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US Police Clearance: FBI Processing Times

ChellyCat

Hero Member
Jan 8, 2015
274
14
Mississauga, ON
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-Feb-2015
Doc's Request.
30-July-2015 (Proof of sponsor's Canadian residence)
AOR Received.
06-April-2015
Med's Done....
27-April-2015
Passport Req..
IP: August 6. DM: Sept 26
VISA ISSUED...
25-Sept-2015
LANDED..........
05-Oct-2015
LN13 said:
It helps me! That puts me likely in the next two weeks. We sent ours on the 27th.
Awesome. Hopefully they move quickly! I can't check to see if my card was charged today, stupid online banking is down >_< Will update when it is.
 

ChellyCat

Hero Member
Jan 8, 2015
274
14
Mississauga, ON
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-Feb-2015
Doc's Request.
30-July-2015 (Proof of sponsor's Canadian residence)
AOR Received.
06-April-2015
Med's Done....
27-April-2015
Passport Req..
IP: August 6. DM: Sept 26
VISA ISSUED...
25-Sept-2015
LANDED..........
05-Oct-2015
Oh also, did you guys see the processing time has changed? It used to be 12-14 weeks and now is down to 11-13. Still not fast by any means, but good news for others that it's going down.
 

stephygold7

Member
May 11, 2015
17
0
I called today. They mailed my background check today, they had received the fingerprints April 13th. So I should get it next week. Yeah!!!!!

Has anyone sub,itted everything to the CIC and gotten a final response yet. Are they taking the full 6 months and is it from when they first received the application or from when the last items arrives, i.e the FBI background check
 

SuiGeneris

Star Member
Apr 13, 2015
188
7
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
30-09-2015
AOR Received.
05-12-2015
Med's Done....
13-08-2015
That does help Chelly, thank you so much! We sent ours around Apr 30 or May 1st, so woohoo! We sent 3 fingerprints in, lol! Hopefully they're not all denied. That means I have approx 1 month to finish up our application. Yayyyyy.
 

Majromax

Hero Member
Nov 19, 2014
312
18
Category........
Visa Office......
CPC-Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
2014-10-21
AOR Received.
2015-01-11 [Inland AOR rec'd 2014-11-19, corrected]
File Transfer...
2015-01-20 [CSQ applied Feb 9, issued Feb 19]
Passport Req..
[IP: 2015-06-10; DM: 2015-06-30]
VISA ISSUED...
2015-07-20
LANDED..........
2015-07-27
stephygold7 said:
Has anyone sub,itted everything to the CIC and gotten a final response yet. Are they taking the full 6 months and is it from when they first received the application or from when the last items arrives, i.e the FBI background check
CPC-Ottawa is taking a ... variable amount of time to process applications. Some applicants from last September and October are still waiting, whilst a couple applicants from this April have received DM already. Obviously, an application cannot by finalized without a valid FBI certificate.

It is unknown to what extent the visa office will process an application that has everything except the FBI certificate included. Looking at historical timelines, requests for documents (such as birth certificates or proof of intent to live in Canada) do not seem to affect overall processing times, and sometimes requests seem to push an application back in the queue.
 

Kohl

Star Member
Jul 3, 2015
63
16
Can someone explain how the conclusion has been reached that the CIC will not accept FBI identity history summaries obtained from the FBI through FBI-approved channelers?
 

Ponga

VIP Member
Oct 22, 2013
10,417
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Kohl said:
Can someone explain how the conclusion has been reached that the CIC will not accept FBI identity history summaries obtained from the FBI through FBI-approved channelers?
CIC was only allowing FBI reports issued from approved third-party Channellers, from mid-January thru early March.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t275110.0.html

No earthly idea why they suddenly pulled the plug.
 

Kohl

Star Member
Jul 3, 2015
63
16
Ok great. I was going off printed instructions from February when I obtained my police check through a third party channeler. My PR app was submitted in June. I guess I'll re-submit for a background check directly through the FBI and then send it in as an addendum once I get my AOR.

This whole process is depressing me.
 

ChellyCat

Hero Member
Jan 8, 2015
274
14
Mississauga, ON
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-Feb-2015
Doc's Request.
30-July-2015 (Proof of sponsor's Canadian residence)
AOR Received.
06-April-2015
Med's Done....
27-April-2015
Passport Req..
IP: August 6. DM: Sept 26
VISA ISSUED...
25-Sept-2015
LANDED..........
05-Oct-2015
SuiGeneris said:
That does help Chelly, thank you so much! We sent ours around Apr 30 or May 1st, so woohoo! We sent 3 fingerprints in, lol! Hopefully they're not all denied. That means I have approx 1 month to finish up our application. Yayyyyy.
Ooh, I'm getting nervous seeing that everyone has sent in multiples! But I see my card was charged on June 29 so I'm probably in the clear. I'll give them a call Monday and see if they've processed mine yet just for peace of mind. This is the last thing I am waiting for on my application! Really hope it doesn't delay a decision...!
 

