Sealed Police Certificate from Japan?

[diogosouza]

Hi Everyone,

Recently we got an email/request from CIC for the Schedule A form and Police Certificate.

When my common-law partner (in Japan) went to the police office to get her police certificate for her PR application, she was told that we are to leave the envelope sealed as is (without opening).
I would prefer to open and scan these documents for upload.

I've sent an email to CIC through their webform asking for guidance, but am not expecting any quick replies - or any at all.

My gut tells me that we can open the police certificate envelope and scan it for upload

I did some searching around and I found the following links suggesting that people have opened the envelopes?

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/silly-mistake-in-police-certificate-t395106.0.html

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/japan-police-certificate-translated-t463874.0.html

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/asking-for-police-certificate-twice-t463864.0.html

Not entirely sure what to do. I prefer scanning the documents and uploading since it's a more secure method than mail.
Then again, perhaps it's not a good idea to open the envelope without CIC's consent?

Does anyone have any experience with the Japanese Police Certificate that could chime in on whether I should or should not open the envelope?


Thanks!

I just got my police certificate here in Japan and I was thinking about asking CIC... Did you get an answer from them already ??

 

[huongsask]

Hi eveyone,
Now I have a concern regarding to Japanese PCC and happy to get any inputs from you guys.

i am waiting for request letter for Japanese PCC from my local office visa.

Can I ask you:

1. The request letter from CIC shows the name and details of the person needs PCC. In my case, it's my spouse ( I am the main applicants) who needs PCC.
2. Is there anyway to get Japanese PCC without request letter?
3. Normally how long does CIC allows to upload additional PCC?

Thanks very much.

 

[huongsask]

H

We asked the Japanese Consulate General in Toronto what to do, and an agent saidit is ok to open the folder and scan for the CIC. There is no mention of any valid / invalid condition of the letter once it is opened. There is a fairly official looking seal on the certificate, and it is stamped on the edge with what I believe would be a duplicate copy held by the Japanese National Police.

What we ended up doing was scanning/uploading online and getting a certified copy made of the PCC and sending that copy into IRCC by mail. That way we still have the original incase something happens. Having a lawyer certify the copy and the courier fees ended costing another $50. But well worth it for piece of mind.

how long does it take to get PCC from Japan? Can we ask them to send us the document by courier? Thanks

 

[diogosouza]

If you are in Japan you just have to go to the Police and show "why you need a pcc" (and some other easy documents). My pcc was ready in less than 1 week and I had to return there to receive it.

 

[Ski_is_fun]

Hi eveyone,

2. Is there anyway to get Japanese PCC without request letter?

Thanks very much.

You can always go and try to convince them. We went to Montreal consulate and got it without the letter even if it is not an official policy.

We also decided to open and scan. Will report back.

 

[Bspar]

They don't take much convincing. I went there today with my wife and she told them what she wanted and literally showed them an email on her iphone that was from IRCC and had her name in the email and that was it. The actual email had nothing at all to do with requesting a police check.

 

[diogosouza]

They don't take much convincing. I went there today with my wife and she told them what she wanted and literally showed them an email on her iphone that was from IRCC and had her name in the email and that was it. The actual email had nothing at all to do with requesting a police check.

I printed the "required documents list" page, and also this one:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/pdf/PC_LetterA_e.pdf

 

[huongsask]

I printed the "required documents list" page, and also this one:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/pdf/PC_LetterA_e.pdf

Thanks for your advices. It's really helpful.

@diogosouza : did you fill anything in the form or just print that form and show them?

Thank you.

 

[Jiro]

H

how long does it take to get PCC from Japan? Can we ask them to send us the document by courier? Thanks

We went to the Japanese consulate in Toronto, applied and paid our fee in person. It took two months to get it processed. As we live in the same city as the consulate, we just went back to the consulate and picked it up. You could probably phone them and ask if you can submit all the paperwork remotely and ask if they will send you the results by courier. I do not know. But knowing Japanese processes, you probably need to do all the paperwork in person.

 

[huongsask]

We went to the Japanese consulate in Toronto, applied and paid our fee in person. It took two months to get it processed. As we live in the same city as the consulate, we just went back to the consulate and picked it up. You could probably phone them and ask if you can submit all the paperwork remotely and ask if they will send you the results by courier. I do not know. But knowing Japanese processes, you probably need to do all the paperwork in person.

Thank you Kirk.

I am in the city with the Japanese embassy but I thought Japanese police department (of the office process the PCC) will send us directly then I concern about courier. If they send back to the embassy/consulate, it's fine for me to go there to pick it.

 

[huongsask]

We went to the Japanese consulate in Toronto, applied and paid our fee in person. It took two months to get it processed. As we live in the same city as the consulate, we just went back to the consulate and picked it up. You could probably phone them and ask if you can submit all the paperwork remotely and ask if they will send you the results by courier. I do not know. But knowing Japanese processes, you probably need to do all the paperwork in person.

Thank you Jiro.

I am in the same city with the Japanese embassy but I thought Japanese police department (of the office process the PCC) will send us directly then I concern about courier. If they send back to the embassy/consulate, it's fine for me to go there to pick it.

Can I ask how much is the fee there?

 

[diogosouza]

Thanks for your advices. It's really helpful.

@diogosouza : did you fill anything in the form or just print that form and show them?

Thank you.

Yes, I filled that form and gave it to them together with the print of the document upload page.

 

[Jiro]

Thank you Jiro.

I am in the same city with the Japanese embassy but I thought Japanese police department (of the office process the PCC) will send us directly then I concern about courier. If they send back to the embassy/consulate, it's fine for me to go there to pick it.

Can I ask how much is the fee there?

It was 25 or 30 Canadian dollars. But they require fingerprints to which we needed to go to a recommended fingerprint agency which cost 120 Canadian dollars!

 

[detam.10]

I just got my police certificate here in Japan and I was thinking about asking CIC... Did you get an answer from them already ??

Hi, sorry for the late reply

This is the response I got from them:

Thank you for contacting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

To find the contact information for the Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Mississauga, Ontario, in order to provide documents by mail, we invite you to visit our website.

In certain situations, you have the option to contact the CPC via the IRCC Web form.

I suspect they didn't really think carefully about my question and provided a canned response

Eventually, I just decided to mail it to them to be safe (and keep records of the package just in case)

Edit: Looking at others recent posts, it seems like people are scanning and sending them as well

 

[diogosouza]

Hi, sorry for the late reply

This is the response I got from them:



I suspect they didn't really think carefully about my question and provided a canned response

Eventually, I just decided to mail it to them to be safe (and keep records of the package just in case)

Edit: Looking at others recent posts, it seems like people are scanning and sending them as well

Thanks!
I also tried asking them, but I got a similar (useless) answer...

To what address did you send the Japan police certificate? What happened after that? What did you upload in the police certificate section?