FBI Background Check - New Procedure?

[Fantasmu]

My wife and I had her application package sent back last year. I'm working through it again, printing off the forms again and making sure all of my information is up to date.

I've addressed the three areas with which they had problems with last time I submitted it, but I do have some questions about the FBI background check. We had one done for her back in 2016. Is this considered too old? Do we need to get a new one? Since we've gotten that one done, she's been living in Canada as a temporary resident - not sure if that factors into it.

My other question is about the application itself - do they want the FBI background check submitted with the application package up front now, rather than waiting until they asked for it?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Rickay001]

Yes they do.... I submitted my husband application and that was one of the request when the application got returned to sender the police clearance in the same time as the application up front

 

[Fantasmu]

Any idea on how long the background clearance is good from?

 

[Rickay001]

It's usually good for a year!

 

[Fantasmu]

It's usually good for a year!

Just because it's been a while since I did it last, can you answer a few questions for me? Can I do the entire FBI background check from Canada or will I have to go the States to take care of it?

And is it just the FBI background check or will she need a state one as well (she's from Ohio)?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Aelin]

Just because it's been a while since I did it last, can you answer a few questions for me? Can I do the entire FBI background check from Canada or will I have to go the States to take care of it?

And is it just the FBI background check or will she need a state one as well (she's from Ohio)?

Thanks for your help!

Yep, you can do that entire FBI background check from Canada - that's what my husband did. He used the new online FBI Identity History Summary Request site (https://www.edo.cjis.gov/#/), and received his police certificate online a week after he mailed in his fingerprints.

As to your second question, CIC only requires the FBI check and not the state one.

 

[KBH]

The information that's been provided here about the expiry of police certificates is not correct.

I can't tell based on your post if your wife obtained her certificate before she actually left the US or not, so here's all the info, for either scenario:

- If she obtained the police certificate AFTER she moved from the US to Canada and has not lived there since, she can submit the certificate from 2016. It will never expire.

- If she obtained the police certificate while she was still living in the US (even if it was right before she moved), it was only good for 6 months and you will need to get a new one.

 

[minicamp]

- If she obtained the police certificate AFTER she moved from the US to Canada and has not lived there since, she can submit the certificate from 2016. It will never expire.

- If she obtained the police certificate while she was still living in the US (even if it was right before she moved), it was only good for 6 months and you will need to get a new one.

Unless something has changed, that is also not true. I got an FBI report well after I came to Canada and stayed here the entire time and it still expired after 6 months. Maybe they just really wanted me to get another one, but that is not the information IRCC gave me.

 

[KBH]

Unless something has changed, that is also not true. I got an FBI report well after I came to Canada and stayed here the entire time and it still expired after 6 months. Maybe they just really wanted me to get another one, but that is not the information IRCC gave me.

Interestingly enough, this seems to have been pulled from the IRCC site - I’m guessing when they made the change to the application checklist in February - but this is from IRCC, as recent as two months ago:

“

• are currently living there, or received the police certificate before leaving, the police certificate must be issued within six months before you apply.
• have lived there in the past, the police certificate must be issued after you last lived in that country or territory.”

 

[minicamp]

Interestingly enough, this seems to have been pulled from the IRCC site - I’m guessing when they made the change to the application checklist in February - but this is from IRCC, as recent as two months ago:

“

• are currently living there, or received the police certificate before leaving, the police certificate must be issued within six months before you apply.
• have lived there in the past, the police certificate must be issued after you last lived in that country or territory.”

Well that's cool if that's the case. Didn't mean to spread misinformation, if I did. I think I was told to get a new one around a year ago, which they also told me had expired 6 months later but they granted me an extension. Haven't heard much about the new changes.

 

[Fantasmu]

Ok, that's definitely some interesting news. I thought about it logically - if you had a police clearance done AFTER leaving, it would be redundant to get another because it would be the same information. But, I think we all know that immigration and logic don't necessarily go hand in hand!

So we definitely got her fingerprinted here in Windsor and we sent the FBI check after she moved to Canada, so it seems like we should be ok to just send the same one from 2016 back in.

 

[Fantasmu]

Just to clarify one more thing about the police clearance to make sure I'm understanding 100% - we only need to send in the FBI police clearance and not a state one as well, correct?

 

[KBH]

Just to clarify one more thing about the police clearance to make sure I'm understanding 100% - we only need to send in the FBI police clearance and not a state one as well, correct?

Correct

 

[Cheryllove]

I have been sweating about whether I will need a new FBI background check.... got mine back in first of August and we sent it in with our PR application for me. Well... they sent that one back in Nov saying one sheet wasn’t signed and one page was the previous edition.... we redid it and mailed off once more mid Nov. In Jan we again got it back saying didn’t submit family info.... our mistake cause since all my kids are grown with kids and parents NOT INTERESTED in even visiting Canada we thought we didn’t need to include them. Well.... we got that sent back.... accepted late March and request for Schedule A and Medical.... my question is..... is my FBI background check still acceptable or should I get another one just in case they ask for a new one..... At this point with us in our mid 60’s we want no more delays!! Reading here it may still be acceptable.....

 

[Fantasmu]

I have been sweating about whether I will need a new FBI background check.... got mine back in first of August and we sent it in with our PR application for me. Well... they sent that one back in Nov saying one sheet wasn’t signed and one page was the previous edition.... we redid it and mailed off once more mid Nov. In Jan we again got it back saying didn’t submit family info.... our mistake cause since all my kids are grown with kids and parents NOT INTERESTED in even visiting Canada we thought we didn’t need to include them. Well.... we got that sent back.... accepted late March and request for Schedule A and Medical.... my question is..... is my FBI background check still acceptable or should I get another one just in case they ask for a new one..... At this point with us in our mid 60’s we want no more delays!! Reading here it may still be acceptable.....

Are you living in Canada or the USA? If you were already living in Canada when you got your FBI clearance and you did not go back and live in the USA, your clearance is still good. If you were in the States when you received your clearance, it expires in six months.