Advice please!...Still Waiting for Criminal Clearance from RCMP

[toddmeng]

I agree its crazy!!,
it shouldnt take 3 months to process prints and get a clearance.
but it was definatly worth the $350 we paid to get them done faster.

because of certain circumstance, I don't mind the slow process. However, I need to know whether they are processing, or anything I need to provide. Anyway, I'm worried since there is no any reply for my emails.

 

[Lemondrop78]

Todd, I did get a reply within 2 weeks the first few times I emailed them. The last 2 times i emailed them I didn't get a reply still...I sent them one over a month ago and another one 2 weeks ago. But I did get my COPR from Immigration in the mail yesterday so I guess RCMP did process it and sent it to immigration without notifying us. I wonder if they'll eventually email me back and tell me that. I would say in total from the time I assumed RCMP received the fingerprints it was about 18 weeks like they said. Cause today would've been about 23 weeks since they would've received it.

 

[toddmeng]

Todd, I did get a reply within 2 weeks the first few times I emailed them. The last 2 times i emailed them I didn't get a reply still...I sent them one over a month ago and another one 2 weeks ago. But I did get my COPR from Immigration in the mail yesterday so I guess RCMP did process it and sent it to immigration without notifying us. I wonder if they'll eventually email me back and tell me that. I would say in total from the time I assumed RCMP received the fingerprints it was about 18 weeks like they said. Cause today would've been about 23 weeks since they would've received it.

Todd, I did get a reply within 2 weeks the first few times I emailed them. The last 2 times i emailed them I didn't get a reply still...I sent them one over a month ago and another one 2 weeks ago. But I did get my COPR from Immigration in the mail yesterday so I guess RCMP did process it and sent it to immigration without notifying us. I wonder if they'll eventually email me back and tell me that. I would say in total from the time I assumed RCMP received the fingerprints it was about 18 weeks like they said. Cause today would've been about 23 weeks since they would've received it.

Thanks, lemon drop
In the email from CIC, they mentioned that I should send the fingerprint to RCMP within 30 days. I did in two weeks. However, how can CIC know when I send it? I did email CIC to let them know I did send and it may take 18 weeks. I don't get any reply from CIC Ottawa as well.

I assume that CIC knows how long it takes for RCMP to process it and they will wait for it. They won't just close it because they don't get the RCMP report early.

Is my assumption reasonable? Do I need to call the number in the email requesting for the report?

 

[Me2013]

If you have spent six months in Canada yes you need to do it. Your case was withdrawn so it is not a big deal. I would probably disclose the arrest (or detainment in your case). Hopefully whatever agency detained you has record of this. I personally had been arrested once 10 years ago only to have the charges dropped. I didn't wait for them to ask I just contacted the police department and asked for my record there and sent it in with my FBI and RCMP clearances. Just to keep from being delayed.

Thanks, Rattles.
Now, how can I do this disclose if I'm not in Canada. Btw, I was looking into definitions, and apparently I was actually arrested for 24hrs for assault. I was in an abusive relationship, and if that boyfriend had been arrested instead of me, I'd have paid for the consequences later...
So I want to destroy my prints before sending anything to CIC. How can I do from outside of Canada?

 

[Lemondrop78]

Thanks, lemon drop
In the email from CIC, they mentioned that I should send the fingerprint to RCMP within 30 days. I did in two weeks. However, how can CIC know when I send it? I did email CIC to let them know I did send and it may take 18 weeks. I don't get any reply from CIC Ottawa as well.

I assume that CIC knows how long it takes for RCMP to process it and they will wait for it. They won't just close it because they don't get the RCMP report early.

Is my assumption reasonable? Do I need to call the number in the email requesting for the report?

No problem Todd! My husband was also given 30 days to get his criminal clearance cert. sent to them. When the 30 days was coming up we emailed CIC and told them that we sent off the fingerprints already to RCMP but that their site says it may take 18 weeks to process the prints. Eventually CIC emailed us back and said they will grant us a 30 days extension. This went on a few times and then I didn't hear anything back from them over a month or two after I asked them for another extensiion when I still didn't hear anything back about my husband's prints being processed. So finally last week is when we got a reply back from CIC saying they sent off the COPR to us. So I would give it about 18 weeks or a little more for RCMP to process your prints. But in the meantime, it's good to keep CIC in the loop that you are still waiting cause it shows you are serious about moving to Canada. Make sure your email to CIC included your UCI number, etc. And when they reply to you and if you need to reply to them again in months time...hit the reply button. I finally got CIC to reply to me this time when I hit the reply button from their last email to me which was back in February. Other times I was starting a new email to send to them.

