Police certificates six months or more in a row - China

[Junko_spud]

Hi all

I am a little confused about the police certificates. CIC website states:

'In general, you and all the people in your family who are 18 or older need to get a police certificate. You must get one from each country or territory where you have lived for six or more months in a row since the age of 18. (For example, if you lived in a country for eight months but left on a two-week vacation, that counts as living there for eight months.)'

I lived in China from the 27 August 2007 and then left early January 2008. After this I went travelling for 5 days around SE Asia and returned to China for another week. I then left again to return to my home country for one week and returned for another week to China. After this I went on another 3 week trip around SE Asia and returned to China for another week and left the country for good on 24 February 2008.

My problem is if CIC require a police certificate from China, although it was still technically under six months, I will be unable to get it. I have read the instructions and you have to have a representative apply on your behalf at the local police station in your city. I don't know anyone in the country or who could help with this and I am worried i could be rejected for this.

Any advice?

 

[Junko_spud]

Can anyone help with this please. I would like to hear from anyone that could not get a PCC from a particular country. I will no problem getting a PCC from my own country .

 

[uxd]

I think, you have to provide it if you were living there. Eventhough you maybe on holidays elsewhere. So for eg if i stay in china for 5 months and 1 month holiday out of china. But if my total 6 months are considered to be residing in china, i need to provide the pcc. And you need to ask chinese companies, if you dont have frnds in china who can do that for u. I did same. Although my stays were much longer.

 

[Junko_spud]

I am not going to be able to get this police check at all. I am not prepared to be scammed by chinese comapnies as Ive heard it is a scam trying to get companies to do this on your behalf.

I technically was not living there - I never say my residence as in China as I hated the place and ending up travelling around as it was so nasty and I wasn't there in total for 6 months - it was just shy of that amount.

I am going to so upset if i get denied PR because of this when i have everything together

 

[martinsdaddy]

I am not going to be able to get this police check at all. I am not prepared to be scammed by chinese comapnies as Ive heard it is a scam trying to get companies to do this on your behalf.

I technically was not living there - I never say my residence as in China as I hated the place and ending up travelling around as it was so nasty and I wasn't there in total for 6 months - it was just shy of that amount.

I am going to so upset if i get denied PR because of this when i have everything together

Hope you do not get offended by my reply, but I have to tell you this.
For starters, I consider it extremely rude and impolite for you to use such derogatory words against China. I believe you went their by choice and in search of opportunities, if for whatever reason you found it "nasty", this is not the place to vent your frustration.
Next to your problem, if you have not yet submitted your document, I'll strongly advice that you get the police clearance certificate. I lived in China, so I know the process. This is what you must do; You need to find a friend in China (I cannot believe that you will stay at a place for nearly 6 months without making any friend?), ask that friend to get you the police clearance certificate. You need to provide the friend with copies of your passport that has your Chinese entry and exit and visa stamps. Also, you may want to send the person a power of attorney to collect the document on your behalf. If at all you do not have a friend in China, go to the nearest Chinese embassy and request for the police clearance certificate, tell them that you do not have any friend in China who can help you with the process, they'll definitely help you-Chinese are generally very polite people.
Good luck with your application and please consider submitting the police clearance from China if you haven't. Best of Luck!!

 

[Junko_spud]

I had a very bad experience out there so who are you to tell me what I can say and what I cant. You don't know the isolation, rudeness and unhelpfulness I had to deal with out there. I am well within my right to say I did not enjoy being in China and I found the experience nasty!!! The reason I don't have any friends out there is because they don't live there anymore - did you ever consider that?

In regards to your information about going to the Chinese embassy - that won't work. It has to be done at the local police station in Guangzhou and I have spoken to others who have had this trouble. The embassy cannot help with this.

As I said before I was not there for 6 months so instead I will upload a letter of explanation. I have a copy of my visa as well in my old passport and explain that although I wasn't there for 6 months I can't the certificate as I don't know anyone out there and I am not on good terms with the school as I quit after 4 months.

