Police Check

[OntarioBound]

I don't know how much more clear Tink23 and Canuck_in_UK can be about this. What they said is correct. But let me see if I can break it down for you with an example:

-I did my PCC (Police Clearance Check) on September 15, 2014. (This would make it invalid/expired on December 16, 2014)
-I submitted my application along with my PCC to CIC-Mississauga on October 10, 2014
-CIC-Mississauga received my application with my PCC on October 15, 2014 (exactly one month after I did my PCC)
-The day CIC-Mississauga received my application (along with my PCC) a stamp with the date they received my application (October 15, 2014) is put on my application (This makes my PCC still valid because CIC received it before it expired)
-It is now March and my application is in process (almost 6 months after I did my PCC)
-In theory my PCC is expired since it had been over 3 months since I did it, but because CIC received it before the 3 month expiry limit (before December 16, 2014) my PCC is considered VALID (because they received on October 15, 2014).


Now my friend

-She did her PCC (Police Clearance Check) on June 1, 2014. (This would make it invalid/expired on September 2, 2014)
-She submitted her application along with her PCC to CIC-Mississauga on October 25, 2014
-CIC-Mississauga received her application with her PCC on October 27, 2014 (almost 5 months after she did her PCC)
-The day CIC-Mississauga received her application (along with hery PCC) a stamp with the date they received her application (October 27, 2014) was put on her application (This made her PCC INVALID because CIC received it AFTER it expired)
-It is now March and her application is in process (almost 9 months after she did her PCC)
-She was asked by CIC to resubmit a new PCC on Dec. 18 within 60 days, because the one she sent was expired when they received it.
-She did another one on Dec. 19, 2014 and CIC received it on Jan. 13, 2015.
-The stamped it on Jan. 13 as received and valid. Her application is still in process, but if they don't look at her application for another 3 months her PCC will now be considered valid because they received it before the 3 month expiry.


So it doesn't matter how long CIC takes to look at your PCC (it could be 6 months from now). As long as CIC receives it before the expiry date it's all good.

Also you can submit your application before you submit your PCC. CIC will not add that time to the time you actually submit your PCC. They will continue to process your application and then ask you to submit PCC when they come to that stage.

I hope this clears up your confusion.

Thank you Lala. I believe I did get what they were trying to say when tink said "Whether you sent the rest of the application with or without the application doesn't matter. What matters is how old the police check is when it comes into CIC's possession." In your case and in your friend's case, the police check was submitted at the same time the application was submitted but for many of us, the police check was not submitted when the application was submitted, like in the case with clwillia. In my case also. In my case, the FBI check is OK, but I had to get a police check for Japan since I lived there up until I was in my early twenties. I got the police check from them also, but it takes 2 months to process the request when we request it from US. The Japanese consulate didn't give me the report until the beginning of February although my request was made on November 25th. Despite that, the issue date shows December 19th. My application without the police check was submitted on December 30th, but just like clwillia, I cannot send the currently valid report to CIC until I get my AOR.... So if I get my AOR before March 19th, I will send this overnight to them. Otherwise, I may have to tavel to Japan to get it (which the Japanese Consulate said will only take 2 weeks vs. 2 months from the US.)

Last time I was in Japan for more than 6 months was when I was 22 (which is more than 30 years ago). I am getting the Japan police check because of that (since I was older than 18 when I was there.). Since I haven't been back there for more than 20 days per year since then, why should it matter if the police check is more than 3 months old? Technically it doesn't but I don't want to take any chances if what tik and Canuk are saying is correct, I have only two choices 1) Go to the Japanese consulate again and submit the request and wait for 2+ months hoping hoping I can send the report off to CIC before 3 months is up 2) Travel to Japan ($1000+ trip!) and get the certificate in person in about 2 weeks.

I still have 2.5 weeks before the police check from Japan hits the 3 month mark, but my application was received by CIC on December 30th and people who are getting the AOR now are people whose apps got received at the beginning of December, so I am not sure when mine will be processed.

