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Advice - FBI Clearance Validity Date??

ALLY06

Star Member
Oct 8, 2010
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30-01-2013
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24-07-2013
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Hi everyone ~

Your advise/expertise would be greatly appreciated regarding my situation. Long story short, I forgot to send my original FBI copy with my application. I luckily had it when I received this email and sent it next day overnight along with my PP scan.


"In order to continue processing your application, the following is required:

Ø You have provided a copy and not the Original FBI Clearance: If your residence period in the USA has been six months or longer since the age of 18, provide an original FBI clearance certificate. This must be received at this office by: 09/24/2013

Ø COPY OR SCANNED IMAGE of your passport and passports of your accompanying family members, as noted below."

I have heard the FBI clearance is valid (for CIC) for a year from the date it states at the top. I've also heard six months. Do you think the VO will accept this original copy (that is what they asked for after all) or will I have to wait for a new clearance? To cover my bases I requested a new one and sent in proof of that with the other documents.

Thoughts? Anyone else experience this?
 

ALLY06

Star Member
Oct 8, 2010
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Vancouver, BC
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Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-01-2013
AOR Received.
30-01-2013
File Transfer...
02-21-2013
Med's Done....
08-01-2013
Passport Req..
24-07-2013
VISA ISSUED...
03-09-2013
LANDED..........
04-09-2013
Oops - I should add the date on my original FBI letter was 12/4/2012. This email was received yesterday
 

CharlieD10

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Sep 5, 2010
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Most Police clearances such as the FBI clearance letter are held valid for a year provided CIC receives them within 3 months of their issue date. Since your first clearance was issued Dec 2012, and you didn't send that original, it is no longer valid for submission. You should be fine for continued processing, however, as you sent proof you are requesting a more current one.
 

scylla

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Jun 8, 2010
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Agreed. The FBI cert must be received by CIC within three months of being issued. You definitely need a new one.
 

ALLY06

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Oct 8, 2010
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CharlieD10 said:
Most Police clearances such as the FBI clearance letter are held valid for a year provided CIC receives them within 3 months of their issue date. Since your first clearance was issued Dec 2012, and you didn't send that original, it is no longer valid for submission. You should be fine for continued processing, however, as you sent proof you are requesting a more current one.
Thank you so much for your feedback! I went ahead and ordered a new one after sending CIC an email clarifying this issue and this was the response..

Hi,

Yes you can send me this original FBI clearance. You do not need to apply for a new one.

Regards,

Case officer

Case Processing Pilot - Ottawa | Centre de Traitement Pilote – Ottawa -SB01716

Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada

219 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa ON K1A 1L1 | 219 avenue Laurier Ouest 7th Floor | 7ème étage, Section B

Ottawa ON K1A 1L1 Canada

Facsimile | Télécopieur 613-946-6059
[/i]

WHEW! :)
 

b4roness

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Jun 12, 2013
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Hi all!

This is the most recent post i've been able to find in regards to the FBI clearances. I applied for mine over 2 months ago and still no reply from them. Had my husband even include a note inside pleading them to expedite it if possible.
I'm rummaging through the FBI website and I can't figure out who to email in regards to it and what in the world happened.

All i know is that i had my fingerprints done, sent em to my mom in NYC because i thought i was supposed to send em from within the U.S. (oops) so she put my U.S. address as the return address, but then had to white it out and put my Canadian address...
Plus, in the U.S. my name is spelled Angela, but some idiot of a VO in Canada said it needs to be Andela because the letter D with a line through it that legally translates into a G was foreign to him (idiot) so he put a D instead.
Could this be an issue???
I also informed the FBI of this and wrote Angela as my 'alias' on the form aka 'other name(s) i've used'.

Any help will be amazing!!!

Thanks!

Angie
 

ALLY06

Star Member
Oct 8, 2010
88
0
Vancouver, BC
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-01-2013
AOR Received.
30-01-2013
File Transfer...
02-21-2013
Med's Done....
08-01-2013
Passport Req..
24-07-2013
VISA ISSUED...
03-09-2013
LANDED..........
04-09-2013
b4roness said:
Hi all!

This is the most recent post i've been able to find in regards to the FBI clearances. I applied for mine over 2 months ago and still no reply from them. Had my husband even include a note inside pleading them to expedite it if possible.
I'm rummaging through the FBI website and I can't figure out who to email in regards to it and what in the world happened.

All i know is that i had my fingerprints done, sent em to my mom in NYC because i thought i was supposed to send em from within the U.S. (oops) so she put my U.S. address as the return address, but then had to white it out and put my Canadian address...
Plus, in the U.S. my name is spelled Angela, but some idiot of a VO in Canada said it needs to be Andela because the letter D with a line through it that legally translates into a G was foreign to him (idiot) so he put a D instead.
Could this be an issue???
I also informed the FBI of this and wrote Angela as my 'alias' on the form aka 'other name(s) i've used'.

Any help will be amazing!!!

Thanks!

Angie
Some FBI clearances take up to 11 weeks to get returned to you...it all depends on the volume of requests they have at that time. If you don't hear anything by that mark then something may be up, but I am sure it will just take some time. Since FBI (US) is completely separate from CIC, I wouldn't worry too much about the name you put on the FBI form - state your name as it is in the US. Since you provided your SSN on the form as well they can identify you that way as well. All that the VO office will care about is getting that letter stating you have no record.

This is just my opinion, others are free to chime in too :D
 

blueangel371115

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May 24, 2012
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Should I do it in my maiden name or married name? If I've had it only a couple weeks they wouldn't find anything. Wouldn't it make sense to do it in my maiden name I've had my whole life? Just a little confused on what is the right thing to do. As I would like to send this soon after my wedding. Hopefully once I get a new passport and can do medicals. God willing, the end of november.
 

b4roness

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2013
208
6
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
16-01-2014
Doc's Request.
New Police Cert. 11-02-2014
AOR Received.
Sponsor Approval 19-02-2014
Med's Done....
Nov-2013
Interview........
January 22, 2015 - Vienna - FAILED - Appealing.
Passport Req..
Exempt
LANDED..........
In God's time.
ALLY06 said:
Some FBI clearances take up to 11 weeks to get returned to you...it all depends on the volume of requests they have at that time. If you don't hear anything by that mark then something may be up, but I am sure it will just take some time. Since FBI (US) is completely separate from CIC, I wouldn't worry too much about the name you put on the FBI form - state your name as it is in the US. Since you provided your SSN on the form as well they can identify you that way as well. All that the VO office will care about is getting that letter stating you have no record.

This is just my opinion, others are free to chime in too :D
That made me take a sigh of relief.
Yes, you're absolutely right. My ssn and prints are more than enough to figure out who I am in case there are more people with my name. (someone told me it may take a while longer if there are more people with my name... which makes no sense since peoples prints are one of a kind... unless ID theft is at play. o_O)
Thanks for the info!!!

Angie