Background Check

[Justin01]

Good day all,

I am an American who will be immigrating to Canada in the very near future. I am working on the paperwork currently.

Several weeks ago, I mailed my fingerprints and credit card information to the FBI at the address on the instructions to initiate my background check. I understand that this process can take months.

However, I have no confirmation that the FBI ever received my fingerprint card and payment. I would hate for months to pass only to realize that my information was lost in the mail. I cannot find any contact information on the FBI's website to confirm their receipt of my documents. I expected that my credit card would be charged pretty quickly, which would be my indication that they received everything. But to date, my card has not been charged.

Has anybody had any experience with this? Does it takes weeks/months for just the payment to process?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ponga]

I'm not sure what the current wait times are with the FBI, but I suspect that it's still in the ~12-14 week time frame. Your credit card will not be charged until they actually open up your package and start the process. The credit card processing is the first step of `their' process. Even when the card is charged, it does not mean (or guarantee) that the prints were/are legible, so if the prints are bad, you'll have to start all over again.

Good luck!

 

[Paguy57]

Good day all,

I am an American who will be immigrating to Canada in the very near future. I am working on the paperwork currently.

Several weeks ago, I mailed my fingerprints and credit card information to the FBI at the address on the instructions to initiate my background check. I understand that this process can take months.

However, I have no confirmation that the FBI ever received my fingerprint card and payment. I would hate for months to pass only to realize that my information was lost in the mail. I cannot find any contact information on the FBI's website to confirm their receipt of my documents. I expected that my credit card would be charged pretty quickly, which would be my indication that they received everything. But to date, my card has not been charged.

Has anybody had any experience with this? Does it takes weeks/months for just the payment to process?



It took 3 months for my prints to be processed in the States.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Paguy57]

Took 3 months to process in the States!

 

[beast2000]

18 weeks

 

[Triscut]

The wait is awful..
My husband had an issue and there was contact information on the website (he emailed them) and actually got a reply that way..
You may want to try that to see if they received it with fingers crossed.
Best of luck.

 

[Justin01]

Given the very delicate nature of this process, you would think there would be some safeguards in place to ensure everything is running smoothly. Like a simple notification that certain documents have been received and are pending review. Would that be so hard???

Anyways, thank you all for responding.

 

[Triscut]

Smoothly?!
Ha. Justin, you crack me up.
There's nothing smooth about any of this.

Really, try to find a contact email on the FBI website, they were actually pretty helpful.

Side note:
Have you got your medical appointment and results?
I know the medical system is very different in the States, but that might be something else that you have to wait for if you don't get it done right away.

 

[Justin01]

I went for my medical appointment back in December. But like the background check, I have no confirmation that the results ended up where they need to. I visited a doctor who took payment and processed some paperwork, then went to a hospital for blood work. I understand that everything should have been sent in for me. Is that true?

Thanks

 

[canadianwoman]

The doctor is supposed to give you something that proves the medical was done, which you include in the application. The results are supposed to be sent to the medical processing office without you seeing them, yes.

 

[Justin01]

My FBI record finally came back. Only took 4 months!

But now I am concerned about my medical exam. I had it done back in December 2015, and we are just now ready to mail all the immigration paperwork. Given the 9 month processing time, that means my application won't be processed until Jan or Feb of 2017. By then, my medical exam will have expired (only good for 12 months). If that happens, will my entire application be scrapped, or will the CIC simply make me get another medical exam before I am allowed entry?

I guess what I am asking is whether or not I should just get another medical exam done before we mail the paperwork.

 

[hicks74]

My FBI record finally came back. Only took 4 months!

But now I am concerned about my medical exam. I had it done back in December 2015, and we are just now ready to mail all the immigration paperwork. Given the 9 month processing time, that means my application won't be processed until Jan or Feb of 2017. By then, my medical exam will have expired (only good for 12 months). If that happens, will my entire application be scrapped, or will the CIC simply make me get another medical exam before I am allowed entry?

I guess what I am asking is whether or not I should just get another medical exam done before we mail the paperwork.

They won't scrap the application, they will just ask for a new medical. In my wife's case, we did a medical exam in Nov 2014, then applied in May 2015. The medical expired before we had an interview, but after the interview passed, they just ask us to send a new medical.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Given the 9 month processing time, that means my application won't be processed until Jan or Feb of 2017. By then, my medical exam will have expired (only good for 12 months). If that happens, will my entire application be scrapped, or will the CIC simply make me get another medical exam before I am allowed entry?

Ottawa averages 6-8 months.

If your app is approved close to the medical expiring, CIC will most likely just extend it for a year. They usually only ask for a re-medical if the medical expires well before the app is finished processing.