same.  With immigration documents and government staffing screw ups these days, one cannot be too sure!  
 

We married in USA in March 2020 and began I-130 and DS-260 (plus affidavit of support) right away and it’s taken us this long to get where we are today.  Ugh!  Can barely wait another minute and dread one more insane snafu!

[Chanel H. 41]

Thank you both for the detailed info on what you submitted, I feel better about this now too.

[mekbus 9]

Hi All, 

I've uploaded only the front of the police cert. I've given them both 33 - original upload that was rejected - and 35 - which was most recently rejected. 

We called the AFP - got them to confirm in an email that the steps outlined on the NVC website results in the certificate we uploaded and we've resubmitted all that information. Now we wait. 

@JedMillsWe anticipated that our NZ certificate would cause issues, but that was accepted the first time. 

Fingers crossed that this goes smoothly the next time. 

[JedMills 3]

@mekbus fingers cross the resubmittal goes through without any issues for you.

Sadly on the NZ one I sent through the Ministry of Justice version (which I had used for my Australian VISA last year, so ignorantly assumed they'd be the same), the Auckland consulate have confirmed they've sent the NZ Police vetting one through to the NVC, so fingers crossed it's accepted first time.

[JannaB 5]

18 minutes ago, JedMills said:

@mekbus fingers cross the resubmittal goes through without any issues for you.

Sadly on the NZ one I sent through the Ministry of Justice version (which I had used for my Australian VISA last year, so ignorantly assumed they'd be the same), the Auckland consulate have confirmed they've sent the NZ Police vetting one through to the NVC, so fingers crossed it's accepted first time.

How long was the lag time between when you submitted the new document (I.e. AFP reason code 33) did it take before you got your favorable reply?

 

After NVC refused our first attempt (using reason code 35), we sent the second try using document created using reason code 33 on JUNE 20, 2022.  It’s now JULY 24, 2022.   Five weeks so far waiting!

 

It’s awful waiting and not knowing.  Some faceless clerk holds our future in their fingertips!  Gasp! 

 

 

[Chanel H. 41]

This is really good information, I wonder if we should call AFP preemptively and ask them to also write us letters saying that the NVC steps produces the police check we receive.

[JannaB 5]

5 hours ago, Chanel H. said:

This is really good information, I wonder if we should call AFP preemptively and ask them to also write us letters saying that the NVC steps produces the police check we receive.

What is it about the recent AFP document that causes the NVC to refuse them repeatedly ? Everyone in this forum is now aware that reason code number 33 is the one we are all being directed to use. But somehow National Visa Center still doesn’t ALWAYS recognize it as valid. I read somewhere in this forum that Australia had changed the appearance of their background checks and that the national visa center was not aware of that change.  AFP supposedly confirmed their change to NVC but apparently they may still not be aware throughout their system!  
 

i agree.  It would be helpful if Australia added an Email page as you suggest or some extra wording on the document such as “updated as of …”.

 
Thanks for your reply.

Edited July 25, 2022 by JannaB
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