Police Certificate query

[Pat2021 43]

Hi everyone!

I just recently started my journey for an IR1 visa and I am just going through the documents to prepare myself for what's ahead.

I noticed that the NVC requires police certificates, especially as follows:

 

Have ever lived in another country for 12 months or more	Were 16 years or older at the time you lived there	The country where you used to live.

 

As a university student, I spent a year abroad in Singapore, under a student exchange visa.

When applying for my I130, I put this information on the I130-A under "address history".

 

Now for Singapore, it's notoriously difficult to obtain a police certificate for non-citizens.

Even the website for it states clearly "With effect from 18 October 2010, SPF has ceased to issue COC to Non-Singapore Citizens." (https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Overseas-Mission/Shanghai/Consular-Services/Certificate-of-Clearance)

It is possible to appeal this, but it requires a lot of patience and hassle, including sending hardcopies of your fingerprints to Singapore via mail.

 

Is there a way around this requirement since I lived there as a student only? Can I submit an affidavit to the effect of "I lived there, but was physically registered in the UK" (which is true, as the UK regards exchange students as still being in the UK)?

If not, does anyone have any experience on obtaining a police certificate from Singapore that knows how to do it?

 

Thank you in advance

[powerpuff 6,697]

You will need to obtain it. Just because it’s difficult to do doesn’t mean it’s impossible and hence, it will be required. Here are instructions from US State department on how to obtain it:

 

Police Certificates

Available

Fees: Processing fee is SGD 55.00 per application. Payment can be made by credit cards (VISA/MASTERCARD) or internet banking. In addition to the processing fee, a postage fee of SGD 5.00 must be included in the payment (total SGD 60.00) if the COC is to be mailed. Payment is non- refundable once the application is accepted.

Document Name: Certificate of Clearance

Issuing Authority: Singapore Police Force

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: There is no special seal(s)/color/format.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title.

Registration Criteria: All applicants must complete an online application on the Singapore Police Force eServices website and submit the application with the necessary supporting documents:

• A set of applicant’s fingerprint impressions (ten prints). Applicants applying in Singapore will need to book their fingerprinting appointment though the Singapore Police Force eServices website. For application by post from overseas, the applicant must submit a set of his/her fingerprint impressions taken by a qualified Fingerprint Officer at a Police Station or an authorized office of the country he/she is now residing.
• A photocopy of applicant’s valid passport (showing biodata page).
• Two recent photographs measuring 3.5cm by 4.5cm.
• Photocopy of document from relevant consulate/immigration authority/government bodies or other requestor to establish that the certificate is required by such authority and that a statutory declaration of no criminal conviction by the applicant is not acceptable as evidence that s/he has no criminal convictions. All documents are to be translated into English if written in other languages.

Procedure for Obtaining: All applicants are required to furnish this letter after adding the names of the principal and dependent applicants as indicated, to apply for a Certificate of Clearance (COC).

Applicants should apply for the COC online via the Singapore Police Force eServices website at: eservices.police.gov. Applicants will also be able to make payment and reserve fingerprinting appointments through the eService website. Processing time for each application is between 10 to 15 working days.

Certified Copies Available:  Certified copies are not available.

Alternate Documents:  Duplicate Certificate of Clearance

Exceptions: The police records for Singapore may be considered complete from their origins to the present, except for the period of time during the Japanese occupation of Singapore from 1942 to 1945.

Comments: None

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

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by powerpuff

[Pat2021 43]

Thank you for the reply, that's very helpful. I just realized that even though I had the visa issued for over a year I did leave Singapore just before the full year was up. Is it 6 months, which is what I read on some forum posts here, or a year, as from the table above, that I have to have lived there to obtain the certificate? I'll try to obtain one regardless but would be good to know.

 

How much of an issue the original dates given on the I130-A for address history? I just estimated back when I filled it out but I think maybe the best option for me is to go through my flight history and check one by one when I left and entered each country I've lived in? Will NVC give me grief if I change the dates by a few days / weeks?

 

Thank you

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Pat2021

[Pat2021 43]

Hi so I just found this:

 

https://www.boundless.com/immigration-resources/completing-your-address-history-on-a-green-card-application/

 

So it looks like they are not too picky, understanding that address history can be complicated.

 

I've dug out all my old flights and stuff now so this was my timeline:

 

June 2016 I left my dorms in the UK, went to stay with my now wife then GF in the USA.

July 2016 I left for Singapore

May 2017 I left Singapore, again to the USA to stay with my GF.

July 2017 both of us came to Europe to stay with my parents

September 2017 we moved to the UK

 

Based on this I assume I don't need the police certificate from Singapore?

Now I'm wondering, in between being at the dorms, I wasn't really registered physically anywhere - my mailing address if anything was my parents home in Europe during that time.

 

So between June 2016 and July 2016 as well as May 2017 and July 2017, for my address history, did I "live" in the USA or did I "live" in Europe?

Will there be an issue if I put "USA", as I was just on a tourist ESTA during that time, not as a resident?