US Police Clearance: FBI Processing Times

[Pollen]

2 and a half weeks including time in transit with a private company, cost us 60$ US. Well worth bypassing the 20 or more weeks it currently is directly through the FBI. These companies are authorized to use the FBI database so it's the same thing only cost a bit more and is faster.

 

[Amalthea]

2 and a half weeks including time in transit with a private company, cost us 60$ US. Well worth bypassing the 20 or more weeks it currently is directly through the FBI. These companies are authorized to use the FBI database so it's the same thing only cost a bit more and is faster.

However, CIC does not currently accept these channeler background checks, per their website.

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

"...Citizenship and Immigration Canada does not accept FBI police certificates issued by FBI-approved third party private companies. Only police certificates issued directly by the FBI will be accepted. ..."

You can mail your application without the FBI check, just make sure you include a note *why* and send it on as soon as you receive it, which should be right around when your application gets forwarded to Ottawa, anyway, where it will just collect dust for a few months. No harm in sending your FBI check then, especially given the circumstances.

Best of luck xoxo

 

[Ponga]

It really makes no sense.

Why were they accepting Channeler reports in January and February of this year, but changed the rules on March 9th...even though the FBI backlog is still at 14-16 weeks?!

Way to go CIC!

 

[rugrat907]

It really makes no sense.

Why were they accepting Channeler reports in January and February of this year, but changed the rules on March 9th...even though the FBI backlog is still at 14-16 weeks?!

Way to go CIC!

I think they were probably getting things from channelers that were in all kinds of different formats, etc, and it just wasn't consistent enough. After all, it's not CIC's fault that the FBI is so messed up right now.

 

[fruitball4u]

However, CIC does not currently accept these channeler background checks, per their website.

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

"...Citizenship and Immigration Canada does not accept FBI police certificates issued by FBI-approved third party private companies. Only police certificates issued directly by the FBI will be accepted. ..."

You can mail your application without the FBI check, just make sure you include a note *why* and send it on as soon as you receive it, which should be right around when your application gets forwarded to Ottawa, anyway, where it will just collect dust for a few months. No harm in sending your FBI check then, especially given the circumstances.

Best of luck xoxo

Have you had experience with this? My boyfriend and I had decided to wait until we had everything around so that we could send in a complete application...and then he got a new credit card while we were waiting...which in turn got denied when they tried to run it. They sent a letter requesting new payment, but now according to the lady on the phone, we're back at the end of the line again (I originally mailed it in at the beginning of December and now my date is set at March 24th ). My work permit expires in June, so I DID have plenty of time to get things around and then switch from worker to visitor...but now if I have to wait another four months, my work permit will have expired and I'm afraid I won't be granted an extended stay without having a PR application submitted.

Thoughts? I'm afraid to not do it, but I'm afraid to send my application ahead only to have it denied because it was "incomplete". :/

 

[Panamai]

Have you had experience with this? My boyfriend and I had decided to wait until we had everything around so that we could send in a complete application...and then he got a new credit card while we were waiting...which in turn got denied when they tried to run it. They sent a letter requesting new payment, but now according to the lady on the phone, we're back at the end of the line again (I originally mailed it in at the beginning of December and now my date is set at March 24th ). My work permit expires in June, so I DID have plenty of time to get things around and then switch from worker to visitor...but now if I have to wait another four months, my work permit will have expired and I'm afraid I won't be granted an extended stay without having a PR application submitted.

Thoughts? I'm afraid to not do it, but I'm afraid to send my application ahead only to have it denied because it was "incomplete". :/

I sent my application in in January without the FBI clearance. I got my AOR and SA just fine. My FBI check came on Tuesday this week and I overnighted it to Ottawa via FedEx. So far I've had no issues and no one is calling me on an 'incomplete application.' I did include a letter initially stating why it was not included and that I'd forward it immediately upon receipt.

 

[Ponga]

I can't help but wonder why CIC even needs this, since they, and/or CBSA, have access to a person's criminal record (or no record) in just a few seconds.

IMHO, they could have simply added another fee to the application for PR to include this check.

 

[Hnamson1]

We wish we would have sent our application in January without the police clearance. I waited 17 weeks to recieve mine. Just sent my application the last day of March. Fingers crossed the process will speed up from here.

 

[Amalthea]

Have you had experience with this? My boyfriend and I had decided to wait until we had everything around so that we could send in a complete application...and then he got a new credit card while we were waiting...which in turn got denied when they tried to run it. They sent a letter requesting new payment, but now according to the lady on the phone, we're back at the end of the line again (I originally mailed it in at the beginning of December and now my date is set at March 24th ). My work permit expires in June, so I DID have plenty of time to get things around and then switch from worker to visitor...but now if I have to wait another four months, my work permit will have expired and I'm afraid I won't be granted an extended stay without having a PR application submitted.

Thoughts? I'm afraid to not do it, but I'm afraid to send my application ahead only to have it denied because it was "incomplete". :/

Yes, I did this myself and so have many others. I'll copy and paste my comment from the last page of this thread -

My first FBI check was flat out wrong, so I had to get the information updated and apply a second time for the corrected one. I mailed mine off right before this whole system-change-fiasco went down, so when I didn't receive my application in 4 weeks I called in. That's when they let me know that wait times had gone up to 3 months.

