US outland applicants' thread :)

[lokyy]

I called CJIS the other day to check on dates for the FBI background checks. The man on the phone informed me, and it was confirmed by some woman in the background, with the backlog for the FBI reports, that CIC has just recently been allowing applicants to use official channlers. I'm not sure if this applies to Family sponsorship or maybe it's some sort of other visa program. But has anyone heard this? If so, does it applying to all visa's or only certain ones?

We're sitting in queue at CJIS and don't expect our report in until early/mid Feb.

I did my fbi check with a FBI channeler,,I called CJIS and they said its the same LETTER you get from the channeler as the one you get straight from them,,you cant scan the letter as it shows void and it has the FBI logo on it,,,so,,CIC should stop being so dramatic...

 

[saria1]

I did my fbi check with a FBI channeler,,I called CJIS and they said its the same LETTER you get from the channeler as the one you get straight from them,,you cant scan the letter as it shows void and it has the FBI logo on it,,,so,,CIC should stop being so dramatic...

I couldn't agree more, but I am curious if they are recently allowing it. You're going to have to keep me updated.

I don't expect the SA to come in before Xmas. The SA's seems to be slowing more and more every day. I guess it's end of year burnout at CIC. But I do expect it to come in right after the holidays. I'm not sure how much time CIC gives when they request documents, whether it's 30 or 60 days, but if it's 30, we may have to placate them for a little more time by submitting a channelers report, as we wait on the FBI report.

 

[lokyy]

I couldn't agree more, but I am curious if they are recently allowing it. You're going to have to keep me updated.

I don't expect the SA to come in before Xmas. The SA's seems to be slowing more and more every day. I guess it's end of year burnout at CIC. But I do expect it to come in right after the holidays. I'm not sure how much time CIC gives when they request documents, whether it's 30 or 60 days, but if it's 30, we may have to placate them for a little more time by submitting a channelers report, as we wait on the FBI report.

of course I will keep you updated..I sent my app nov 18...
what I actually did was to send them the fbi check from the channeler(which again is the SAME) as if it came straight from the FBI and around 3 weeks ago I sent another fbi request ''straight to the fbi division'' so,,in case(which i hope not) CIC wants to play stupid I will probably have by then the one ''straight from CJIS'' but of course I will tell CIC to give me the 12 weeks it takes not 60 not 30....

keep me updated on your apps as well,,,

 

[saria1]

of course I will keep you updated..I sent my app nov 18...
what I actually did was to send them the fbi check from the channeler(which again is the SAME) as if it came straight from the FBI and around 3 weeks ago I sent another fbi request ''straight to the fbi division'' so,,in case(which i hope not) CIC wants to play stupid I will probably have by then the one ''straight from CJIS'' but of course I will tell CIC to give me the 12 weeks it takes not 60 not 30....

keep me updated on your apps as well,,,

I will definitely will keep you updated. I call CJIS almost weekly. I wish they posted updated information on their timeline, like CIC does. Last week they were opening requests from October 1st and mailing requests from August 23rd. I'll call again on Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Mariac819]

of course I will keep you updated..I sent my app nov 18...
what I actually did was to send them the fbi check from the channeler(which again is the SAME) as if it came straight from the FBI and around 3 weeks ago I sent another fbi request ''straight to the fbi division'' so,,in case(which i hope not) CIC wants to play stupid I will probably have by then the one ''straight from CJIS'' but of course I will tell CIC to give me the 12 weeks it takes not 60 not 30....

keep me updated on your apps as well,,,

I looked into a channeler when I was going to do my FBI check. This is the problem I encountered. Most channelers DID NOT provide an original hard copy of the FBI check. They sent it by email. CIC requires an original hard copy. SO, I decided to just send it in myself. It wasn't a big deal. Got prints, filled out the form, mailed, got original FBI check in the mail.

 

[Mariac819]

also, how often and how long you are allowed into canada is solely dependant on the border agent you meet at the border, and if they suspect you plan to "move" or "live" in canada without the legal authorization to do so, they will turn you away faster than you can say aloha!

This is very true!... I should have elaborated more. We do get 6 months as US citizens but of course it is up to the border agent admitting you into the country. The first time I visited Canada they gave me an actual visa for only 2 weeks, when I exited I had to stop by customs (by land) and return the paper visa as proof that I left the country with in the time frame I was given. That only happened once, and since then it hasn't been an issue. But that only further proves what rhcohen said that it really depends on who you get.