 

[clwillia]

Thank you Lala. I believe I did get what they were trying to say when tink said "Whether you sent the rest of the application with or without the application doesn't matter. What matters is how old the police check is when it comes into CIC's possession." In your case and in your friend's case, the police check was submitted at the same time the application was submitted but for many of us, the police check was not submitted when the application was submitted, like in the case with clwillia. In my case also. In my case, the FBI check is OK, but I had to get a police check for Japan since I lived there up until I was in my early twenties. I got the police check from them also, but it takes 2 months to process the request when we request it from US. The Japanese consulate didn't give me the report until the beginning of February although my request was made on November 25th. Despite that, the issue date shows December 19th. My application without the police check was submitted on December 30th, but just like clwillia, I cannot send the currently valid report to CIC until I get my AOR.... So if I get my AOR before March 19th, I will send this overnight to them. Otherwise, I may have to tavel to Japan to get it (which the Japanese Consulate said will only take 2 weeks vs. 2 months from the US.)

Last time I was in Japan for more than 6 months was when I was 22 (which is more than 30 years ago). I am getting the Japan police check because of that (since I was older than 18 when I was there.). Since I haven't been back there for more than 20 days per year since then, why should it matter if the police check is more than 3 months old? Technically it doesn't but I don't want to take any chances if what tik and Canuk are saying is correct, I have only two choices 1) Go to the Japanese consulate again and submit the request and wait for 2+ months hoping hoping I can send the report off to CIC before 3 months is up 2) Travel to Japan ($1000+ trip!) and get the certificate in person in about 2 weeks.

I still have 2.5 weeks before the police check from Japan hits the 3 month mark, but my application was received by CIC on December 30th and people who are getting the AOR now are people whose apps got received at the beginning of December, so I am not sure when mine will be processed.

Yikes, OntarioBound, I'm sorry you have such an unfortunate scenario! I hope that it is as we hope and we can send the one that is valid from our application submission date, but it does not seem promising. The CIC person at the call centre certainly was unsympathetic to my situation and told me we'd have to do another, but, like I said earlier, she didn't really listen to my question. so. Ugh.

 

[esma]

Hi guys I'm sort of stuck in a similar situation as all of you
I submitted my application on Dec 4 2014 without the police certificate and now that I have AOR and police certificate I was thinking to just mail this to the immigration office with the same address I mailed my original application

Is this what all of you did ?? Any suggestions about what I should do now ??

 

[LaLa320]

Hi guys I'm sort of stuck in a similar situation as all of you
I submitted my application on Dec 4 2014 without the police certificate and now that I have AOR and police certificate I was thinking to just mail this to the immigration office with the same address I mailed my original application

Is this what all of you did ?? Any suggestions about what I should do now ??

Do you have your UCI #? You will need it to send them any type of document regarding your application. Otherwise you risk getting it lost and having it slip through the many cracks at CIC. You can always email them (Case Specific Inquiry) and ask them what you should do! They usually respond within 24 hours.

 

[esma]

Ok so do you suggest I just mail it to them using my UCI and applicant # ?

Also what email would I sent this to?
What is this specific inquiry email you are suggesting

 

[rhcohen2014]

Ok so do you suggest I just mail it to them using my UCI and applicant # ?

no, you do not want to mail your police record to mississauga. wait until you get the sponsor eligibility letter. in that letter, there will be instructions about how to send your PCC to the appropriate visa office. sending it now to mississauga is almost certainly going to get it lost. there is no point in sending it there. it needs to go to the visa office, so just wait until you receive the instructions for doing so.

 

[esma]

Ok thanks and I did send a case specifc inquiry

 

[OntarioBound]

no, you do not want to mail your police record to mississauga. wait until you get the sponsor eligibility letter. in that letter, there will be instructions about how to send your PCC to the appropriate visa office. sending it now to mississauga is almost certainly going to get it lost. there is no point in sending it there. it needs to go to the visa office, so just wait until you receive the instructions for doing so.

To the question "Ok so do you suggest I just mail it to them using my UCI and applicant #?" You mentioned to wait until you get the sponsor eligibility letter. What is a sponsor eligibility letter? Are you talking about SA or something else? Someone told me that I need to wait until I get the AOR and send the FBI check with the UCI#... Is that not correct?

 

[LaLa320]

To the question "Ok so do you suggest I just mail it to them using my UCI and applicant #?" You mentioned to wait until you get the sponsor eligibility letter. What is a sponsor eligibility letter? Are you talking about SA or something else? Someone told me that I need to wait until I get the AOR and send the FBI check with the UCI#... Is that not correct?

