Mexico

[OhCanadiana]

I'm not doing a good job navigating through this site...so I'll post this again

To OhCanadiana

ok, now I'm really confused...I just called her and she confirmed she already submitted the police report (certificate), the medical info (which has been documented as received), permission from other parent translated and notarized.

I am getting confused when you refer to PGR? SSP? I recall mentioning to you the other day that I wondered why people were sending in documents piece by piece...we submitted our total ducuments together...fully complete and fullt paid...I actually thought it was the only way to do it. So now you mentioned "she'll need an original letter from the Candian Embassy in Mexico requesting it" (requesting the PGR?)...I had no idea we were going to have to submit more information...thanks but...sheesh...now I'm a little bothered because i though it was basically done and just waiting to hear from them!

Thanks so much for your information and advice...I'm a worry wart! I try to do everything the first time and by the book, so I wasn't aware of this part...maybe its because it was something I didnt read in her portion of the paperwork!?!?

I appreciate your quick responses!

So, Mexico is different from most other countries in that you can't go request the PGR police certificate yourself. Can you ask her what exact police certificate(s) she mailed in?

You didn't make a mistake - sending the medicals (her and her child's or children's) upfront was the right thing to do. And also the permission from the other parent translated and notarized. For the PGR police certificate you need an original government request letter for them to process it so you just couldn't do it before. See the instructions at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/mexico.asp:

Do I need to provide a police certificate when applying for permanent residence?
Yes, but not with your initial application.

The visa office where you submit your application will contact you when they need this information.

And furthter down:

"While your application is being processed, the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City will give you instructions to obtain the Constancia de Antecedentes Registrales."

 

[Dazz13]

So, Mexico is different from most other countries in that you can't go request your police certificate yourself. Do you know what police certificate she mailed in? To get the PGR one you need to have an official request letter from a government so that may help you figure out if that's one of the ones she sent in.

she went to a government agency...this is the only agency that provides them the police certificate along with the instructions from the Sponsorship Program...she printed the documents from the website and took it with her. English is her second language but she understood that it was a requirement, so she went and got the report completed...is that unusual?

this was part of the guide 3999. it says...step one: police certificate...if you and your family members who are 18 years of age and older and not permanent residence or Canadian citizen have to provide 1 a valid police certificate or police clearance or record of no information....and...she got the certificate...

 

[moz77]

For the PGR one she'll need an original letter from the Candian Embassy in Mexico requesting it so patience is paramount. I also often suggest that folks send a pre-paid waybill to the Embassy so that they can overnight the letter - it used to be much more miss than hit that they used it, but now it seems much more hit than miss so you can send that in proactively and hope for the best (if it's sent regular mail it can take 6-8 weeks to arrive).

Hi OhCanadiana, how soon would you recommend sending the prepaid waybill to the embassy? Only after AOR? Our file was transferred on October 29. I'm thinking it's maybe too soon, right?

Thanks for all your helpful responses

 

[Dazz13]

OhCanadiana...here's whats even more interesting...she got the Constancia de Antecedentes Registrales...

 

[OhCanadiana]

she went to a government agency...this is the only agency that provides them the police certificate along with the instructions from the Sponsorship Program...she printed the documents from the website and took it with her. English is her second language but she understood that it was a requirement, so she went and got the report completed...is that unusual?

this was part of the guide 3999. it says...step one: police certificate...if you and your family members who are 18 years of age and older and not permanent residence or Canadian citizen have to provide 1 a valid police certificate or police clearance or record of no information....and...she got the certificate...

I have a nagging feeling she may have gotten a police certificate from the state she lives in (Nuevo Leon since if I recall she lives in Monterrey) and not a federal police certificate. The link with instructions for the police certificates required for Mexico are in the link I gave you above: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/outside-mexico.asp

You'll see you will need 2 Mexican Federal Police Certificates: one issued by the PGR and the other by the SSP. They are both federal police certificates (think Ministry of Justice and RCMP not OPP, for example).

To help you figure this out on the phone with her:

- The PGR certificate is issued by the Procuraduria General de la República (http://www.pgr.gob.mx/Servicios/Constancia/antecedentes%20registrales.asp). This one you can get either in Mexico City or at regional PGR offices, but they require an original official request letter from a government entity (Mexican or foreign). They require fingerprints that they will take, very specific photos, and payment made at a bank.

- The SSP one is issued by the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública. This is the one that is issued in Mexico City to the applicant or a direct family member. They just need the name, birth certificate, ID, and proof of address and give it to you on the spot (usually).

- I suspect the one she got is from the state entity, the Procuraduría General de Justicia de Nuevo Leon (http://www.nl.gob.mx/?P=proc_general_justicia)

OhCanadiana...here's whats even more interesting...she got the Constancia de Antecedentes Registrales...

Constancia de Antecedentes Registrales essentially just means background check certificate so the question is which entity's registry was checked (PGR, SSP, a state PGJ).