At the counsel of this forum and other Ottawa applicants, many of whom had sent off their medicals/police clearances after Sponsorship Approval (aka after it arrived at the 2nd visa office, in our case Ottawa), I mailed off my application in Sept 2014 *without* my updated FBI check, and I included a letter about why, given the FBI's wait times, and that I would be forwarding on my FBI check as soon as it was received.

It's now been several months, we received SA and I received my FBI Background Check. I mailed it off to Ottawa. It's been a few months now and I haven't heard a peep, but we ordered our GCMS notes and they had written that they received my current FBI background check and attached it to my file. It has not negatively impacted my application in the slightest.

If you are worried that not having a FBI check with your application is going to mess up your application, please don't be. They see this quite often and are fully aware of what's going on with the FBI. Chances are you will have sent to your Police Clearance to your VO LONG before they even get to your month's applications.

Do not hesitate to send your application without it, especially if it's going to save you months of waiting..

 

[PMM]

Hi

Citizen, but both citizens and permanent residents can submit their request this way according to the FAQ since it's not for employment purposes.

1. I suggest you read CIC instructions here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/united-states.asp
2. Citizenship and Immigration Canada does not accept FBI police certificates issued by FBI-approved third party private companies. Only police certificates issued directly by the FBI will be accepted.

 

[saria1]

Hi

1. I suggest you read CIC instructions here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/united-states.asp
2. Citizenship and Immigration Canada does not accept FBI police certificates issued by FBI-approved third party private companies. Only police certificates issued directly by the FBI will be accepted.

Just in defense of channeler reports. That post your responding too is from Feb 27th, when CIC was allowing channeler reports. CIC recently changed their mind after ~6 weeks of allowing channeler reports, on March 9th. Here is a screen shot from Feb when they were allowing channeler reports.

 

[fruitball4u]

Yes, I did this myself and so have many others. I'll copy and paste my comment from the last page of this thread -

My first FBI check was flat out wrong, so I had to get the information updated and apply a second time for the corrected one. I mailed mine off right before this whole system-change-fiasco went down, so when I didn't receive my application in 4 weeks I called in. That's when they let me know that wait times had gone up to 3 months.

At the counsel of this forum and other Ottawa applicants, many of whom had sent off their medicals/police clearances after Sponsorship Approval (aka after it arrived at the 2nd visa office, in our case Ottawa), I mailed off my application in Sept 2014 *without* my updated FBI check, and I included a letter about why, given the FBI's wait times, and that I would be forwarding on my FBI check as soon as it was received.

It's now been several months, we received SA and I received my FBI Background Check. I mailed it off to Ottawa. It's been a few months now and I haven't heard a peep, but we ordered our GCMS notes and they had written that they received my current FBI background check and attached it to my file. It has not negatively impacted my application in the slightest.

If you are worried that not having a FBI check with your application is going to mess up your application, please don't be. They see this quite often and are fully aware of what's going on with the FBI. Chances are you will have sent to your Police Clearance to your VO LONG before they even get to your month's applications.

Do not hesitate to send your application without it, especially if it's going to save you months of waiting..

Wow, okay, great! Thank you for that We'll definitely be sending it ahead then.

 

[Pollen]

The piece of paper the channeler gave me is from the FBI signed by the section chief at the FBI I don't see how this isn't acceptable it's literally from the FBI the channeler just did the processing to speed it up.

 

[DanOCan]

At the counsel of this forum and other Ottawa applicants, many of whom had sent off their medicals/police clearances after Sponsorship Approval (aka after it arrived at the 2nd visa office, in our case Ottawa), I mailed off my application in Sept 2014 *without* my updated FBI check, and I included a letter about why, given the FBI's wait times, and that I would be forwarding on my FBI check as soon as it was received.

It's now been several months, we received SA and I received my FBI Background Check. I mailed it off to Ottawa. It's been a few months now and I haven't heard a peep, but we ordered our GCMS notes and they had written that they received my current FBI background check and attached it to my file. It has not negatively impacted my application in the slightest.

If you are worried that not having a FBI check with your application is going to mess up your application, please don't be. They see this quite often and are fully aware of what's going on with the FBI. Chances are you will have sent to your Police Clearance to your VO LONG before they even get to your month's applications.

Do not hesitate to send your application without it, especially if it's going to save you months of waiting..

I wish I had read that sooner. My wife and I got married in January and we sat on our completed application until yesterday while waiting for the FBI report to come in. We were scared to death of submitting our application to the CIC and having the whole thing come back as incomplete and then having to submit all over again.

 

[DanOCan]

Have you had experience with this? My boyfriend and I had decided to wait until we had everything around so that we could send in a complete application...and then he got a new credit card while we were waiting...which in turn got denied when they tried to run it. They sent a letter requesting new payment, but now according to the lady on the phone, we're back at the end of the line again (I originally mailed it in at the beginning of December and now my date is set at March 24th ).

Our experience was almost identical. We submitted our request to the FBI in early December and the credit card we used expired in the meantime. We got the request for new card information, which we sent right away. Two weeks later the card was charged and the report arrived a few days later in the mail. We certainly did not go to the end of the line again.

Total processing time was right around the 16 weeks that they estimated. We held up our application for two months waiting because we didn't want to send it in to the CIC without the report. Seems that was a mistake on our part, based on the comments here.