police check when do they expire

[thai/peg]

I know they are valid for 3 months, but is that when missisaga gets it or Singapore (where it will go after)?

[toby]

I believe Canada will consider the police report valid for 6 months from date of issue.

But since the process is almost always longer than 6 months, and therefore the applicant must get another police report, would it not make more sense for Canada to (1) wait until an advanced stage in the approval process before asking the applicant for the first police report, or (b) to consider the first police report to be good enough, and assume that an applicant's lifetime of good behaviour won't likely change in the (say) three months between expiry of the police report and issuance of visa?

Why the fuss?  Because for some, getting a police report is a big inconvenience.  In my wife's case, she must travel several days to her home town to get the report.

TOby

[rjessome]

They can't be older than 3 months when you submit them to Mississauga.

[thai/peg]

So after Mississauga their is no longer an issue of expiration? Singapore will not ask us to get a new one?

[mitamata]

Did you need a police certificate from Singapore? Singapore is a little different when it comes to police certificates.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/asia-pacific/singapore.asp
They will likely not issue it to you without a letter from the Canadian embassy requesting it. You'll likely have to send your application without it (with a note saying you can't get it) and then when it's transfered to Singapore, you will get a letter from them requesting it and based on that letter you'll be able to get it.


But yes, generally the police certificate should not be more than 3 months old by the time it reaches Mississauga. From that point on, they usually don't ask for a new one. They do a background check anyway, if you're hiding something, they will find it.

[toby]

Well, that's better! 

I thought I had read a few members saying that they had to get another police report because their first report had expired during the approval process. That is, the police report was valid when submitted to Mississauga, but the process took 8 months and the first police report expired during that period of time.

WHat you're saying makes more sense, Mitamata.

[thai/peg]

We have the certificate already and it says "for Canadian Embassy only".
It was done mid September and we are sending everything in mid Oct.

[ariell]

Well, that's better! 

I thought I had read a few members saying that they had to get another police report because their first report had expired during the approval process. That is, the police report was valid when submitted to Mississauga, but the process took 8 months and the first police report expired during that period of time.

WHat you're saying makes more sense, Mitamata.

My husband had to send a 2nd police report. The original report was 6 months old when they asked for it. The original also had a (corrected) typo on it. So not sure if it was the timeframe or the typo that was the issue. They never gave us an answer as to why they wanted a 2nd one.

[rjessome]

It depends on how long it takes for them to get working on your file about whether or not they want a new police clearance and what overseas mission is evaluating it.  For my husband, his police clearance was a year old by the time they got around to the interview.  There is no hard and fast rule for this so you basically do what you are told when you are told.  BIG SIGH!

[Karlshammar]

The rule is that the certificates cannot be older than 3 months when you submit them. If they need any new ones further on in the process they will let you know.

[nknvtr]

In my wife's case, the PCC was issued on March 18, 2009 but the immigration application was received on June 23, 2009.
They did not request for another PCC and my wife got the visa two weeks ago. So it really difficult to tell the procedure..

[Karlshammar]

The date when it is received is not important. Again, it is on the date when you submit it that it has to be less than 3 months old.