Lucky you that you found people polite and helpful, obviously you didn't go to the same place that I did!

 

[sumeshpunakkal]

Can anyone help with this please. I would like to hear from anyone that could not get a PCC from a particular country. I will no problem getting a PCC from my own country .

Hi,
I was in the same situation, have travelled to china multiple times (total duration just more than 6 months), and I was travelling on F-Type visa.
I tried to get the PCC through my old colleague in China, but couldn't because they don't issue no crime certificate for F-Type visa. It also depends on province where you were staying.
So what I did is I added a letter of explanation, stating that I couldn't get the PCC as I was travelling on F-Type visa. My application is still in process, really don't know whether they have accepted it or not. But it was stated in US-Border agency website that China don't issue PCC for F-Type visa, so I added the url and it's statement as well in LOE.

If you were in Shanghai or Beijing there are lot of agencies who can do this for you. (I was in Guangzhou, where there was no agencies who could do that).

Off topic : for me, it was a nice experience in China, and all the people I have met were really helpful even though they had issues with communication.

 

[CanadaWeCome]

Hi all

I am a little confused about the police certificates. CIC website states:

'In general, you and all the people in your family who are 18 or older need to get a police certificate. You must get one from each country or territory where you have lived for six or more months in a row since the age of 18. (For example, if you lived in a country for eight months but left on a two-week vacation, that counts as living there for eight months.)'

I lived in China from the 27 August 2007 and then left early January 2008. After this I went travelling for 5 days around SE Asia and returned to China for another week. I then left again to return to my home country for one week and returned for another week to China. After this I went on another 3 week trip around SE Asia and returned to China for another week and left the country for good on 24 February 2008.

My problem is if CIC require a police certificate from China, although it was still technically under six months, I will be unable to get it. I have read the instructions and you have to have a representative apply on your behalf at the local police station in your city. I don't know anyone in the country or who could help with this and I am worried i could be rejected for this.

Any advice?

While you guys are at it let me bring you back to the core issue here...
Please refer the CIC instructions regarding the PCC as below:

Who needs a police certificate?
In general, you and all the people in your family who are 18 or older need to get a police certificate. You must get one from each country or territory where you have lived for six or more months in a row since the age of 18. (For example, if you lived in a country for eight months but left on a two-week vacation, that counts as living there for eight months.)

For the country you currently live in, the police certificate must be issued no more than six months before you apply.

For countries where you have lived for six months or more, the police certificate must be issued after the last time you lived in that country.

If your certificate is in a language other than English or French, send it when you apply, along with the original copy of a translation done by a certified translator.

Source ----> http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/intro.asp

So there...


I guess it should be pretty clear now...

N.B.:Ah.. yes, a word of advice though...you can continue with your arguments related to the country experience albeit at some other place...

 

[uxd]

Hi,
I was in the same situation, have travelled to china multiple times (total duration just more than 6 months), and I was travelling on F-Type visa.
I tried to get the PCC through my old colleague in China, but couldn't because they don't issue no crime certificate for F-Type visa. It also depends on province where you were staying.
So what I did is I added a letter of explanation, stating that I couldn't get the PCC as I was travelling on F-Type visa. My application is still in process, really don't know whether they have accepted it or not. But it was stated in US-Border agency website that China don't issue PCC for F-Type visa, so I added the url and it's statement as well in LOE.

If you were in Shanghai or Beijing there are lot of agencies who can do this for you. (I was in Guangzhou, where there was no agencies who could do that).

Off topic : for me, it was a nice experience in China, and all the people I have met were really helpful even though they had issues with communication.

Agencies in other cities will get you the PCC, irrespective of where did you stay in China. I stayed in Guangdong province but I got PCC through a Shanghai based agency.

 

[sumeshpunakkal]

Who needs a police certificate?
In general, you and all the people in your family who are 18 or older need to get a police certificate. You must get one from each country or territory where you have lived for six or more months in a row since the age of 18. (For example, if you lived in a country for eight months but left on a two-week vacation, that counts as living there for eight months.)

