Police certificate

[Beehivefive]

Boy, the more I look in to sponsoring my wife for her Canadian PR, the more I am amazed that anyone ever gets through the process.

I just discovered that she has to get a Police Certificate. From what I can tell, the U.S. FBI takes 14-16 weeks to process this. Does that mean we have to wait 16 weeks before even sending in my wife's PR app?

And as a U.S. citizen, will she need just the one from the FBI, or is something from the state we live in necessary too?

It seems like it takes years just to get the ball rolling on these things? Advice?

 

[QuebecOkie]

You just need the FBI certificate. From my own experience and what I've read here on the forum, the wait time is more like two months on average. Mine took around six or seven weeks from sending the request to receiving the certificate.

You do not *have* to wait to send the PR application until you get the FBI certificate, however, from what I've read here, it is highly recommended. In theory, CIC can return the PR application as "incomplete" if you leave out any of the required documentation. In practice, well, if you read much around here, you'll learn that the only consistent thing about CIC is that they're inconsistent. ;D (Laugh, or go mad!) I sent my app in without the police certificate or the medical exam (not as a choice, just because I was dumb about it; my IQ drops about 40 points as soon as I start looking through immigration documentation). My application was not returned as incomplete. I have since submitted those missing documents, after I had a UCI (unique client identification) number to use to try to ensure they were properly matched up with my file.

 

[Beehivefive]

I see what you're saying. I feel the same about my IQ when I look at immigration documents. I guess the frustrating part is that it takes so incredibly long to get a pretty straight-forward PR application (I'm Canadian and my wife is American, and we just want to move to Canada) that to find out we have to wait a few months just to get the ball rolling is very disheartening. You wouldn't happen to know any other supporting docs that take a while to attain, do you? I feel as though it will be years before we can actually move. As a Canadian citizen, it makes you feel sad not to be able to go home with your family.

 

[keesio]

I just discovered that she has to get a Police Certificate. From what I can tell, the U.S. FBI takes 14-16 weeks to process this. Does that mean we have to wait 16 weeks before even sending in my wife's PR app?

My wife got hers much faster than what was listed on the site (which had the same timeframe at the time). Took about 4 weeks door-to-door.

 

[QuebecOkie]

Also, forgot to mention that the police certificate MUST reach CIC within three months of it being issued.

The other one that can easily affect timeline is the medical exam. You want to do it as last-minute as possible before sending in your PR app, because it is only valid for 12 months (CIC may or *may not* - remember consistently inconsistent) opt to extend the medical results past 12 months. But it can take a while to get in to see a doc, as you must use one of the panel physicians approved by CIC.

Again, I sent my app without both of those documents, and so far, so good. BUT, it's not recommended, and just because my application wasn't returned as incomplete doesn't mean that no one else's is. Also, missing documentation may not be matched up correctly with your file, and/or may slow down processing of your app. If they set your file aside after requesting you send missing documents, there's no telling how long after they receive those documents they will resume processing your file.

NOT trying to make the already complicated process seem even worse. Just trying to give you the pros/cons/risks as I understand them. If I'd known then what I know now, I would have done several things very differently. (Applied outland, completed medical and police certificate before sending app - those are the big ones.)

I know what you mean about just wanting to move to your country with your wife, who's from a neighboring friendly country. I only met my husband because the Canadian government moved him to Oklahoma (he doesn't get much, if any, say-so in the matter), kept him there for four years (during which he understandably started dating and fell in love with an American), and then demanded he move to Québec. Hey, I know we all make our choices, but we really wish there was even ONE freaking military staffer who was tasked with helping some with foreign national spouses. If you station your people out-Can for years at a stretch, many will come back dragging foreign national spouses. A little support would be lovely. But nope. Oh well...it's a great test to make sure I really love the guy, and I'm not just with him for the steady government paycheck, haha!

Best wishes, and you're already a step ahead of me and the hubby, since you found and consulted this forum before submitting your app.

 

[Beehivefive]

You are totally right about the need for support. It would be nice. Thankfully, I'm finding support from folks like you!

As a born and bred Quebecer, I have to say that the province is lucky to have immigrants like you!

 

[QuebecOkie]

Aww, thanks! Despite being in the North, in what the husband once called "the heart of separatist Québec," I find the people here to be friendly. My french is TERRIBLE (<-- I just typed that in french, haha!), but I'm eager to learn. The military does at least offer some very limited french courses for spouses, so I've taken advantage of those. Ready to get AIP and take the intensive french classes Québec offers, though!

I'm QUITE thankful for this forum. The husband doesn't even fully understand my stress and depression over the process, so just finding understanding has been invaluable. Good luck!

 

[Korea2Canada]

There is enough info. here and in the guides to put your PR together. Send a complete appl. package. Better to wait for docs. than send incomplete package or could be delays and more waiting. The option C doc could take a few weeks to get. Dont forget the CBC is time sensitive, not older than 3 months.