Can anyone tell us if it is normal for the Immigration dept to carry out the police checks or do they normally request that individuals do them????????

Hi rach and jon,
We had to do our own police checks and I think that this is the norm.
Sarah

Thanks Sarah,

just a bit concerned as our case officer has emailed us and literally put ' are only awaiting police clearances' and nothing more.

But we have not been requested to do them??? Just wondering if the request to get them has been lost in the post.

Sounds like it has. Get yourselves down to your local police station pronto as they can take up to 40 days.
Sarah

Whatevers happened, go to the cop shop and fill in the form. Tell them its urgent and you'll have them back in about 2 weeks. Ask for a phone number and keep harassing them, and you'll have them back in under 2 weeks. Well, it worked for us!
Jim

Please don't harass New Scotland Yard. Lead balloon comes to mind

Exactly! The staff there are only human, they work very hard in a very busy office, and they turn the checks around as fast as they can......people phoning up delay the actual work being done, and people phoning up getting shirty - well, lets face it, no-one deserves that when they are working to the best of their ability.
And as with any job.....once you start to hurry because of pressure, thats when mistakes can be made......

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In answer to the original query - DIMIA cannot request the police check. Only the subject of the check can do that. Under the Data Protection Act, the information can only be released to the named person who requested it. If that person then cares to send the inofmration on to somewhere else - like DIMIA - that is up to them, but the police can only do the check on your request, and will only return the response to you.

Pollyana

(former checker of criminal records- give my old mates a chance!)

Well, we're here and it took under 2 weeks. Gonna be 29 degrees tomorrow!
Listen to those in the know

If you don't ask, you don't get
Jim

And a lot of other people get theirs back in two weeks as well. Its possible someone took pity on you and moved them forward, its equally possible that the workload was moving through quicker at that time. By pestering, you put pressure on busy staff, you hold up everyone elses checks as well while they search for yours, and you generally make yourself unpopular.
The DP Act states 40 days. Why can some people not be satisfied to take their position in the queue with everyone else and wait their turn?

(sorry, rant over; had to stop work too many times and look for forms that people claimed 'oh I sent it 6 weeks ago', after an hour you find it, and they only signed it 3 days ago....')

As for "those in the know"....I think 11 years qualifies me as one of them, doesn't it?

Look they're paid to do a job so get on with it! I gave them the kick up the a*** they needed - The results were telling. The office op was probably too busy talking about her nails while my application was gathering dust........
Thing is, I'm not having that and i demand efficiency at all times.

Take my word for it, harass them until you drop! You'll thank me for it!
Jim

Giving shite advice to people with real problems now ... nice play "Jim"

When you have worked in the offices where the police checks are done, you will be qualified to make judgements about whether they (I) need a kick or not. Fortunately, most people on this forum seem to have more respect for police staff than you do.
You act as if yours was the only check in the system......

Hmmm....is that a troup of billy goats I see lurking outside......

Poll, don't bother, they are so not worth it.

It is indeed

G