Police clearance cert req [merged threads]

[AndiB 677]

Hiya, I've asked around and gotten different answers so hoping the more experienced folks here or someone in a similar situation will know.

I was born in another country, left age 11 and lived in a second country until I was 15. I have not returned as a resident to either. I still have citizenship to the second country.
I will be interviewing for K1 in London, my current nationality and home. I know I need a police report for UK and any country I resided in post-age 16 but I've seen people get refused pending documents for countries they haven't lived in since under 16. It seems due to fact either they don't have UK nationality (settled status) or because they have nationality for another country.

My question is, will I need a police check for the first and/or second country? One is my birth country and the other I hold active nationality for. Once again, I know what the embassy website says but it doesn't explain why people are being asked for criminal records for countries they haven't lived in since like age 11 so some detail is missing here... 

[Boiler 45,468]

Police certificates are resident and age related.

 

Other Nationalities certainly can have an impact depending what they are.

[AndiB 677]

4 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Police certificates are resident and age related.

 

Other Nationalities certainly can have an impact depending what they are.

Any way to check or maybe best to just try and get both to be safe? My brith country is a bit of a nightmare but second country seems straight forward-ish

[AndiB 677]

ah maybe I should just say in case anyone knows
birth country: South Africa (dubious nationality situation)
second nationality: new zealand

[Boiler 45,468]

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

 

Down the bottom

[Boiler 45,468]

I doubt those Countries would be an issue, more so if they are T countries.

[Chancy 6,241]

21 minutes ago, AndiB said:

I was born in another country, left age 11 and lived in a second country until I was 15. I have not returned as a resident to either. I still have citizenship to the second country.

 

Here are the actual requirements from the DOS manual -- https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM050207.html#M502_7_3_C_3

 

"If the applicant is 16 years of age or older, they must obtain an original or certified copy of a police certificate, if obtainable, for:

(a)  (U) Their country of nationality, if they lived in the country of nationality for more than six months at any time in their life;

(b)  (U) Their current country of residence, if different from nationality, if they have lived in that country for more than six months; or

(c)  (U) Their previous country or countries of residence if they were 16 years or older at the time they lived there and lived in that country for 12 months or more; and

(d)  (U) Any city and/or country where they were arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived in that city or country and regardless of age at the time of arrest.

(e)  (U) See U.S. Visa Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country for availability of police certificates for individual countries.

(f)   (U) Present and former residents of the United States do not need to submit any U.S. police certificates."

 

Based on item (a) above, seems to me you'll need police certificates from the 1st and 2nd countries because you lived there for more than 6 months, assuming you have citizenship in both countries.  The policy doesn't say you need PC only from the country of current nationality.  But obviously, you'll need a PC from the UK as well.

 

[AndiB 677]

Thanks @Boilerand @Chancy ! I'll get both to be safe. I'm visiting my birth country in a few months and application is far easier in person so may just go for it rather than panic after interview if it's an issue. Seems may be a case of if interviewer decides to care rather than 100% not req.

[AndiB 677]

Looking for experience from anyone who inmigrated as a child and has citizenship in a new country. Did you need your police cert from your home country for k1 interview?

 

Please dont quote 'you dont need police certs if you were under 16'. Ive seen numerous cases of people needing it despite leaving as a child but they didn't have citizenship for their interview country.

[OldUser 6,635]

4 hours ago, AndiB said:

Please dont quote 'you dont need police certs if you were under 16'. Ive seen numerous cases of people needing it despite leaving as a child but they didn't have citizenship for their interview country.

Where have you seen it?

[AndiB 677]

19 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Where have you seen it?

Both here and the fb group for UK.

 

After some digging it seems most likely they had nationality + passport to their home country as well as lacked a passport for the country the interviewed in.

 

Think one was Thailand but UK one I remember clearly it was a gal who hadn't lived in Spain since she was 11 so didn't think she needed a pcc but was told to and sent into AP until it was produced.

 

So as long as I don't have nationality/passport for birth country i should be fine.

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Merged related threads.  Please post your questions/updates related to this topic in this thread to keep the discussion in one place. ***

[AndiB 677]

Sorry my interview is coming up so I'm still fretting

 

The req for police certs have 'if you lived in country of nationality for 12months at any time'

 

I was born in S. Africa and so was a national and left when I was 10. I automatically lost citizenship at age 18 when I got my UK citizenship.

 

Does anyone know if that rule applies for ex nationalities or only current? If only current are they likely to request proof I no longer have citizenship?

 

My embassy is London and they don't respond to inquiries

A pcc from ZA would also set me back £300 so I've not gotten it as I do think I probably don't need it.

[IWander 589]

25 minutes ago, AndiB said:

Sorry my interview is coming up so I'm still fretting

 

The req for police certs have 'if you lived in country of nationality for 12months at any time'

 

I was born in S. Africa and so was a national and left when I was 10. I automatically lost citizenship at age 18 when I got my UK citizenship.

 

Does anyone know if that rule applies for ex nationalities or only current? If only current are they likely to request proof I no longer have citizenship?

 

My embassy is London and they don't respond to inquiries

A pcc from ZA would also set me back £300 so I've not gotten it as I do think I probably don't need it.

I believe it is at anytime after the age of 16.

[AndiB 677]

6 minutes ago, IWander said:

I believe it is at anytime after the age of 16.

No, there's a if you're 16yrs and older CURRENTLY but lived in your country of nationality BEFORE for 6months+ you need a pcc

 

I just don't know if it applies to ex-nationalities or if i need to prove i lost it