Do you have a scanned copy of the certificate so you (or she) can look at the header to see who issued it?

To explain the difference between PGR and PGJ and help you communicate with your wife: let me try to elaborate with an example in English - in the US, you have the FBI and then SBI ... they both have Bureau of Investigation in their name because the state one (SBI) is the state's equivalent to the federal one (FBI) but they are different entities. In other words, the SBI's (list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_bureau_of_investigation) are their own entities ... not state offices of the FBI (which also exist). She needs to get the FBI one (analogous to PGR) and not the SBI one (analogous to PGJ).

 

[Dazz13]

OhCanadiana...I'll ask her later today and let you know...this is interesting now because she went and read the instruction to me and then told me it was from Constancia de Antecedentes Registrales...which is under the heading of Certificate from Procuraduría General de la República (PGR)

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

 

[OhCanadiana]

OhCanadiana...I'll ask her later today and let you know...this is interesting now because she went and read the instruction to me and then told me it was from Constancia de Antecedentes Registrales...which is under the heading of Certificate from Procuraduría General de la República (PGR)

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

When you talk to her, make sure you get the name of the issuing agency on the letterhead: you are basically looking for PGR, SSP, or PGJ.

The name of the document doesn't unequivocally discern issuer since they are all background checks.

 

[Dazz13]

When you talk to her, make sure you get the name of the issuing agency on the letterhead: you are basically looking for PGR, SSP, or PGJ.

The name of the document doesn't unequivocally discern issuer since they are all background checks.

she didnt take a copy...although she thinks (hahaha...I'm gonna let her realize she's most likely wrong!) its the correct form.

 

[Dazz13]

When you talk to her, make sure you get the name of the issuing agency on the letterhead: you are basically looking for PGR, SSP, or PGJ.

The name of the document doesn't unequivocally discern issuer since they are all background checks.

she just told me she thought that the certificate was good for 3 months...meaning, if they received it within 3 months of when it was issued then it would still be valid...I'm not sure!

 

[OhCanadiana]

she just told me she thought that the certificate was good for 3 months...meaning, if they received it within 3 months of when it was issued then it would still be valid...I'm not sure!

As long as CIC gets a police certificate within 3 months of the issue date, it is technically valid for a year. Hopefully you'll be done well before then and it will be a moot point.

 

[Dazz13]

As long as CIC gets a police certificate within 3 months of the issue date, it is technically valid for a year. Hopefully you'll be done well before then and it will be a moot point.

now that they have the file is this good enough...or do they have to "get to it" to be considered received?

 

[edgarsitow]

Question for those who have landed!

Does CBSA go through your electronics? For example, if I'm bringing my laptop to Canada, will they browse through my photos and stuff like that? I don't have anything to hide, except maybe that I'm a big fan of The Walking Dead so I download the episodes through torrents (I'm a horrible human being, sue me!)

I'd honestly hate to delete my stuff because I know most ISPs in Canada put a limit on your downloads every month.

 

[jeduardo]

Congratulations on the PPR!

The Government of Canada offers Travel Documents at Embassies and Consulates if you have to travel out of Canada before you get your PR Card so you have proof of status to re-enter.

As context: after you land, you can re-enter Canada as a PR with the CoPR if you are at a border (e.g., if you drive). However, the trouble you would have is convincing a commercial transporter (e.g., airline) to let you travel because they face very heavy fines if they allow someone to enter Canada without appropriate proof os status (they can't rely on CoPRs as proof of status). While your TRV may still be in your passport and in a pinch you may be able to convince an airline to allow you to board based on it, it technically wouldn't be right to use and so I'd encourage you to get the Travel Document if you end up needing to travel out of Canada before receiving your PR Card.

Thank you OhCanadiana. It makes sense to me.

 

[canadiangirl78]

Question for those who have landed!

Does CBSA go through your electronics? For example, if I'm bringing my laptop to Canada, will they browse through my photos and stuff like that? I don't have anything to hide, except maybe that I'm a big fan of The Walking Dead so I download the episodes through torrents (I'm a horrible human being, sue me!)

I'd honestly hate to delete my stuff because I know most ISPs in Canada put a limit on your downloads every month.

They won't look at a thing. Just your paperwork. And maybe your cat. No worries! (I had torrents on my laptop too)

 

[Diamondude357]

Dazz13
My wife is from Monterrey also. She lives in Costa Rica. She got the letter to get the PGR from the local Mexican Embassy in Costa Rica and used that on a vacation to Monterrey to pick it up.(They managed to rush it and we had it in 5 days from the day she went in until the day she returned to pick it up) She also picked up the state police certificate. These were sent in with the original file to CIC in Canada. We had to get the Mexican Embassy in DF to order her SSP which will go directly to her file back at the Mexican Embassy 30-60 days after she requested it. We did this before they requested it because to living outside of Mexico. That's where we're at now. Good luck.