CIC no longer accepting FBI PCC from channelers?

[Ponga]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/united-states.asp

"...Citizenship and Immigration Canada does not accept FBI police certificates issued by FBI-approved third party private companies. Only police certificates issued directly by the FBI will be accepted. ..."

[page was updated 9 March 2015]


What happened?!?!?! What happened to their compassion for those stuck in the 16-18 week queue for reports directly from the FBI?

 

[scylla]

That's a little riddiculous. Did someone suddenly change their mind?

 

[surleplateau]

I applied for my FBI PCC back in Nov 2014, before that window of "channelers okay" and just got mine in the mail last week (almost exactly 4 months later), and I noticed it was the white paper but with a big FBI official seal "watermark" which does not appear when I made a photocopy for my personal records.

Are the channelers sending people exactly what the FBI sends or are the channelers making a photocopy to send but keeping the original? I thought that was the problem before with the blue paper, that they were keeping the originals and only sending copies?

EDIT:

Going by this thread: FBI Approved Channeler Experience in 2015?, it appears that not all FBI channelers are providing the same kind of service. Some folks seem to be getting only an email receipt and a PDF scan, which is probably not acceptable to CIC (not tamper-proof like the blue security paper or the watermark seal).

 

[Morganhannah]

We have already sent our application with our finger prints done by an approved channler. It is on the blue security paper. We recieved our ones from the fbi on Friday so I guess we will be sending in the other one when the see its a channler.

 

[keesio]

They probably found too many variance between the format of various channelers and decided it was too much of a pain.

They should have just listed like 5 or 6 reputable channelers they recommend.

 

[hillaryh]

Wow, this stinks. I sent in my fingerprints towards the end of January so our timeline will be pushed back quiet a bit while we wait for the FBI check.

I paid via money order and now I'm regretting that since it may expire. (?) I have since changed my phone number so if it does expire they won't be able to contact me. Anyone have experience with this? I'd hate for them to not process my fingerprints because my payment expired and they couldn't contact me.

 

[Ponga]

Funny how an approved Channeller can be `good enough' for the FBI, but not CIC.


This is going to catch a lot of people by surprise...especially those that have used a Channeller AFTER 9 March, without knowing about this change!

Actually...anyone that has sent the Channeler letter to CIC that was received after 8 March will probably be surprised as well.


Ridiculous!

 

[saria1]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/united-states.asp

"...Citizenship and Immigration Canada does not accept FBI police certificates issued by FBI-approved third party private companies. Only police certificates issued directly by the FBI will be accepted. ..."

[page was updated 9 March 2015]


What happened?!?!?! What happened to their compassion for those stuck in the 16-18 week queue for reports directly from the FBI?

WTH!!!! Our channeler report was received late Feb, but I'm still concerned..... When my husband was scanned at the LiveScan location, they printed him out a card. I guess I'll get that card in the mail and back in queue. Something tells me those of us who submitted a channeler report will probably be asked for an FBI report.

My hope is that there was an error on the website, and someone did a recovery from the pre-channeler approval archive.

They probably found too many variance between the format of various channelers and decided it was too much of a pain.

They should have just listed like 5 or 6 reputable channelers they recommend.

Keesio, EXACTLY! There are 3 channelers out of the whole list of channelers who provide reports on tamper proof paper, and those reports are good enough for the State Dept to apostille, so I don't understand why CIC won't accept it. To be honest, I don't think CIC is going to like that the FBI reports are now printed on plain white printer paper.

 

[Ponga]

My hope is that there was an error on the website, and someone did a recovery from the pre-channeler approval archive.

I wouldn't get your hopes up.

CIC has also made [what could be] a major change in the Inland Guide that NOW states that a person must have legal status to be eligible for Spousal Sponsorship. The change to the guide was made last September. The guide has been revised again since then, but the language regarding legal status being required is still there.

 

[Morganhannah]

We recieved our fbi fingerprints the day after we sent in our application. There is no point forwarding it until they open and see we used a channler and request a new one correrct?

 

[rhcohen2014]

We recieved our fbi fingerprints the day after we sent in our application. There is no point forwarding it until they open and see we used a channler and request a new one correrct?

if you haven't gotten SA yet, then i'd recommend waiting until you get it. I would personally still mail it in, just to be on the safe side since noone seems to know what's going on. What's most important is that it gets to CIC before the 90 day expiry date. waiting until they figure out they need it may result in needing to get ANOTHER one done.

 

[Morganhannah]

if you haven't gotten SA yet, then i'd recommend waiting until you get it. I would personally still mail it in, just to be on the safe side since noone seems to know what's going on. What's most important is that it gets to CIC before the 90 day expiry date. waiting until they figure out they need it may result in needing to get ANOTHER one done.

Once we have received SA, can I send it right away?

 

[rhcohen2014]

Once we have received SA, can I send it right away?

yes, the SA letter will have instructions about how to mail items to the visa office. i would suggest sending it with a cover letter with your name, dob, file number, etc.

 

[Morganhannah]

yes, the SA letter will have instructions about how to mail items to the visa office. i would suggest sending it with a cover letter with your name, dob, file number, etc.

Thank you so much

 

[Amalthea]

Wow, this stinks. I sent in my fingerprints towards the end of January so our timeline will be pushed back quiet a bit while we wait for the FBI check.

I paid via money order and now I'm regretting that since it may expire. (?) I have since changed my phone number so if it does expire they won't be able to contact me. Anyone have experience with this? I'd hate for them to not process my fingerprints because my payment expired and they couldn't contact me.

Long story short, I mailed my FBI check after we received SA, they gave me no issues. Many others have sent medical results or police clearances after SA. GCMS Notes confirmed that my FBI Police Clearance was added to my file without incident. Don't hold up your application (if you don't want to) on the FBI check alone. Feel free to mail in your application, and send in the background check later on when your receive it. Just make sure you include a letter explaining why it's missing (4 month wait times!!), and that you'll be sending it in as soon as you receive it.