Aquakitty

VIP Member
Mar 21, 2011
3,014
164
BC
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Ottawa
App. Filed.......
04-03-2015
AOR Received.
14-04-2015 - SA Received: 20-04-2015
Med's Done....
28-01-2015 Upfront
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
N/A
VISA ISSUED...
25-06-2015
LANDED..........
11-07-2015
Ponga said:
CIC was only allowing FBI reports issued from approved third-party Channellers, from mid-January thru early March.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t275110.0.html

No earthly idea why they suddenly pulled the plug.
I don't think this is entirely true. I used a channeler and the paper I received was the same as back when we had gone through the FBI directly. How would CIC know if we used a channeler or not? I think the problem is if you have a channeler who is not sending you the real clearance paper.

I sent in my application beginning of March, before they updated the information, but the application could not have been processed before March 9th and he got approved so it must have been oK!
 

Ponga

VIP Member
Oct 22, 2013
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Aquakitty said:
I don't think this is entirely true. I used a channeler and the paper I received was the same as back when we had gone through the FBI directly. How would CIC know if we used a channeler or not? I think the problem is if you have a channeler who is not sending you the real clearance paper.

I sent in my application beginning of March, before they updated the information, but the application could not have been processed before March 9th and he got approved so it must have been oK!
The FBI no longer issues their reports on blue security paper (and hasn't for several months). If CIC receives an FBI report on blue paper (like that which Accurate Biometric uses), they'll know right away that it came from a Channeller.


If you sent your application (for PR?) in the beginning of March, how could the applicant have been approved already?
 

Aquakitty

VIP Member
Mar 21, 2011
3,014
164
BC
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Ottawa
App. Filed.......
04-03-2015
AOR Received.
14-04-2015 - SA Received: 20-04-2015
Med's Done....
28-01-2015 Upfront
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
N/A
VISA ISSUED...
25-06-2015
LANDED..........
11-07-2015
Ponga said:
The FBI no longer issues their reports on blue security paper (and hasn't for several months). If CIC receives an FBI report on blue paper (like that which Accurate Biometric uses), they'll know right away that it came from a Channeller.


If you sent your application (for PR?) in the beginning of March, how could the applicant have been approved already?
Because he is American I guess? We applied outland. I got SA in about 20 days and the COPR approval letter a few days ago.
 

stephygold7

Member
May 11, 2015
17
0
ChellyCat said:
Ooh, I'm getting nervous seeing that everyone has sent in multiples! But I see my card was charged on June 29 so I'm probably in the clear. I'll give them a call Monday and see if they've processed mine yet just for peace of mind. This is the last thing I am waiting for on my application! Really hope it doesn't delay a decision...!
I only sent it one and mine was processed and I received my background check on 7/3/2015. I noticed the mis typed the last 4 of my SSN, I hope this isn't an issue. I will submit it to CIC but I will try calling them tomorrow if they can send an updated one with the right 4 SSN withiouth resubmitting and restarting the whole process since it was there error.
 

ChellyCat

Hero Member
Jan 8, 2015
274
14
Mississauga, ON
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-Feb-2015
Doc's Request.
30-July-2015 (Proof of sponsor's Canadian residence)
AOR Received.
06-April-2015
Med's Done....
27-April-2015
Passport Req..
IP: August 6. DM: Sept 26
VISA ISSUED...
25-Sept-2015
LANDED..........
05-Oct-2015
Ugh so annoying. I just called again and was told they're working on packages received April 23. He looked mine up again and "it's still processing, but should be done very soon." And that I should call back in another week (though the last time I called, the rep said I should have my results in that time.) Yet he wasn't able to tell me if my prints were rejected or not. I wonder what takes so long for processing?? Isn't it as simple as scanning the prints? I guess not, but jeez! This wait is really killing me. I thought waiting for SA was excruciating, but this one is rough too lol.
 

stephygold7

Member
May 11, 2015
17
0
I seems like I cannot upload my FBI Background check now and only if they ask for it.
We cannot submit any new documents unless asked to do so by the officer. When they request something to be updated, they open a portal and allow access to change/update. If they have not requested this, then we cannot submit the changes.
So I guess I have to just wait and see if they ask for it.