 

[toddmeng]

No problem Todd! My husband was also given 30 days to get his criminal clearance cert. sent to them. When the 30 days was coming up we emailed CIC and told them that we sent off the fingerprints already to RCMP but that their site says it may take 18 weeks to process the prints. Eventually CIC emailed us back and said they will grant us a 30 days extension. This went on a few times and then I didn't hear anything back from them over a month or two after I asked them for another extensiion when I still didn't hear anything back about my husband's prints being processed. So finally last week is when we got a reply back from CIC saying they sent off the COPR to us. So I would give it about 18 weeks or a little more for RCMP to process your prints. But in the meantime, it's good to keep CIC in the loop that you are still waiting cause it shows you are serious about moving to Canada. Make sure your email to CIC included your UCI number, etc. And when they reply to you and if you need to reply to them again in months time...hit the reply button. I finally got CIC to reply to me this time when I hit the reply button from their last email to me which was back in February. Other times I was starting a new email to send to them.

Really? You told them that it may take 18weeks, they still only gave you 30days? Unbelievable !
Which email address did u send? I replied to the one we received the request. No reply from them so far.
Thanks for the important info.

 

[Rattles]

Thanks, Rattles.
Now, how can I do this disclose if I'm not in Canada. Btw, I was looking into definitions, and apparently I was actually arrested for 24hrs for assault. I was in an abusive relationship, and if that boyfriend had been arrested instead of me, I'd have paid for the consequences later...
So I want to destroy my prints before sending anything to CIC. How can I do from outside of Canada?

Contact the police department that detained you. Every place has a different protocol it seems. I didn't have a hard time really, it was just a simple form I had to download, fill out and send in with identification. If it was RCMP then you should be in the clear as it will show up on there automatically and will (should) show that charges were dropped.

 

[Nitzan900]

you guys we all at the same boat.. im waiting for my RCMP checks which in my case i sent my fingerprints to my VO and they deal with the RCMP so they sent it to them i guess around december 20 2012

been waiting until now with nothing but stress.... was suppose to be with my wife already i hate them :/

so my wife in canada went to her tax guy and how lucky he is working at RCMP actually processing exactly what we all need. he told her they working now on all the applications received on January (which i guess ours got to them also on January) and they will finish all January buy next weekend so finger crossed!!! )

i hope to be done with it already

 

[Lemondrop78]

Todd and Nitzen, I did tell Immigration that it may take approximately 18 weeks for the fingerprints to be processed, from what i saw on the RCMP site and the Immigration officer granted me extra 30 days. Few times I had to write back to tell them I haven't heard anything back from RCMP and they would grant me another 30 days each time. Then the last 2 months I didn't hear anything...then finaly the last email from Immigration was that they already sent off our COPR. So Nitzen, yours should be getting done soon, that's good. I sent ours off on Nov 8th to RCMP and didn't hear that it got processed or anything, even now I haven't heard from RCMP that it got done...but the important thing is we got our COPR from immigration so I"m sure they processed it and sent the clearance certificate to Immigration. And also we did email RCMP several times before but each time they would email us back and say our file is not in the computer yet and to email back few weeks later.

The email I sent to immigration was ottpilot-immigration@cic.gc.ca

 

[Me2013]

Contact the police department that detained you. Every place has a different protocol it seems. I didn't have a hard time really, it was just a simple form I had to download, fill out and send in with identification. If it was RCMP then you should be in the clear as it will show up on there automatically and will (should) show that charges were dropped.

Yesterday I spent the about 2 hours calling Police Departments and the Old City Hall. On the form, it asks you for the day of disclosure. I didn't know mine, so i called the Old City Hall to find it out. The woman gave me 2 dates. I believe one is for the Arrest and the other for the disclosure. Now, to fill out the form, I gotta download it, fill it out, but can I scan it and send it by e-mail?

And this is what I found on a website "Understanding Criminal Records":

"Yes. Withdrawn charges and stays will remain on the CPIC system and on the system of the charging police service. However, the information can be removed from CPIC under the following circumstances:

1) Individuals can ask the charging police service to have the stayed or withdrawn charge removed. This can be done for both violent or non-violent offences at any time after the charge was stayed or withdrawn. It is up to the charging police service whether they agree to make the written request to the RCMP to remove the information.

2) Charges relating to non-violent incidents will automatically be removed after five years if no further criminal activity has been recorded, even if no letter is written by the charging police service.

3) In cases where the withdrawn or stayed charges were for violent offences or where there were other additional charges that were not withdrawn or stayed, a record of the charges will remain on the system until the offender turns 70 if no letter is written requesting removal. If a criminal record check is done before a request for removal has been submitted, the check will indicate that a record "may or may not exist" OR the record will come back "not cleared.""

Now, looking into the underline statement, does it mean that once I submit my request for removal, my VO won't find anything? And maybe don't even ask for RCMP Background Clearance?
I truly hope so! Because if they ask for the RCMP Clearance and it comes back saying "may or may not exist" or "not cleared" and the VO asks for further information, it won't be very good. All my papers for the matter are back in Canada.

