rcmp told me 3-4 months for police check...???

[Fuzzness 2]

cost me $20 at the municipal office and the RCMP got my check done in 7 days.

[David and Karen 0]

How long is the criminal record search valid for? With regards to your interview that is. Does it have to be within 30 days etc of the interview?

Thanks, Karen

[Marilyn. 340]

I think it is 6 months

[kingofbanff 1]

Karen...u thinking of getting the check done and THEN going on the crime spree?

[girl 37 7]

Karen...u thinking of getting the check done and THEN going on the crime spree?

[Flames9_RN 358]

Rob a tim hortons store!!

[canucker18 0]

I think I may be able to shed some light to this whole situation.

I have a friend who works in the records branch of my local police department.

The police use something called CPIC (c-pick) and that's a Canada wide criminal base. So, if you have done anything 9and I mean anything) it will be there. Most municipalities use CPIC for their own officers, since it is the most informed/thorough databse.

So, as long as they are running your name through CPIC, you are fine.

I even said to the guy when I handed it in, "This checkc CPIC, right?"

I just went to the local Police Station-I have lived in the same town my whole life- and filled out a form. It's the same form you use for a regular police check.

I hope this sheds some light on it all. As long as they are checking CPIC you are fine. I'm pretty sure that's what Montreal cares about.

That's my 2 cents.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

What part of Canada are you in? I assume Alberta? I belive only the Greater toronto area uses the Commisionaires!! Everyone else uses the RCMP. I had my RCMP check completed in 3 days and it was free, (most do charge a fee I believe) Some you get right there, others take longer. If you just require the name check, maybe the officer on the phone was confused, as stated above if you have had a criminal record, you wil require fingerprinting, which does take awhile!! If they are stead fast on the 3-4 months, phone another detachment!!

Last I checked, you can do a (no FP) RCMP check in AB for free--and get the certificate on the spot!

(I actually called the Calgary office recently to see if I could speed up getting the certificate for someone who lived in Canada 15 years ago--needless to say, no dice; but still true that you can get the name-check certificate rightaway).

Edited March 30, 2006 by sriniv

[Cassie 8]

I hope this sheds some light on it all. As long as they are checking CPIC you are fine. I'm pretty sure that's what Montreal cares about.

That's my 2 cents.

It makes me nervous when we advocate using local police, when Montreal is very specific in the Package 3 paperwork about having the records check completed by the RCMP, but that's just me. *shrug*

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I hope this sheds some light on it all. As long as they are checking CPIC you are fine. I'm pretty sure that's what Montreal cares about.

That's my 2 cents.

It makes me nervous when we advocate using local police, when Montreal is very specific in the Package 3 paperwork about having the records check completed by the RCMP, but that's just me. *shrug*

I'll give you something that'll make you even MORE nervous. There are even personnel at RCMP in Ottawa who advocate this incorrect approach.

I have a friend in NYC who I assisted with some I-129F details; his fiancée was the one who lived there 15 years ago. She had an interview at the Mumbai consulate which stated that it needed the RCMP certificate to issue her the visa. He called the RCMP in Ottawa (I don't know exactly whom he spoke to, but the woman there gave incorrect info) and was told that she could either wait to get the certificate by mail (the interview was in January 2006) or walk in and get it FROM THE LOCAL POLICE (fortunately, I was able to give him the correct information, having called the Calgary office--as I simply didn't want to wait endlessly on the Ottawa number).

[canucker18 0]

I got my check done by the local police. The RCMP check goes through CPIC. That's the national database. I don't know what poliec unit wouldn't use the national database, but this was fine.

I even called Montreal to confirm. The RCMP and local police are all still police, they still get their info from the same place-CPIC.

But that's only my experience and I will acknowledge that it may be different elsewhere.

I had no problems, so take it as you will.

[Chicken_Little 0]

I hope this sheds some light on it all. As long as they are checking CPIC you are fine. I'm pretty sure that's what Montreal cares about.

That's my 2 cents.

It makes me nervous when we advocate using local police, when Montreal is very specific in the Package 3 paperwork about having the records check completed by the RCMP, but that's just me. *shrug*

The paperwork I got for Packet 3 said that local police was fine unless I had a previous conviction. Plus, I too called to check, and they told me that local police was fine too unless I had a conviction.

[canucker18 0]

Edit- I just dredged up my packet 3 from Montreal and in it states

" Contact your local police service or the RCMP regarding criminal record check procedures. Certificates may be issues by the police force so long as they note that CPIC or the national criminal records repository was seacrhed using your name and date of birth."

It doesn't say you must go through the RCMP, but perhaps if you live rurally you should. I lived in a major urban area so my local police were fine.

I would feel horribly if I gave incorrect information, so I had to check for myself. This clearly states you can go through your local police, so long as they check CPIC, which is what I have stated prior.

I hope this clears it up.

Again, it's up to you and you can always call Montreal if you are really concerned.

[Reba 2]

It makes me nervous when we advocate using local police, when Montreal is very specific in the Package 3 paperwork about having the records check completed by the RCMP, but that's just me. *shrug*

they also haven't updated their paperwork in a few years. It may have been true years ago that they would only accept a certificate on RCMP letterhead, but it no longer is. Probably because Canada finally got on the ball and now shares police records across the country, not just provincially. If you look a few years back on the immigration forms, it says that you have to have police certificate from every city you've lived in, which again, was before all the records were stored centrally.

Several people have gone to interviews in Montreal with local or provincial police certificates and got their visa, but not all local or provincial police detachments will supply it. Like in York Region, parts of Metro Toronto, and Durham regions, anyone who needs it is told to go to Commissionaires. Heck, in Toronto the RCMP detatchment won't even do them, they send you to Commissionaires!

[mandyyxz 0]

i did both rcmp and city police certificate. isummited my fingerprint in last sept and i got it back around last nov. and i just had my interview at march31, and i brought both of them. the lady there told me rcmp certificate is the best...but she didnt say the city police certificate didnt work, but they would prefer a rcmp fingerprint check certificate from what i think. however, my suggestion is if u have time, do a rcmp certificate, it will support u better:D