thetreefrog

Hi all,

My fiancee (UKC) and I (USC) are just beginning the K-1 process and I've been trying to find out some information regarding the required police certificate, without much luck.

Basically, the question is this: Is my fiancee responsible for getting a police report from countries besides the UK he's lived in if he was in those countries as a member of the the military? Or do his military records suffice for this?

In each country he was stationed, he lived on base, which I *think* is technically considered UK property... but we're trying to find out for sure so we can start chasing down reports from Germany and Greece ASAP if necessary.

Also, can anyone provide an overview of what information is requested on the form you fill out to request the police certificate? My fiancee's requested the form and should get it in the post early next week, but is looking for an idea of what information is needed to fill it out. From what I've gathered from reading posts here, it seems pretty straightforward, but if someone who's gone through the process could detail what the form asks for, we'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

-laurie

brianr

Read the various FAQ sites on this subject.

Then sit down and wonder how much more confusing a subject there could ever be

I am a UKC and have just completed the K-1 process (Visas issued three days ago - YAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!).

Reading my copy of the IV15a form (checklist suppliment) that came in the packet three, the instructions are quite clear.

The UKC will have to get a police certificate for all the countries he/she has lived in for more than 12 months since age 16 (lived in for 6 months for country of birth or current country of residence). There is a long list of countries where no certificates are obtainable.

You don't want your sweetie to be at the interview and be denied a visa just because there is one sheet of paper missing, so even if there is a 1% room for doubt, it's best to forget the thing about "technical UK soil", get the certificates. Greece and Germany are not on the excluded list, so my guess is that they WILL want them.

The IV15 form (the checklist itslef) says that they *also* need one certified copy of any military record, and this is including "wartime or national service". This should be easy to get through normal UK channels. For you, note my use of the word ALSO. This is a seperate item on the checklist, so is a seperate requirement.

Don't forget to get photocopies of everything (at least one to hand in at the embassy and one to keep - you'll need them anyway as all the research is then done for things like AOS and this makes completing those forms easy).

As to the UK police form, it's very simple; name, current address, past addresses and your partner only needs to request caution/conviction records. There are several versions of this form in use now, so the exact layout can vary. If there ARE convictions anywhere, also get the court records, even if there has been an amnesty, pardon etc.

Good luck.

Brian.

Rete

I can't speak for the UK but can for Canada. My husband is retired after 36 years with the RCAF. He did not have to get clearance from Germany where he was stationed for 12 years nor from any of the other countries he was stationed in. His military records and honorable discharge papers took care of that as well as the police clearance that the RCMP did.

My suggestion would be that he contact the New Scotland Yard and ask this question of them as they will be the ones that will ultimately have the correct answer for him.

Rita

Homesick Kiwi

Form 3019B (data protection act) request for infomation is a simple 1 page form that
only requires a few bits of infomation like name, address dob, place of birth and
phone #, but you do need to send in some id with it that shows your current address
and dob, the plastic drivers licence is what I sent in......unless he happens to live
in the square mile of the city of london, in which case he will need form274(1) and
for some reason needs more infomation including a witness, and previous addresses for
the last 10 years, I have no idea why......sorry I cant help you with the military
records bit.........btw, the police history takes about 40 days to get. Andy

brianr

>My suggestion would be that he contact the New
>Scotland Yard and ask this question of them

The appropriate dept there only have an answering machine and NEVER return calls (I called them twice and never got a reply over a trivial question). When I called the switchboard they said "Oh they don't answer the phone as they have calls ALL the time and there only one or two people".

I don't know if that's really true (who does know??) but anyway, I would have thought calling the US embassy help line and asking them would have been a better bet. Isn't Laurie's fiance going to have to satify the US requirements for documentation rather than anything the UK police force might say? Just my 2p's worth. Hey... I am going to have to work out how to get a cent symbol on this UK laptop PC keyboard soon then it'll be my 2 cents worth - hahahah

Brian.

Maurice Sheppard

I can give you the address for RAF Records which is:- RAF Personnel Management
Agency, Secretariat 1b2, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester GL3 1EZ.

I was a National Serviceman and mislaid my discharge papers many moons ago. I just
wrote to this address and about 10 days later was rewarded with two A3 size colour
photocopies of my Statement of Service and Service Record. No charge was made.

Mo & Peggy(USC)

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[usenetquote2]>> Also, can anyone provide an overview of what information is requested on the form[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> you fill out to request the police certificate? My fiancee's requested the form[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> and should get it in the post early next week, but is looking for an idea of what[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> information is needed to fill it out. From what I've gathered from reading posts[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> here, it seems pretty straightforward, but if someone who's gone through the[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> process could detail what the form asks for, we'd really appreciate it.[/usenetquote2]
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--
Maurice Sheppard

Rete

INS requirements are for police clearance from any country you lived in for xx amount of time after the age of 16 if police certificates are available from them.

