Question on Police clearance certificates

[Apro548 3]

Hello members of this forum, I hope I am in the right forum. We have started K-1 process 2 years back  it reached the Consular "ready" status by end of 2020. Unfortunately then came the pandemic and closures so the interview process could not be carried out. I have  a question.

1. Submitting police clearance certificates from where you resided more than 6 months is a must, I heard. I already obtained them from the 2 foreign countries I resided other than my own country where I currently live. But now it is almost 2 years. Do I have to re-apply? I have not visited those countries since I returned to my motherland and I hope to face the interview within months now that the normalcy restored. It was already very difficult, time consuming and costly process to obtain them. It took already 4 months to get the clearance from one country.  I am grateful for your valuable insight. Thank you so much, anticipate your reply.

[Mike E 11,739]

19 minutes ago, Apro548 said:

1. Submitting police clearance certificates from where you resided more than 6 months is a must, I heard.

Not in our experience.  
 

If we had to do it over again we would have waited for the embassy to tell us what police certificates to get.  We wasted thousands of dollars getting police certificates the embassy didn’t want.   

[powerpuff 6,697]

22 minutes ago, Apro548 said:

Do I have to re-apply? I have not visited those countries since I returned to my motherland

No, if you have not returned to those countries since obtaining the police certificate, you do not need to reapply. 

 

From https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html

"Police certificates expire after two years, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued."

[Apro548 3]

2 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Not in our experience.  
 

If we had to do it over again we would have waited for the embassy to tell us what police certificates to get.  We wasted thousands of dollars getting police certificates the embassy didn’t want.   

Thank you for your reply. In the notification checklist sent to us, it is indicated to bring along the police clearance certificates where I have resided from age 16. That is why I asked. May be it is different from a consular to consular. My question is the period of validity since both the foreign clearances are almost 2 years now.

[Apro548 3]

4 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

No, if you have not returned to those countries since obtaining the police certificate, you do not need to reapply. 

 

From https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html

"Police certificates expire after two years, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued."

Thank you so much, I am relieved to note that the ones I have would suffice. Now I can plan for the interview. Grateful to you.

[Mike E 11,739]

28 minutes ago, Apro548 said:

Thank you for your reply. In the notification checklist sent to us, it is indicated to bring along the police clearance certificates where I have resided from age 16. That is why I asked. May be it is different from a consular to consular. My question is the period of validity since both the foreign clearances are almost 2 years now.

Yeah we got a similar yet significantly  different  blanket notice too: 

 

Police certificates must be obtained from each Myanmar Township where you have resided for six month or more past the age of 16, and all other countries you have resided for over one year. 

 

By the time we had an interview scheduled:

After reviewing your case, you are required to bring the following documents on your interview date.

…

Original and English notarized police Certificate from Nyaungshwe

It appears your old certificates will still be good so this is moot

[Apro548 3]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Yeah we got a similar yet significantly  different  blanket notice too: 

 

Police certificates must be obtained from each Myanmar Township where you have resided for six month or more past the age of 16, and all other countries you have resided for over one year. 

 

By the time we had an interview scheduled:

After reviewing your case, you are required to bring the following documents on your interview date.

…

Original and English notarized police Certificate from Nyaungshwe

It appears your old certificates will still be good so this is moot

Thanks. Do you mean that a specific period of validity is not indicated in your case?

[Mike E 11,739]

Just now, Apro548 said:

Thanks. Do you mean that a specific period of validity is not indicated in your case?

It is an article of faith that embassies require K-1 applicants to produce police certificates for any foreign residence of 6 months or more.  In our case this wasn’t true. 
 

* first the embassy said it was 12 months or more 

 

* then the embassy said no police certificates needed at all. And then gas lighted us on the earlier guidance. 
 

In your case, it appears you don’t need to renew your police certificates so the issue is moot.