Application Sent: Get Police Certificate Before a Request From Buffalo?

[mrsmissingmr]

Hi All,
Our application was mailed to CPC-M early this month, including my FBI Identification Record (early November)
and Proof of Medical (mid-November). I did not get a Police Certificate because I had read that it may be
requested and I didn't want to wait too long to send our app. Well after reading a lot of your posts here if you're
dealing with the Buffalo office, I've noticed many getting a request for an updated FBI Record and new or updated
Police Certificate(s) during the process.

Question: Should I send in requests for an updated FBI Record and first California Police Certificate
now in order to minimize wait time should I get a request,
or is it best to just wait, as this might result in expired results depending how long it takes
to get a request for these documents?

Part of me would rather wait so that everything is up-to-date by the time the visa office receives
my response, but I also fear waiting on the paperwork from the FBI (who took only 3 weeks to get
back to me in November, though I guess they take longer now) or the State of California (no idea on
that timeline) and missing the deadline to get back to them. Has anyone had this problem, or is 90 days
enough time to get it done? I mentioned the FBI record because I've read that those can't get too dated
either. Mine was two months old when it was sent with our application.

Please respond with your experiences or hindsight.

 

[bonacker]

I'm in exactly the same position, exactly the same timeline (also Buffalo, also had a 2-month-old FBI clearance that went w/application), and had exactly the same question. People answered both ways. I decided that since my application had already arrived at Mississauga, I would request the State clearance, but not send anything further to CIS unless asked for something else. (It didn't occur to me to get a second FBI clearance. Would that really be necessary?)

 

[bonacker]

PS: what is the "three month rule" for clearances? is that the issue here (aka, something i should have known about before? ;-)

 

[mrsmissingmr]

I read some posts on a thread regarding FBI Records, and everyone was mentioning that the record should be no older than three months old when received by the designated visa office. I don't
personally have a reference to cite, but someone else might have that answer. If I find the thread, I will link you to it. Of course, the record will pass 3 months while in custody of the visa office, I believe the issue was with it already being old when initially submitted.

I've mainly read about people getting Police Certificate requests during the process, or of people
getting a request on an FBI record that was already submitted (possibly lost by the office?).

We're in the same boat, I don't think I have any more knowledge on this than you do, unfortunately.
I'm going to wait about a month or so before trying to get a Police Cert since I don't expect a
request soon and I want it to be up to date.

 

[PMM]

Hi

I read some posts on a thread regarding FBI Records, and everyone was mentioning that the record should be no older than three months old when received by the designated visa office. I don't
personally have a reference to cite, but someone else might have that answer. If I find the thread, I will link you to it. Of course, the record will pass 3 months while in custody of the visa office, I believe the issue was with it already being old when initially submitted.

I've mainly read about people getting Police Certificate requests during the process, or of people
getting a request on an FBI record that was already submitted (possibly lost by the office?).

We're in the same boat, I don't think I have any more knowledge on this than you do, unfortunately.
I'm going to wait about a month or so before trying to get a Police Cert since I don't expect a
request soon and I want it to be up to date.

"when all else fails, read the instructions"

See: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3999E.pdf page 8.

End of discussion?

PMM