Thank you!

And Lemondrop78, Congrats on the COPR!!!
Remember always all the tough time you and your partner been through until a couple of days ago, with all the uncertainty, and cherish each other through life! Have fun, guys!
And welcome to Canada!!! ;D

 

[Nitzan900]

Todd and Nitzen, I did tell Immigration that it may take approximately 18 weeks for the fingerprints to be processed, from what i saw on the RCMP site and the Immigration officer granted me extra 30 days. Few times I had to write back to tell them I haven't heard anything back from RCMP and they would grant me another 30 days each time. Then the last 2 months I didn't hear anything...then finaly the last email from Immigration was that they already sent off our COPR. So Nitzen, yours should be getting done soon, that's good. I sent ours off on Nov 8th to RCMP and didn't hear that it got processed or anything, even now I haven't heard from RCMP that it got done...but the important thing is we got our COPR from immigration so I"m sure they processed it and sent the clearance certificate to Immigration. And also we did email RCMP several times before but each time they would email us back and say our file is not in the computer yet and to email back few weeks later.

The email I sent to immigration was ottpilot-immigration @ cic.gc.ca

so how long did it take with RCMP in your case?

 

[Lemondrop78]

Yesterday I spent the about 2 hours calling Police Departments and the Old City Hall. On the form, it asks you for the day of disclosure. I didn't know mine, so i called the Old City Hall to find it out. The woman gave me 2 dates. I believe one is for the Arrest and the other for the disclosure. Now, to fill out the form, I gotta download it, fill it out, but can I scan it and send it by e-mail?

And this is what I found on a website "Understanding Criminal Records":

"Yes. Withdrawn charges and stays will remain on the CPIC system and on the system of the charging police service. However, the information can be removed from CPIC under the following circumstances:

1) Individuals can ask the charging police service to have the stayed or withdrawn charge removed. This can be done for both violent or non-violent offences at any time after the charge was stayed or withdrawn. It is up to the charging police service whether they agree to make the written request to the RCMP to remove the information.

2) Charges relating to non-violent incidents will automatically be removed after five years if no further criminal activity has been recorded, even if no letter is written by the charging police service.

3) In cases where the withdrawn or stayed charges were for violent offences or where there were other additional charges that were not withdrawn or stayed, a record of the charges will remain on the system until the offender turns 70 if no letter is written requesting removal. If a criminal record check is done before a request for removal has been submitted, the check will indicate that a record "may or may not exist" OR the record will come back "not cleared.""

Now, looking into the underline statement, does it mean that once I submit my request for removal, my VO won't find anything? And maybe don't even ask for RCMP Background Clearance?
I truly hope so! Because if they ask for the RCMP Clearance and it comes back saying "may or may not exist" or "not cleared" and the VO asks for further information, it won't be very good. All my papers for the matter are back in Canada.

Thank you!

And Lemondrop78, Congrats on the COPR!!!
Remember always all the tough time you and your partner been through until a couple of days ago, with all the uncertainty, and cherish each other through life! Have fun, guys!
And welcome to Canada!!! ;D

Thank you Me2013! goodluck with everything!

 

[Lemondrop78]

so how long did it take with RCMP in your case?

We sent the prints on Nov 8th and we never heard anything back from RCMP except the times I emailed them and they said to email them back in a few weeks because our prints had not been processed yet. April 23rd, we got approved for the COPR from immigration. So I'm not sure exactly when RCMP got done with our prints but 2 months ago when we got our last email from RCMP, they still didn't have our prints processed yet.

 

[Me2013]

We sent the prints on Nov 8th and we never heard anything back from RCMP except the times I emailed them and they said to email them back in a few weeks because our prints had not been processed yet. April 23rd, we got approved for the COPR from immigration. So I'm not sure exactly when RCMP got done with our prints but 2 months ago when we got our last email from RCMP, they still didn't have our prints processed yet.

So in total, how long did it take to have everything done, from the moment you sent the prints to your VO give you the COPR?
Another curiosity: Did your husband ever get convicted? Or charges were dropped or something?

Thanks!

 

[vanessa_elizabeth]

Hey guys, wondering if someone can give me some info? I lived in Canada for two years so when applying for my spouce/partner visa to move to Canada I figured I would 100% need a police check done for Canada as well as Australia which is where I live.
So I got my fingerprint done, sent them to RCP 2 months ago and am yet to hear anything back.
Now the other day I was reading through the website and it says that you MiGHT need a police background check and that once you send your paperwork to the CIC they will contact RCP and run your name through their program.
So my question is, do I just send mine and my partners paperwork and wait to hear from CIC or do I need to wait for RCP to send me my fingerprint clearance so I can include that in my documents to send to CIC?
I've tried contacting CIC but they don't give me a clear answer and I hate sitting here and waiting.
Any info anyone can give me would be soooooo greatfully appreciated!!