Questions about police checks needed

[Alexlindsay]

I'm preparing an outland application with my wife in the United States. She has spent time in a bunch of other countries but never as a resident. She spent a total of over six months in several countries but not in a continuous span and always on in a tourist visa. Is she required to get police checks from those countries because she was never technically a resident?

This forum has been great.

 

[Bcboundboy]

Yes.

The wording on police checks in years past was about countries where people had lived over six months since turning 18. It now states where people have spent more than 6 months since turning 18.

 

[Gary_87]

I'm preparing an outland application with my wife in the United States. She has spent time in a bunch of other countries but never as a resident. She spent a total of over six months in several countries but not in a continuous span and always on in a tourist visa. Is she required to get police checks from those countries because she was never technically a resident?

This forum has been great.

a total of over six months in several countries or over six months in one country?

A PCC is only needed for a country where the applicant spent over 6 months. If she was travelling and went to 5 countries in 6 months, she wont need a PCC check from any of them, but will need to describe the travelling in her travel history section.

 

[canadianwoman]

Yes. CIC does not care what kind of visa the person had while in another country, nor do they care what status they had. For example, if someone was traveling on a tourist visa in country A for 7 months, a police certificate would be needed. As well, if the person spends 2 months in country A, then leaves, then spends 4 months in country A a few years later, CIC counts that as 6 months, and so a police certificate is needed.