Police clearance - now or later?

[aanbaan]

Hi,

I'm planning to send my application this week under FSW-Cat 1.

As per the guidelines, the Police clearace should not be older than 3 months fromt he date of application. So, if I get a police clearance now and I am asked for the documents after 2 months and I send the same after 2 months, will my police clearance become invalid?

it's unclear because date of application will be this week, but police clearance will be submitted after 4 months, which will be 1 month after the 3 months expiration date on the PCC.

gurus, pls reply...

Regards,
aanbaan

[Leon]

Maybe you should wait to get it until they ask for it.

[wpc71]

I am not 100% sure but from what I have read on the CIC website, it seems that the lock-in date is the date your application is received by the Sydney CIU.

[jtob]

i believe the 3 month period is counted from the time you send your documents to the visa office.

[wpc71]

I do not think so.

[Leon]

Their wording is confusing (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/EG7.pdf) They say that you submit your application to Sydney but your full application later to the visa office.  They say: The certificate must have been issued no more than three months before the submission of your application.   They do not say whether they mean the initial application to Sydney or the full application later.  Based on the context, that is you are sending this police certificate along with the full application and other documents, I would say they mean that application, that is not your original application to Sydney.  In that case, it's better to wait to get the police certificates until you are asked for the full application and documents.  If will not hurt you if the police certificates are too new, only if they are too old. 

[wpc71]

Leon, than what is this lock-in date? What about your age for example? How can they determine if you are for example 40 or 41 years old at the time of application and then award you points accordingly? You need to have a lock-in date to calculate ALL validities and/or ages. I mean it cannot be a different date for each factor. The instructions clearly define the lock-in date for FSW1 as the date the application is received by the Sydney office.
 

[Leon]

Your age and work experience are calculated as from your date of application to Sydney but for documents, they need to be as new as possible.  Back when FSW was taking years from some countries, I am sure they would not accept a police record that is 5 years old because you got it within 3 months of your original application.  If you want to get a police record as soon as you send your file to Sydney and risk it will be too old by the time they ask you to send it, go right ahead.  Personally, I would wait until they ask for it to make sure that it's not too old.

[canadp]

Correct me if I am wrong.

police clearance needs to be submitted when you apply for full application.

and my thought is it should not be older then 3 months prior to when you send your full application. your application date will be considered when you send your full application because they create a new file number for that.

While in Sydney it is an initial process of an application. when your initial application is approved you have given 120 days to apply for full application. At this point every applicant has a different time limit to send their application...some sends in 30 days and some take 90 days to submit full application.  So your application date is to be considered as full application submission date and not initial application submission date.

Thank you,

canadp

[Maaties]

I agree with Leon. Age, etc goes with Sydney application date and PCC goes with the visa office application date.
It is confusing the way they had written it. At least with what Leon suggested, you can't go wrong.