Not true!.
even though CIC site says so, they have changed it's definition. Now the description on 'Document Upload' section says provide PCC for any 'country were you have stayed for 6 months or more'.
And there are cases where they have requested PCC even if it was not continuous (just check the forum).

Agencies in other cities will get you the PCC, irrespective of where did you stay in China. I stayed in Guangdong province but I got PCC through a Shanghai based agency.

tried to contact couple of agencies, but they told they couldn't do as they are dealing only with Beijing and Shanghai.
Could you please provide the details of the agency, you contacted?

 

[uxd]

Not true!.
even though CIC site says so, they have changed it's definition. Now the description on 'Document Upload' section says provide PCC for any 'country were you have stayed for 6 months or more'.
And there are cases where they have requested PCC even if it was not continuous (just check the forum).
tried to contact couple of agencies, but they told they couldn't do as they are dealing only with Beijing and Shanghai.
Could you please provide the details of the agency, you contacted?

Yes. I contacted this company below. Someone referred me this company.

http://www.visainchina.com/
info@visainchina.com
contact name is Magic Cheng. The total payment is: 3000RMB service fee + 289 DHL fee TO CANADA = 3289RMB (around 530 USD$)
That was in April'15. they might have changed the fee.

They wont ask you for money before the work is done. They will send you scan copy (without details) and then you verify and then only pay money.

 

[sumeshpunakkal]

Yes. I contacted this company below. Someone referred me this company.

http://www.visainchina.com/
info@visainchina.com
contact name is Magic Cheng. The total payment is: 3000RMB service fee + 289 DHL fee TO CANADA = 3289RMB (around 530 USD$)
That was in April'15. they might have changed the fee.

They wont ask you for money before the work is done. They will send you scan copy (without details) and then you verify and then only pay money.

I contacted the same guys, but below is the response I got from them. I think there are some policy changes after your case was handled, and they no longer process it.

Because of the shanghai government policy change, from now, we only process the case for the applicant who have been working or study in shanghai before.(has at least 1 shanghai working or student visa).

If you are not study and work in shanghai before, then we have to wait until 17th Aug to get confirmation from the shanghai government to see if they can still process it or not.

Thanks and Best Regards!

Magic Cheng
Expat Health Insurance | China Visa Services | Incoming Tax Service | China Police Clearance
Add: Room 820, No. 555 Wuding Rd (near North Shaanxi Rd) Shanghai,200041,China
Tel: 021-51699039 ext 8010
Mp: 13501828752
Website: http://www.visainchina.com
Email: magic@visainchina.com

 

[Junko_spud]

I was in Guangzhou as well - it is not looking too promising although I chked my old passport and I was on a Z visa??

I would prefer just to submit everything and if they ask for a police check for China deal with it then.

I will already be submitting a UK and possibly Canada police check anyway.

Off topic: it wasn't so much China as a general I didn't like, it was school I worked for and the other teachers. When I was in Beijing it was fine and I loved Hong Kong but I didn't get on with Guangzhou at all

 

[sumeshpunakkal]

I was in Guangzhou as well - it is not looking too promising although I chked my old passport and I was on a Z visa??

I would prefer just to submit everything and if they ask for a police check for China deal with it then.

I will already be submitting a UK and possibly Canada police check anyway.

Off topic: it wasn't so much China as a general I didn't like, it was school I worked for and the other teachers. When I was in Beijing it was fine and I loved Hong Kong but I didn't get on with Guangzhou at all

I think you should be fine without PCC, if your total stay doesn't exceed 6 months.

 

[uxd]

I contacted the same guys, but below is the response I got from them. I think there are some policy changes after your case was handled, and they no longer process it.

That could be the case. So did you get an update abt Shanghai Gov decision after 17th Aug?

I also contacted these guys but didnt go fwd. They were charging 2699 RMB.

Tony @ Beijing Expat Service Center Service Department
Cellphone:+86 189 1161 3371
Telephone: +86 10 8322 4525
Website: www.beijingesc.com
beijingesc@yeah.net