Yes sponsor eligibility letter is the same as SA (sponsor approval) letter! I'm not sure about sending FBI check after you get AOR! I received my SA first with my UCI #, then I received AOR with my husbands UCI#. I'm not sure if one matters over the other. My SA didn't have nay instructions on sending PCC, maybe because I submitted it with my application. i hope I didn't just confuse things more, but it's good to get every scenario, as every case is diffrent

 

[OntarioBound]

Yes sponsor eligibility letter is the same as SA (sponsor approval) letter! I'm not sure about sending FBI check after you get AOR! I received my SA first with my UCI #, then I received AOR with my husbands UCI#. I'm not sure if one matters over the other. My SA didn't have nay instructions on sending PCC, maybe because I submitted it with my application. i hope I didn't just confuse things more, but it's good to get every scenario, as every case is diffrent

If I have to wait for the SA letter, I will definitely miss the 3 month mark since everyone seems to be getting (as for the December applicant) the AOR email first... :-( Oh well.

 

[clwillia]

Hi Everyone,
So I spoke to a CIC this morning about the police check that is within three months of our application date, but older than that at this point because we haven't got an SA letter or UCI#.

The Agent told me it is up to the discretion of the Visa office and officer to decide whether they will accept the PCC that is older than three months, but technically within three months of the application date. He told us that when the PCC is requested, to send in the old one right away with a letter explaining the situation and then begin to apply for a second one and they MAY accept the old one.

In our application, we included a letter explaining why our PCC wasn't in the application and included the receipt and evidence that we were in process of getting it, so we MAY be lucky and not have to do a second one.

yay!

 

[BChome]

Hi Everyone,
So I spoke to a CIC this morning about the police check that is within three months of our application date, but older than that at this point because we haven't got an SA letter or UCI#.

The Agent told me it is up to the discretion of the Visa office and officer to decide whether they will accept the PCC that is older than three months, but technically within three months of the application date. He told us that when the PCC is requested, to send in the old one right away with a letter explaining the situation and then begin to apply for a second one and they MAY accept the old one.

In our application, we included a letter explaining why our PCC wasn't in the application and included the receipt and evidence that we were in process of getting it, so we MAY be lucky and not have to do a second one.

yay!

Yep, its totally up to the discretion of the visa office.
I sent my UK PCC with my application in 2013 (PCC dated 2012 so beyond 3 month limit) which was accepted because I hadn't been back to the UK since the PCC was issued. However, I returned to the UK in May 2014 and was requested to send an updated PCC in October 2014 because the previous one had expired (even though it had previously been approved).
I also was asked to provide a Canadian PCC (asked to be sent within 60 days) in Oct 2014, this was due to take at least 4 months to process by the RCMP, but the visa office accepted evidence that I'd applied for it and a letter explaining this; this was confirmed when I ordered my notes in Dec.
RE sending a PCC before its requested, if you know where your application is due to be processed and have a UCI then personally I'd send it before its due to expire, even if they haven't requested it by that point. Just make sure its sent by recorded delivery, and I always send them a scanned electronic copy of everything I send by mail. I think this is really important as things frequently 'go missing' when they are posted and if you have evidence to prove your postage and their receipt of the items then the onus is put on them to rectify the situation. The London visa office 'mislaid' (lost!) my British passport for 5 months, but they dug it out in the end when confronted with evidence that it had physically been at their office.

 

[lovemycanadian]

One thing I regret is not starting the application before receiving my police certificate in the mail. Like I said, we waited 5 months and wasted 90% of my visitor stay in Canada waiting for it. If I had known that you could start it with the certificate, we would have done submitted our papers in September.

 

[OntarioBound]

Just an update

I got the SA just in time to send off the police check that was *almost* 3 months old! The police check was marked 19th of December and it was delivered to the VO this morning - 17th of March! We sent it overnight via UPS to make sure it gets there in time with tracking. We had one day buffer but that was it! I imagine my police check is good, right?

I have already submitted a new request at the Japanese Consulate (which I will get in May), but I hope I won't be needing that.

 

[clwillia]

That seems good ot me (who knows about them) but that is FANTASTIC news! Bravo! Ontariobound!!