police clearance(s)

[Lady_Ashka]

Here's a question:

I will be applying for PR (sponsored by my Canadian BF) soon, and am compiling all the documents. I am a Polish citizen, I live in Canada (foreign worker), I did not live anywhere else apart from Poland and Canada, and we will be applying outland.

Now, as far as police clearances go, I need to submit only a police clearance from Poland, right? I would like to confirm that there is no need to provide a Canadian clearance (seen as how CIC will check that themselves?). Also, as far as the Polish clearance goes, in Poland you just go to a courthouse, put in an application, and it's there in 10 minutes. Can I follow this procedure, or is there some kind of different (longer?) way I have to obtain that document? I would like to submit it upfront, if possible (?).

 

[CDNPR2014]

Here's a question:

I will be applying for PR (sponsored by my Canadian BF) soon, and am compiling all the documents. I am a Polish citizen, I live in Canada (foreign worker), I did not live anywhere else apart from Poland and Canada, and we will be applying outland.

Now, as far as police clearances go, I need to submit only a police clearance from Poland, right? I would like to confirm that there is no need to provide a Canadian clearance (seen as how CIC will check that themselves?). Also, as far as the Polish clearance goes, in Poland you just go to a courthouse, put in an application, and it's there in 10 minutes. Can I follow this procedure, or is there some kind of different (longer?) way I have to obtain that document? I would like to submit it upfront, if possible (?).

1. yes correct. no record from canada is necessary, only the polish one.
2. sorry don't know the process in poland.

 

[MilesAway]

Seems fairly straightforward for Poland: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/europe/poland.asp

As for Canada: How to get a police certificate - Canada
Do I need to provide a Police Certificate with my Application for Permanent Residence? No

 

[Lady_Ashka]

great, thank you both!!

 

[Buletruck]

1. yes correct. no record from Canada is necessary, only the polish one.

Just sponsored my wife for her PR. She had been to Canada several times and was visiting during her outland application processing. Because the cumulative time she had been in Canada was more than 6 months, she needed to supply a police certificate from the RCMP. Don't be surprised if they ask for one if you have been in Canada more than 6 months!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Just sponsored my wife for her PR. She had been to Canada several times and was visiting during her outland application processing. Because the cumulative time she had been in Canada was more than 6 months, she needed to supply a police certificate from the RCMP. Don't be surprised if they ask for one if you have been in Canada more than 6 months!

It was likely not because of the cumulative time in Canada but because of a similar hit when CIC ran their own checks, neaning someone else with personal info close enough to hers has a record and they needed the fingerprints to be sure it wasn't her.

 

[Taxed]

If you lived in Canada 6 months and more, you will be required to submit a Canadian police certificate.
CIC does not check it automatically as you implied.

Fingerprints submited on paper takes up to 120 days process by RCMP.
Electronically submitted fingerprints takes 3 days ( if there is no match) and 120 days or more if there's a match.

 

[CDNPR2014]

If you lived in Canada 6 months and more, you will be required to submit a Canadian police certificate.
CIC does not check it automatically as you implied.

Fingerprints submited on paper takes up to 120 days process by RCMP.
Electronically submitted fingerprints takes 3 days ( if there is no match) and 120 days or more if there's a match.

this is not true. cic will REQUEST the report IF it is required. it is not necessarily required for everyone. a canada report is NOT required to submit with the applicaiton.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

Ok, so from what I'm gathering there is no upfront need to provide a Canadian police clearance (though I can submit my polish clearing upfront, right?).

And it seems like during the application process they *might* ask me to provide a Canadian clearance, but it does not happen to everyone?

it seems to be implied for inland applications that there is no need, and for outland applications it says "you may be requested to submit a Canadian police certificate for your time in Canada" - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=037&top=4 . So I guess it is not required upfront? Again, this is what I found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/canada.asp

Also, if they do ask me as they will be processing my application, if they require my fingerprints for anything, from what I see at the CIC webpage electronic fingerprints are required, but they say there is no way of doing that outside of Canada - I am assuming this means geographical location, not application type? In other words, applying outland but remaining in Canada, if I am asked to submit a police clearance from Canada - I've lived here for almost 2 years now - I will be able to do it all electronically?

 

[Taxed]

this is not true. cic will REQUEST the report IF it is required. it is not necessarily required for everyone. a canada report is NOT required to submit with the applicaiton.

I did not submit my Canadian police certificate upfront but i was asked to do so when i got medical request.
What i'm saying is that they will ask for it thats all.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

"The Canadian visa office will tell you if you need a Canadian criminal record check while your application is being processed", so indeed, it seems they might ask for it (but I did gather from the rest of the forum, and a few friends who went through the same kind of application as me, that not everyone is required to do so - none of them was). So I guess I'll have to hope for the best. Also, if indeed the processing of electronic fingerprints is around 3 days it doesn't seem like a big deal. May I ask, Taxed, where is your wife from? (if she's European, she should have her fingerprints in her passport, right?)

 

[Taxed]

Ok, so from what I'm gathering there is no upfront need to provide a Canadian police clearance (though I can submit my polish clearing upfront, right?).

And it seems like during the application process they *might* ask me to provide a Canadian clearance, but it does not happen to everyone?

it seems to be implied for inland applications that there is no need, and for outland applications it says "you may be requested to submit a Canadian police certificate for your time in Canada" - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=037&top=4 . So I guess it is not required upfront? Again, this is what I found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/canada.asp

Also, if they do ask me as they will be processing my application, if they require my fingerprints for anything, from what I see at the CIC webpage electronic fingerprints are required, but they say there is no way of doing that outside of Canada - I am assuming this means geographical location, not application type? In other words, applying outland but remaining in Canada, if I am asked to submit a police clearance from Canada - I've lived here for almost 2 years now - I will be able to do it all electronically?

You cannot submit your fingerprints online, you can go to the local police station to let them take your fingerprints or you can do it throught an accredited agency from the rcmp.
http://www.rcmp.gc.ca/en/criminal-record-and-vulnerable-sector-checks
Check the accredited agencies in the list. But you can always go to the local police station and let them take your fingerprints electronically and this way you can receive your certificate in 3 days.

I did it from outland with lx id solution and it was done pretty fast, but i had to send my fingerprints on paper from an accredited fingerprint person and XL id solution converted it electronically and they submitted it.

Im not married and my passport is not biometric.

All im saying, always be prepared of what they might ask and have all the answeres ready and the information of how to do things so you dont lose time because sometimes they ask you to submit things in 30 days and people start panicking.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

Sure, thanks a lot! It's good to know i am in Canada so the question is not about doing it outland but whether the info on their webpage saying it cannot be done outside of Canada means you have to be in Canada (or do what you did), or does it refer to outland applications, but now I'm guessing the former is the case.