 

[lokyy]

I looked into a channeler when I was going to do my FBI check. This is the problem I encountered. Most channelers DID NOT provide an original hard copy of the FBI check. They sent it by email. CIC requires an original hard copy. SO, I decided to just send it in myself. It wasn't a big deal. Got prints, filled out the form, mailed, got original FBI check in the mail.

thats why the channeler i chose does send you a HARD copy and not an email copy...
it isnt a big deal BUT it takes A LOTTTT of time to do it through the CJIS division...

 

[keesio]

thats why the channeler i chose does send you a HARD copy and not an email copy...
it isnt a big deal BUT it takes A LOTTTT of time to do it through the CJIS division...

A hard copy from a channeler will not be accepted. See:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/12-weeks-fbi-report-t246332.0.html;msg3623330#msg3623330
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t202735.0.html

 

[Mariac819]

thats why the channeler i chose does send you a HARD copy and not an email copy...
it isnt a big deal BUT it takes A LOTTTT of time to do it through the CJIS division...

They won't accept it last time I checked. What you are getting from the Channeler is a COPY of the report they get. It is not an original document directly from the FBI, the one you get form the FBI is not on regular white paper. It is on a specially printed paper. It only took me 6 weeks for the FBI to send me back my results. I have no record / It just confirmed that.

 

[mhook]

I have a question about FBI checks as well.
We originally applied Inland in September, but they sent it back in full and rather than start over Inland we are applying Outland now like we should have in the beginning. I got my original police check certificate on July 27 (mailed the fingerprints to CJIS on June 27, so it took a month to get it in the mail) and of course that one is now expired. I sent in a new set of fingerprints and the related paperwork on Tuesday Nov 18 (last week) and paid for Express postage from Canada with tracking. The package was supposed to be delivered to CJIS yesterday. I just tracked it and it said on Friday they "ATTEMPTED DELIVERY - NOTICE LEFT". They left one of those stupid little pieces of paper telling the CJIS people to go to the post office and pick up my package.....not sure why because I'm sure the office was open on Friday morning...probably just a completely incompetent mailperson.

I'm panicking! Do they even do that? How likely is it that someone from the CJIS office goes to the post office to follow up on the "attempted delivery" notices? Am I completely out of luck and my package containing my fingerprints is gone? The post office supposedly holds them for 15 days (if they even have it. Many times I've gotten Attempted Delivery notices and the package was never returned to the post office, it literally just vanished.)
Should I call the post office to check? Or should I call CJIS itself, or another FBI entity? I have no idea how this works. It was so simply last time and now I'm worried and running out of time to get our Outland app in before my status expires.

 

[Mariac819]

I have a question about FBI checks as well.
We originally applied Inland in September, but they sent it back in full and rather than start over Inland we are applying Outland now like we should have in the beginning. I got my original police check certificate on July 27 (mailed the fingerprints to CJIS on June 27, so it took a month to get it in the mail) and of course that one is now expired. I sent in a new set of fingerprints and the related paperwork on Tuesday Nov 18 (last week) and paid for Express postage from Canada with tracking. The package was supposed to be delivered to CJIS yesterday. I just tracked it and it said on Friday they "ATTEMPTED DELIVERY - NOTICE LEFT". They left one of those stupid little pieces of paper telling the CJIS people to go to the post office and pick up my package.....not sure why because I'm sure the office was open on Friday morning...probably just a completely incompetent mailperson.

I'm panicking! Do they even do that? How likely is it that someone from the CJIS office goes to the post office to follow up on the "attempted delivery" notices? Am I completely out of luck and my package containing my fingerprints is gone? The post office supposedly holds them for 15 days (if they even have it. Many times I've gotten Attempted Delivery notices and the package was never returned to the post office, it literally just vanished.)
Should I call the post office to check? Or should I call CJIS itself, or another FBI entity? I have no idea how this works. It was so simply last time and now I'm worried and running out of time to get our Outland app in before my status expires.

I would call the USPS and see what really happened with the package. Sometimes they enter the wrong code during the update. It could just be that they didn't make it to the CJIS office on time (before end of business day) and they had to hold the package until the next business day. They will most likely attempt to deliver on Monday.