For example, when Jim needed the PC from Canada for the K-1, he went to the RCMP in Ottawa. They did a fingerprint search on him because that included all of Canada as well as the countries he lived in while in service to his country. He was told that his fingerprints would be run through the RCMP database, the Canadian central intelligence database and the FBI database. That and his service record were enough for him to pass the US Consulate requirements.

I believe this poster's fiancee were to call the New Scotland Yard, or ask at the local police station or call the RAF as Maurice suggested he would be given the correct way to obtain police clearance for all areas he has lived in or been stationed in during his adult lifetime.

Remember that an ex-serviceman has to supply his military records at the time of the interview.

Rita

brianr

>INS requirements are for police clearance from any country
>you lived in for xx amount of time after the age of 16 if
>police certificates are available from them.

I already quoted the exact requirements taken DIRECTLY from the appropriate embassy paperwork as sent out for me, a K-1 applicant just 2 months ago. You can't get more accurate than that. By the way, everything out of the embassy is on Dept of State headed paper, not INS! Do you know if the State Dept just administer this for the INS or make these rules regarding police certificates?

>For example, when Jim needed the PC from Canada

That's very interesting. Your experiences relate to Canada not the UK however, but very interesting nontheless. I didn't realise that the RCMP check was as complete as that (FBI included). The UK Police checks are only for the UK Police National Computer conviction records. Nothing else, so it's quite a different set of investigations!!!

>I believe this poster's fiancee were to call the New >Scotland Yard, or ask at the local police station or call >the RAF

Hmmm... New Scotland Yard is just the London (Met) police HQ. The information unit in London does indeed co-ordinate the issue of the certificates for the whole of the UK but they won't answer questions relating to this matter. Period. I have found that local police are happy to help regarding the UK form, so perhaps best to start there. The RAF contact point will I am sure also deliver UK military records with no problems.

As for time spent in Germany and Greece, I can't say anything about Germany but I am in almost daily contact with another K-1 applicant who is having to get a certificate from Greece. He tells me the best thing is to apply early as he doesn't rate the Greek ability to get forms done quickly (BTW, Hi Harry).

>as Maurice suggested he would be given the correct way to
>obtain police clearance for all areas he has lived in or
>been stationed in during his adult lifetime.

I have to admit to being curious as to why you think the UK authorities are going to comment about foreign (i.e. non-UK) countries in this matter? I would completely agree that Laurie's fiancee at least asks them, but it's the US embassy are after all this information, and it's the US embassy who's decission it is as to what is going to be acceptable, not the RAF!

I suggest the US Embassy help line is the best place to call in this to get the authoritative word about what forms etc are needed.

>Remember that an ex-serviceman has to supply his military
>records at the time of the interview.

Yes, I also said that too. They are indeed a mandatory requirement.

Brian.

Rete

Yes the US Consulate is the Department of State and the INS is the Department of Justice. However, the US Consulate in the UK also has a department of INS there as well. As does several other US Consulates. In those countries, it is presumed that both departments work hand in hand.

Not sure what you mean by this paragraph:

I have to admit to being curious as to why you think the UK authorities are going to comment about foreign (i.e. non-UK) countries in this matter? I would completely agree that Laurie's fiancee at least asks them, but it's the US embassy are after all this information, and it's the US embassy who's decission it is as to what is going to be acceptable, not the RAF!


I don't recall saying the RAF had anything to say in the matter. The RAF will have to provide his military records/discharge. A dishonorable discharge would of course need to clarified to the US Consulate examiner before approval were given of the visa as it is indicative of conduct unbecoming to a officer and/or gentleman ;-)

As for the RCMP, fingerprinting is not normally done for the police clearance. There are but a few RCMP offices that do require it and Ottawa is one of them. However, because of Jim's extensive service in the RCAF he would have had to have had them done regardless since he spent so many years outside of Canada. Also because his position within the RCAF was such that he needed CIA/FBI clearance to work for the US forces in San Diego and several other US military bases through the US.

BTW you are aware that before your interviews last Thursday your name was run through the FBI database and found clear apparently because you were granted your K-1.

BTW the requirements have not changed from 1998 on the checklist. However, stick around and you will see the checklist for some former Eastern block countries are different from those of say Australia, England and Canada. As is the affidavit of support requirements and form required. Some require the I-864 and the submission of federal tax returns.

brianr

>Not sure what you mean by this paragraph:

>I don't recall saying the RAF had anything to say in the
>matter.

