In case anyone else was curious about what happens during the background check, I asked my lawyer what the process was like and she replied:
"I’ve never before heard of them contacting past employers or schools, so I’d doubt that for sure. And they do not normally request police clearances that have already been provided – particularly when they were issued quite recently -- but it is possible that they could request a more recent clearance if the old one was issued almost a year ago.
More generally - the focus of the background check is assessing the evidence regarding the genuineness of the relationship, and assessing any admissibility concerns (misrepresentation, the results of the police clearances and medical examination, etc).
As for timing, the entire process is generally complete within 12 months – and this would be measured from the submission date. Processing could be longer given the complexity in the case, particularly if they want an interview."
