Hi Catarina
For the Australian Federal Police (AFP) check they sent me this information re payment:
"Payment needs to be a cheque or money order in Australian dollars and
affiliated with an Australian bank. Your bank should be able to advise
you on where you can obtain this from. Our office cannot accept payment
by credit card or bank transfer. Payment of the required fee in Australian Dollars as calculated below:
$32.73 each NAME CHECK application.
$118.18 for a FINGERPRINT AND NAME application (where fingerprints
taken and processed by the AFP)
$93.64 for a FINGERPRINT AND NAME application (where fingerprints are
supplied by applicant)
When you have completed the application form, it needs to be posted to
Criminal Records Unit, Locked Bag 1, Weston ACT 2611 together your payment."
Not sure where you are right now but if you are in Canada I understand you can download the form and go to your local police branch and have them take the fingerprints for you for a fee (maybe around $25). Then I'd go to the post office and get a money order (they can calculate the currency exchange for you) for the $93.64AUD and send it off.
The AFP are very helpful so you could choose to have the receipt sent to you to include with your application as proof it's underway and have the results sent directly to the consulate in Sydney. (The Canadian Consulate in Oz is also very helpful and have assured me there is no problem whatsoever with having medicals and police checks done and the results sent directly to them. They will hold onto them until they receive the rest of your application and match it all up for you.) Otherwise you can have the results sent directly to you and include them in your application yourself. The AFP are quoting approximately 15 working days for the police check but allow several days for the snail mail too.
Hope this helps.
