Current RCMP certificate processing times.

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Middle - 29 Jul 2008 21:12 GMT

Hello everyone.

First of all, has anyone received a police certificate from the RCMP
lately (the regular paper-based one)? How long did it take and were
you inside or outside Canada? And is there anyway this process can be
expedited from outside Canada (electronic fingerprints are not
available outside Canada).

Secondly, isn't it quite odd for the officer to ask for a police
certificate from the RCMP for a student visa? I was in Canada before,
but can't the embassy do it itself much faster if they have my full
original fingerprints on a foreign police certificate already?

Many thanks.

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Jim Humphries - 29 Jul 2008 21:53 GMT

Well, do you want embassies muddling in your personal file , and why would
they want the extra task that you can do for yourself??

Signature

Jim Humphries,
Former Visa Officer

> Hello everyone.
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Many thanks.

Reply to this Message

Middle - 30 Jul 2008 03:38 GMT

Hello Jim, Many thanks for your help. What personal file you are
talking about? I frankly don't mind them doing anything with any files
of my own. They have almost every single paper about me already. It is
just that doing it myself will take that 120 days and that will mean
my losing, at least, the first term of study.

So, please let me know if there is anyway this RCMP police certificate
can be expedited from outside Canada, and whether the embassy can do
it itself (I am quite sure they can do it in a matter of days. They
told me once that they need my foreign criminal record with my
fingerprints to use it to do a background check on me in Canada. If it
wasn't for this, why else would they need my fingerprints?)

Thanks for your help.

> Well, do you want embassies muddling in your personal file , and why would
> they want the extra task that you can do for yourself??
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> > Many thanks.

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Middle - 30 Jul 2008 04:49 GMT

Thank you guys for your help. My question this time is regarding the
forms and translations. The RCMP website (http://www.rcmp.ca/crimrec/
finger2_e.htm) requires some specific information on the foreign
police certificate form that is mailed to them. Unfortunately, some of
this info is not on the standard forms in my country. (I am only
missing Sex of Applicant, Phone Number, Full Address of Police Agency
doing the fingerprinting, and, of course, the name and address of the
Canadian Immigration Center, Embassy, Consulate or High Commission
handling the case, in addition to my file number there).

I have three quick questions:
1. Should I just enter this information in a separate page and attach
it to the foreign form?
2. The foreign form is not in English or French. Should I also attach
a certified translation as well?
3. Fees: My application is a student visa. The web page linked above
says that fees are not required for "Applications for Immigration to
Canada." But says that it is required for "Foreign travel, Visas, U.S.
Waiver, Border Crossing." Should my student visa be a part of
"Applications for Immigration" or "Visas"? I already lost so much time
and trying to avoid any further delay.

Thanks.

> Well, do you want embassies muddling in your personal file , and why would
> they want the extra task that you can do for yourself??
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> > Many thanks.

Reply to this Message

Middle - 30 Jul 2008 04:51 GMT

A quick fix: the address of the RCMP instructions was trimmed. It's
http://www.rcmp.ca/crimrec/finger2_e.htm

> Thank you guys for your help. My question this time is regarding the
> forms and translations. The RCMP website (http://www.rcmp.ca/crimrec/
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
>
> > > Many thanks.

Reply to this Message

S P Arif Sahari Wibowo - 30 Jul 2008 14:40 GMT

> 1. Should I just enter this information in a separate page and
> attach it to the foreign form?

I think you mixed up 2 separate requirement: (a) requirement for
personal information and reason for request, which can be safely
put in separate sheets, and (b) requirement for what in the
fingerprinting form itself, which obviously need to be part of
that form.

As I quote from http://www.rcmp.ca/crimrec/finger2_e.htm :

>> The RCMP will accept fingerprint forms from foreign countries
>> that contain the following:
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>> * the name and address of the police agency
>> * the signature of the official taking the fingerprints

While I am not sure how RCMP actually did in practice, the
requirement above do carry the meaning that if the
fingerprinting form does not have all those information, than it
may not be accepted by RCMP, regardless whether you add those
form manually or separately.

If your local police' fingerprinting form does not have all the
information, IMHO it is recommended that you do not risk it with
inadequate form.

I suggest you try to find a commercial fingerprinting service,
they may actually have RCMP form, or at least FBI form. Who
knows maybe there is commercial fingerprinting service who in
cooperation with associate service in Canada manage to do
electronic fingerprinting?

Next, you may want to try to request it from RCMP:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/crimrec/finger_faq_e.htm#9

For the last resort, you may want to try to download the FBI
form: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm

Also read this document about getting RCMP fingerprinting form
in PDF:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/rtid/rtid_report7_may_2007_e.pdf

> Should my student visa be a part of "Applications for
> Immigration" or "Visas"?

"Applications for Immigration" means application for Permanent
Residency. Student permit is not PR.

Signature

(stephan paul) Arif Sahari Wibowo
_____ _____ _____ _____
/____ /____/ /____/ /____
_____/ / / / _____/ http://www.arifsaha.com/

Disclaimer: IANAL, IANALP, IANAMD, IANAMP, IANAAP
my statements - if any - should be treated as such.

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S P Arif Sahari Wibowo - 30 Jul 2008 14:21 GMT

> How long did it take and were you inside or outside Canada?

As in http://www.rcmp.ca/crimrec/finger_e.htm, "The processing
time is currently in excess of one hundred and twenty (120) days
from receipt of an application."

> I was in Canada before, but can't the embassy do it itself
> much faster if they have my full original fingerprints on a
> foreign police certificate already?

AFAIK it won't be faster just because visa office requesting it.
Furthermore visa office may be limited on how they can send the
form back to Canada (probably need to be done in a diplomatic
package), causing further delay.

For immigration application in-Canada, I know the immigration
offices usually do it for the applicant if fingerprints in
eligible forms (such as FBI form) is included in the
application. Of course the PR application timeline is in excess
of 6 months, so the time to get RCMP fingerprint screening fit
nicely in there. I am not sure any visa office will do it and it
is possible that what form you put the fingerprint in matter.

Signature

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Immigration Forum / Canada / July 2008

Current RCMP certificate processing times.