Police clearance certificates questions

[marmaht]

Hey guys! I need a quick advice. I am an October applicant, got my AOR in February 16th. I've been living abroad for the last 9 years, and getting some police checks are just hellish.

I think I will give up on my Vietnamese one, no one seems to know what to do to get it, except if I go there in person, and then come back 3 or 4 months later to maybe have it. Definitely can't afford it...

But for my Israeli one, I have to fly to Toront ($500 plane ticket from Edmonton just to ask for it. It drives me CRAZY). However, when would be the best time to go there, knowing that it should take 4 to 6 weeks to get it? I don't want to ask it too early, as I think they need to be less than 3 months old?

They also require the name of a real person to send it to, not just an office. And believe me, they don't joke with that kind of things... I don't want to fly there in 2 days and pay a fortune to be said that they can't send it to the Canadian Governement...

Could anyone help me? I'm getting worried as these police certificate might be the only thing to prevent me from getting my residence (or at least I like to think so). Thanks a lot!!

 

[jes_ON]

Hey guys! I need a quick advice. I am an October applicant, got my AOR in February 16th. I've been living abroad for the last 9 years, and getting some police checks are just hellish.

I think I will give up on my Vietnamese one, no one seems to know what to do to get it, except if I go there in person, and then come back 3 or 4 months later to maybe have it. Definitely can't afford it...

But for my Israeli one, I have to fly to Toront ($500 plane ticket from Edmonton just to ask for it. It drives me CRAZY). However, when would be the best time to go there, knowing that it should take 4 to 6 weeks to get it? I don't want to ask it too early, as I think they need to be less than 3 months old?

They also require the name of a real person to send it to, not just an office. And believe me, they don't joke with that kind of things... I don't want to fly there in 2 days and pay a fortune to be said that they can't send it to the Canadian Governement...

Could anyone help me? I'm getting worried as these police certificate might be the only thing to prevent me from getting my residence (or at least I like to think so). Thanks a lot!!

I feel for you, I went through something similar - submitted several clearances, but was unable to get 2. How many do you need to get, and how many are you able to provide?

First - for Vietnam - check the instructions here and see if that helps.
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/fees/reciprocity-by-country/VM.html#policerecords-6

Likely the only way to get it would be to hire a lawyer (sight unseen) in Vietnam. So, lots of $$$. There's a list of lawyers on the US Embassy website - http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/medical_legal_advice.html

On the other hand, CIC's information states that it is not possible to have someone apply on your behalf, there is only one way to get it (in person). If you are not a citizen of Vietnam, I would request an exemption. (I had to do that for Cambodia).

As for Israel -

get it ASAP. The OLD rule was that the certificate could not be more than 3 months old at the time of application - you applied in October, so it could not have been issued before July 2014. So if you get a PCC any time AFTER you apply, it will be valid. And if you did not submit them WITH your application, you are supposed to have them readily available when CIC requests them.

Check out the updates to the rule for PCCs -
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/intro.asp

Not clear of the rule changes will be retroactive, but in any case - get the Israeli PCC asap -

 

[shuki]

Hi Marmaht,

You don't have to fly to Toronto to apply for an Israeli police certificate.
The best way to do it is to apply online as explained in http://embassies.gov.il/toronto/ConsularServices/Pages/Police-Clearance-.aspx.
I am not sure if online works without an Israeli ID number.

Alternatively, you can fill up request forms, attach your passport copy, have these notarized in Edmonton and post it to the israeli consulte in Toronto.
You can also include a prepaid envelope from Toronto to CIC, so the consulate will send your police certificate as soon as they get it.
I don't see this alternative on the website anymore, so may need to call the consulate and double check.
They are much more friendly than CIC!

Good luck,
Shuki

 

[marmaht]

Thanks a lot, both of you.

I actually sent all my papers, notarized and everything as they told me to do over the phone, but they sent them back and asked me to go in person. I simply can't afford to fly to Toronto... I was wondering, as I am going to Paris in mid-August, would that be too late? I can get one from the embassy there, which would be easier for me. But I don't know exactly at what time in the process they ask for the police certificate.

I only need one from Israel and one from Vietnam, I already sent my French one.

How did you get an exemption for Cambodia? If I have to I will fly to Toronto or Montreal but Vietnam? Nop... Not an option at all... :/

Thanks a LOT again for your answers. I'm so scared to have my application refused because of police clearance issues...

 

[jes_ON]

Thanks a lot, both of you.

I actually sent all my papers, notarized and everything as they told me to do over the phone, but they sent them back and asked me to go in person. I simply can't afford to fly to Toronto... I was wondering, as I am going to Paris in mid-August, would that be too late? I can get one from the embassy there, which would be easier for me. But I don't know exactly at what time in the process they ask for the police certificate.

I only need one from Israel and one from Vietnam, I already sent my French one.

How did you get an exemption for Cambodia? If I have to I will fly to Toronto or Montreal but Vietnam? Nop... Not an option at all... :/

Thanks a LOT again for your answers. I'm so scared to have my application refused because of police clearance issues...

You will need the Israel PCC - whether you can afford to wait until your trip is anyone's guess.

More info on the Vietnam PCC -
http://moj.gov.vn/tthc/TTHCEn/Lists/AdministrativeProcedures/View_Detail.aspx?IdTTHC=1

Do you still know anyone there who can apply for you? Otherwise, it wouldn't hurt to contact a couple of lawyers to get a sense of how much it might cost. After reading the above link, I can say the situation now appears different from what I faced for Cambodia, because (a) the process described by CIC was wrong, and (b)there was no "process" and I had a letter from an embassy there stating that it would require applying in person to obtain the PCC.

If you can't get it, you will still need to document your good-faith efforts to get it and why it would be a hardship for a non-citizen, non-resident of Vietnam to get this You should also provide copies of your visas and residential address(s) while there, explanation of what you were doing there, and if possible, a reference for someone who knew you there in Vietnam. Of course I can't guarantee it will be accepted, but in the past, CIC has proven to be fairly understanding for this kind of situation. As long as you can prove you exhausted all reasonable alternatives...


There's no way out of the Israel PCC, tho. If you provide that along with your French PCC, you should be OK.