Didn'tyou agree with Maurice and say "I believe this poster's fiancee were to call the New Scotland Yard, or ask at the local police station or call the RAF as Maurice suggested he would be given the correct way to obtain police clearance for all areas he has lived in or been stationed in during his adult lifetime."

What I am saying is that while the UK authorities are going to provide UK related records, they won't know anything about Greece or Germany, which are quite different countries. It's most unlikely that the UK authorities will be able to assist with Greek or German police certificates and I also would NOT rely on advice from the UK authorities when making decissions as to what bits of paper to obtain for the US embassy interview. I would 100% take what the US embassy say as what I had to do.

>The RAF will have to provide his military records...

All that you say is correct, just that it does not relate to police certificates, just military records.

>conduct unbecoming to a officer and/or gentleman ;-)

hehehehehe... now what COULD you mean by that ;-)

>BTW you are aware that before your interviews last
>Thursday your name was run through the FBI database and
>found clear apparently because you were granted your K-1.

Indeed. I would be extreamly surprised if it wasn't!

>BTW the requirements have not changed from 1998
>on the checklist.

The form date for the checklist I have is May 2001, so somethings got updated! Got a scan of your one so we can compare notes? :-)

>However, stick around and you will see the checklist for
>some former Eastern block countries are different from
>those of say Australia, England and Canada. As is the
>affidavit of support requirements and form required. Some
>require the I-864 and the submission of federal tax
>returns.

I knew that already. Perhaps one reason why my input is likely to be very helpful to Laurie's fiance, is I can quote DIRECTLY off the embassy supplied documents because it relates to the same embassy (the UK) and because it's right up to date (I got my K-1 visa within the last seven days).

Brian.

Vicki

My husband worked on an RAF base in Germany as an employee of NAAFI. The London
Consulate said that BECAUSE HE WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE RAF, he needed a German police
certificate. To me, that implies that were he a member of the armed services, he
wouldn't have needed it.

The Consulate was extremely helpful and efficient in their written communication
with him on this matter and I suspect would be the same with you.

Vicki

brianr <[email protected]>
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Rete

Sorry Brian but I can't bow to your expert knowledge just because you did the interview seven days ago and have a May 2001 list in front of you.

Military records will certainly contain information on criminal activity in foreign countries if the serviceman had such a record while in duty to his country while there.

Also the New Scotland Yard has the ability to clear the names through more than just the UK records, much as the RCMP has the ability to run the name through more than just the Canadian records.

The list of countries where police certificates can be obtained might change but the lists of documents required by the US Consulate does not change and has not changed in the years since '98. Only the revised date has changed, perhaps the font but not the critical requirements.

Rita

brianr

>Sorry Brian but I can't bow to your expert knowledge just
>because you did the interview seven days ago and have a
>May 2001 list in front of you.

This is about giving help to Lauries fiancee. So what matters is accuracy, relevance and timliness.

Accuracy:

I am QUOTING from the ACTUAL documents and requirements as demanded by the US embassy in London. Can you?

Relevance:

My source of information is directly relevant (i.e from the embassy involved, the UK)? - is yours?

Timliness:

I am right upto date (LAST WEEK). Is your data even from this year?

Things change over time you know, and they also vary with location. I already asked you if you had a scan (or indeed photocopy) of your partners form so we could swap notes. You didn't respond to that. We could have helped other list members by clarifying this matter for everyones benefit as I am happy to send you a copy of my information but you don't seem to want to know...

I am getting mightily fed up arguing with you over this: it isn't helping Laurie or his partner. Unless you can even get close to being as accurate, timely or relevant as I can then I suggest we leave this alone or take it offline.

Brian.

Ameriscot

I recall that the consulate instructions say that, on receipt of your biographic information sheet (eg OF-230), they will instruct you which police certificates you need to provide (I'm assuming this comes with Packet 3). So there's not a problem with showing up at the interview without the right documents, but if you wait for Packet 3 instructions you are probably delaying the process quite a bit.

I don't see any harm in phoning the consulate to find out what the general rules are (they won't comment on your particular case until they are ready to). I don't think there's any point in calling the Met or contacting the services - they aren't going to know what a foreign government's visa requirements are. The Met just gives you the information stored on the Police National Computer, and this doesn't include details of incidents abroad.

thetreefrog

First of all, I want to thank everyone for their advice and suggestions...

Jeremy (my fiancee) rang the consulate this morning, and after being given 3 different people to call, finally found someone who told him that he does not need separate police certificates for the countries he lived in while serving with the RAF. His milatary records are enough.

The I-129 form and supporting documentation go out to Vermont tomorrow. Now it's just a matter of waiting. Anyone want to place bets on the interview date?

Thanks again!

-laurie