FingerPrint Confusion...

[HBeach78]

Hello All,

I've spent the last 4 hours researching and making phone calls and running errands... and I seem to be a bit confused as far as What it is Exactly that I need to do to obtain a set of fingerprints to send in with my application.

I have called the Massachusetts State and finally came up with an online printable form for requesting the Police Certificate needed...

I called the local Police Station and they said they could do the fingerprints there, just come down... I did that and I was told that since it was for Immigration purposes that I need to get the fingerprint cards from Immigration...

I've read through a few other posts and some people had no problem going to their local Police dept and getting it done.. one person mentioned going to the court house and getting an FBI approved card and taking that to their Police Dept.

Somebody please help... I'm at my witts end and ready to pull my hair out... Again I am from the USA in the State of Massachusetts.

Thanks for all of your help...

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hello All,

I've spent the last 4 hours researching and making phone calls and running errands... and I seem to be a bit confused as far as What it is Exactly that I need to do to obtain a set of fingerprints to send in with my application.

I have called the Massachusetts State and finally came up with an online printable form for requesting the Police Certificate needed...

I called the local Police Station and they said they could do the fingerprints there, just come down... I did that and I was told that since it was for Immigration purposes that I need to get the fingerprint cards from Immigration...

I've read through a few other posts and some people had no problem going to their local Police dept and getting it done.. one person mentioned going to the court house and getting an FBI approved card and taking that to their Police Dept.

Somebody please help... I'm at my witts end and ready to pull my hair out... Again I am from the USA in the State of Massachusetts.

Thanks for all of your help...

It can be any fingerprint card, the local police station thought it was probably for US Immigration which requires a separate fp card. Tell them to use the FBI card.

PMM

 

[HBeach78]

Thanks for your reply PMM

I will try that next...

 

[HBeach78]

ok... That was a no go... I called the police dept and verified my reason for needing fingerprints done... The officer told me that they only use State Finger Print Cards not FBI Cards... they were unsure of the difference and could not tell me how to go about getting the "FBI" card.

So I guess my question now is... Will the State card work? If not, Where can I get an FBI card?

 

[PMM]

Hi

ok... That was a no go... I called the police dept and verified my reason for needing fingerprints done... The officer told me that they only use State Finger Print Cards not FBI Cards... they were unsure of the difference and could not tell me how to go about getting the "FBI" card.

So I guess my question now is... Will the State card work? If not, Where can I get an FBI card?

Use the state card, fingerprints are fingerprints.

PMM

 

[HBeach78]

Hi

ok... That was a no go... I called the police dept and verified my reason for needing fingerprints done... The officer told me that they only use State Finger Print Cards not FBI Cards... they were unsure of the difference and could not tell me how to go about getting the "FBI" card.

So I guess my question now is... Will the State card work? If not, Where can I get an FBI card?

Use the state card, fingerprints are fingerprints.

PMM

Yeah, that's what the officer and I discussed as well... but god forbid we send the wrong card and the application process is delayed.

Thanks again... I'll head out again and see about getting that done.

 

[HBeach78]

Can we PLEASE get our facts straight!!!

I went down to the Police Dept again... and AGAIN they said they need me to supply the finger print cards. Seems the only cards they have are cards for felons and cards for fire arms... Nothing Else OH and what was a FREE service is now $15.00!!! The officers would not feel comfortable putting my prints on either card when it's not for that purpose.

I feel like a big jack ass in the middle of all of this ... being told Yes the State Cards are fine.. fingerprints are finger prints... then No we can't just put your prints on any card You have to supply them...

And still no answer as to WHERE or HOW I get these FBI cards....

For now I retract my Thank You and say thanks for nothing!!!!

 

[PMM]

Hi

Can we PLEASE get our facts straight!!!

I went down to the Police Dept again... and AGAIN they said they need me to supply the finger print cards. Seems the only cards they have are cards for felons and cards for fire arms... Nothing Else OH and what was a FREE service is now $15.00!!! The officers would not feel comfortable putting my prints on either card when it's not for that purpose.