 

[lokyy]

They won't accept it last time I checked. What you are getting from the Channeler is a COPY of the report they get. It is not an original document directly from the FBI, the one you get form the FBI is not on regular white paper. It is on a specially printed paper. It only took me 6 weeks for the FBI to send me back my results. I have no record / It just confirmed that.

i have no record either,,and like i said the FBI agent imself said its the SAME PAPER,,i didnt get a copy,,,i got the document that cant be copied otherwise when you try it shows VOID,,,cic should stop being so stupid...

 

[keesio]

i have no record either,,and like i said the FBI agent imself said its the SAME PAPER,,i didnt get a copy,,,i got the document that cant be copied otherwise when you try it shows VOID,,,cic should stop being so stupid...

Yeah others have gotten the same. In that thread I referenced, someone got one from a channeler:

The one I got from a third party has the letterhead that says:
US Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Criminal Justice Information Services Division
Clarksburg, WV 26306

It was printed in a type of paper that if copied or scanned, it has VOID all over the place, and the tone is slightly blueish. You can see in the background the seal/logo of the FBI.

Somehow CIC seems to know that it is from a channeler. How they know it is a mystery. Maybe the can ask the FBI themselves. But it is pretty clear they want you to mail the prints directly to the FBI yourself.

I have yet to seen a case where using an FBI channeler to submit the prints to the FBI was successful in meetings CIC's requirements.

 

[saria1]

I have a question about FBI checks as well.
We originally applied Inland in September, but they sent it back in full and rather than start over Inland we are applying Outland now like we should have in the beginning. I got my original police check certificate on July 27 (mailed the fingerprints to CJIS on June 27, so it took a month to get it in the mail) and of course that one is now expired. I sent in a new set of fingerprints and the related paperwork on Tuesday Nov 18 (last week) and paid for Express postage from Canada with tracking. The package was supposed to be delivered to CJIS yesterday. I just tracked it and it said on Friday they "ATTEMPTED DELIVERY - NOTICE LEFT". They left one of those stupid little pieces of paper telling the CJIS people to go to the post office and pick up my package.....not sure why because I'm sure the office was open on Friday morning...probably just a completely incompetent mailperson.

I'm panicking! Do they even do that? How likely is it that someone from the CJIS office goes to the post office to follow up on the "attempted delivery" notices? Am I completely out of luck and my package containing my fingerprints is gone? The post office supposedly holds them for 15 days (if they even have it. Many times I've gotten Attempted Delivery notices and the package was never returned to the post office, it literally just vanished.)
Should I call the post office to check? Or should I call CJIS itself, or another FBI entity? I have no idea how this works. It was so simply last time and now I'm worried and running out of time to get our Outland app in before my status expires.

Relax, the USPS will try 3 delivery tries and in-between CJIS can go down and pick it up. I guarantee your's isn't the only one the USPS left as a notice to pick up at the post office. With over 2000 requests coming in daily. I'm sure they make regular runs.

Yeah others have gotten the same. In that thread I referenced, someone got one from a channeler:

The one I got from a third party has the letterhead that says:
US Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Criminal Justice Information Services Division
Clarksburg, WV 26306

It was printed in a type of paper that if copied or scanned, it has VOID all over the place, and the tone is slightly blueish. You can see in the background the seal/logo of the FBI.

Somehow CIC seems to know that it is from a channeler. How they know it is a mystery. Maybe the can ask the FBI themselves. But it is pretty clear they want you to mail the prints directly to the FBI yourself.

I have yet to seen a case where using an FBI channeler to submit the prints to the FBI was successful in meetings CIC's requirements.

Keesio, I'm well aware they didn't take channelers in the past, that was DRILLED into me in previous posts. I'm saying that CJIS is now telling me that CIC has been allowing for some people to use channelers. My questions is, does this apply to only FSW visas or other visas, but the Family sponsorships are exempt? If you have an issue with this info, then please call CJIS and set them straight: 304-625-5590 and let us know how it went.

Also, for the record, many channelers don't provide the CJIS blue document and only give the PDF printout via email. So maybe CIC has started accepting channeler reports through the more legitimate channelers??? Things do change, governments have a way of maturing (shocker, but it happens occasionally), so it's not a far fetched idea. I just want to know if anyone heard or had the request to use a channeler and was it accepted.

 

[Mariac819]

i have no record either,,and like i said the FBI agent imself said its the SAME PAPER,,i didnt get a copy,,,i got the document that cant be copied otherwise when you try it shows VOID,,,cic should stop being so stupid...

Hey if it worked for you great! I didn't want to take the chance, the original just looks different. And yes I am well aware if you copy it it says void on it. I kept copies for myself.