I feel like a big jack ass in the middle of all of this ... being told Yes the State Cards are fine.. fingerprints are finger prints... then No we can't just put your prints on any card You have to supply them...

And still no answer as to WHERE or HOW I get these FBI cards....

For now I retract my Thank You and say thanks for nothing!!!!

God who are you dealing with Mayberry's Barney Fife?
Here is the link for the FBI print sheet http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/pdf/fpcardb.pdf copy it onto heavy stock.
Did you try looking up fingerprinting in the yellow pages? http://yellowpages.aol.com/fingerprinting/ma/ You usually can get fingerprint cards from Kinkos

PMM

 

[HBeach78]

I appreciate the advice.... My husband came across the FBI link shortly after I came home all upset... But I never thought to look into a place that actually does fingerprinting...

I think what I will do is take the printed form from the FBI link to Staples and see about getting them to reprint that onto a thicker stock, then taking that to the Police Station closer to my employer, as I have confirmed with them that there will be NO fees and I will supply the FP card.... Hopefully that will be the end to this disaster...


I apologize for the attitude in the last post.... It's been a very rough day, I was hoping to get a few things accomplished, only to feel like I'm chasing my tail. Please don't take it personal.

 

[saralune]

if it can help there is an office in Boston who does it. It's fingerprinting agency.

http://boston.citysearch.com/profile/4719071/boston_ma/mills_fingerprint_service_incorporated.html

They charge 25.00. They are open from 8AM to 3PM during week days. They offered to come to us in Rhode Island also for 150.00$ Mr.Mills has been very plesant to deal with and seemed very knowledgeable. There are not to many places where this is done. we could not find anyone in Rhode Island. We basically just told him we needed fingerprinting to be done for Canadian immingration and he knew what we were talking about.

good luck and hopefully it helps !

 

[HBeach78]

Well, for what it's worth... I went to a different Police Dept and after waiting 10-15 minutes I was able to finally get my fingerprints taken.

Seems that each Police Dept has there own set of rules and ways they do things...

I called last Monday and was told that there was no fee, and today the lady behind the desk said she thinks there would be a $10.00 fee.

The detective came in, walked me down a hall way into the room that the fingerprints are taken. I was asked and showed my ID, he looked at the FP cards I supplied and noticed they would not fit in the hold down contraption. I let him know he could use a "generic" FP card... which after shuffling through a few different ones he came up with one that says APPLICANT...

He took two copies just in case, and when I asked about a fee.. There wasn't one
I guess in reality it's a FREE service, but depending on their mood, they could ask for a small fee

So that concludes this part of the process... next up is getting the money orders and sending out the police certificates....

 

[HBeach78]

Hello all, just a quick question before I go sending out this paperwork...

I just want to make sure I understand...

From what I gather, I need to request the police certificates from Massachusetts and Florida... I have the requst forms already printed...
Then I mail them out with the fees and wait for a reply in the mail...
Then I can mail out the finger prints(already done) and letters from Mass and Florida to the FBI with another money order.
Then I get a reply back from the FBI which gets sent up with the application package....

Is that correct?

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hello all, just a quick question before I go sending out this paperwork...

I just want to make sure I understand...

From what I gather, I need to request the police certificates from Massachusetts and Florida... I have the requst forms already printed...
Then I mail them out with the fees and wait for a reply in the mail...
Then I can mail out the finger prints(already done) and letters from Mass and Florida to the FBI with another money order.
Then I get a reply back from the FBI which gets sent up with the application package....

Is that correct?

Not quite, you send the state requests to the states and the FBI request to the FBI. You don't wait and send the state results to the FBI, they don't want them. When you have all three you include them with your application.

PMM

 

[HBeach78]

Thanks PMM,

I sent out the state ones earlier... and I think I have what I need to send out the FBI one... So I'll get to that tomorrow during my lunch break.

For those inquiring minds who want to know... I sent my passport out 2 weeks ago because I needed to get my last name changed... and it came back today 2 Weeks to process with out having to spend the extra $60 for expediting!

So I guess now it's a matter of saving the $400.00 for the exam, and waiting for the replies back from the states and the FBI and THEN we can finally send in the application.


Thanks again for all of your help.