margoo

Hello all,

We just start collecting all the paperwork for my partner's spouse visa. The first problem we came across is the canadian police check. Apparently for some countries (like canada) DIMIA requests a police check, which includes his fingerprints...

So, he went to the local police station and ... as expected... they did not take his fingerprints because he couldn't provide them with the correct form. We couldn't find a form on the dimia website, or on the canadian equivalent. The PO couldn't tell him where to get it either.

Is anyone here who knows how to get this stupid form. And does anyone know if there's a way to speed up the process. Apparently the canadians said it'll take 150 days to do the check. 150 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

brian0

I didn't have to do this (although I am Canadian I have lived outside Canada for >10 years, so didn't need the police check), but do a search on the forum for RCMP or Canada Police Check. There was a thread a couple months ago where someone posted what they did to get a Canadian police check and it was very simple and certainly did not take 150 days. Not sure if what you need is the same thing or something different, but it's worth a look.

Cheers,
Brian

margoo

You don't need a police check if you're out of the country more than 10 years?? I didn't know that. I thought it's every country where you lived for more than 1 year after the age of 16... But I'll look for this Thread. Thanks Brian!

brian0

The rule is you need a PCC for every country where you have lived for >1 year in the past 10 years. See for 47p and right near the top of page 1 it lists the requirements. So, if you have not lived in Canada for >10 years then you don't need a PCC from Canada!

Cheers,
Brian

aussiechick

My understanding is you only need the finger prints for the Canadian police certificate IF you have a prior record. Otherwise I think they just do a check of the national database against name and date of birth.

margoo

Yes, that's how I understood it as well. However, there seems to be a little confusion about it.

Anyway, my partner left Canada 15 years ago, so he won't need a canadian police check. Unfortunately he moved to South Africa. I.e. same problem, they require always fingerprints from what I understood.

Still no form in sight...

Cheers Margoo (very tired of this game...)

JAJ

Where are you living? There should be officially sanctioned agencies where you can get fingerprints taken, even if the police won't do so locally.

If you're Canadian I'd recommend getting a police check anyway, as there's always a risk that a case officer may ask for it despite you not having lived there for over 10 years.

Jeremy

margoo

Hi Jeremy, we're in the UK (Bristol). I've never heard about agencies where you can get your fingerprints taken. My partner went to the local police station and the police officer (with apparently very badly plucked eyebrows ) gave him a hard time about this form. He came back fuming and I think actually it's a bit risky to send him there again
Is Dimia particularly picky about canadians?

Have a good day everyone
Margoo

JAJ

I can't answer specifically for the UK. However if the police do not take fingerprints for civil purposes (employment checking, ID checking etc) you will have to look harder for an agency that does. Such organisations exist elsewhere.

Have you thought of asking the police where you might be able to get your finderprints taken, if they don't do so themselves? Or speak to the Canadian High Commission in London - they might be able to refer you to the right place.

Jeremy

margoo

I just emailed the local police office. In the past I found them re similiar queries extremely helpful. So, hopefully we'll get a positive reply soon. Canadian High Commission and South Africa House haven't been very helpful so far. But I'm sure there South Africans out there who managed to get their fingerprints being taken. So I assume he just picked a bad day, a bad PO, a bad whatsoever...

Thanks for your help anyway

JAJ

Lots of people in the UK need to get fingerprints taken for FBI checks, for example. So there must be a way - maybe the police will take them after all, obviously for a fee.

You'll need to be persistent/resourceful to find out how to do so.

At the same time, have you and your partner got British citizenship? If not, have you thought about applying for naturalisation before you leave the UK (if eligible)?

Jeremy

margoo

Yes I know... persistence is vital here...

My partner has got the British citizenship as well. I'm italian ... one EU citizenship will do for me

JAJ

Just bear in mind that there is no guarantee that Italians (or other EU/EEA member state citizens) will always be free to live in the UK - immigration controls could easily come back in the medium term.

Since 2000, most citizens of EU/EEA states are no longer considered permanent residents in Britain (except Irish citizens) and it's necessary to go through the process of obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain, and holding that for 12 months (unless married to a British citizen) before you can think about applying for naturalisation.

Do you have any UK born children?

Also be aware that:

- if your partner was born in Canada, he's British by descent and will need to apply within 12 months of birth to have any Australia born child registered as a British citizen

- as you use the word 'partner', if you're not legally married, he needs to apply for any children to be registered as British citizens anyway, even if they are born in the UK, or he's British 'otherwise than by descent'


Jeremy

brian0

I don't think that DIMIA are any more picky about Canadians than anyone else. I did not have any issues at all with my app, and I did not need a Canadian PCC even though I have been out of Canada for just over 10 years (since 1994). If your partner has been out of Canada for 15 years then I doubt he'll get asked for a PCC from Canada, but it seems that DIMIA can ask for such things even though the wording in their own forms states you should not need it.

Cheers,
Brian

CrazyCanuck

Margoo,

We did our local police clearance in 2004. At that time, for Canadian applicants, DIMIA required a local police check. Local police checks, at least in Toronto, did not require fingerprints.

I believe RCMP checks require fingerprints, which can be obtained from http://www.fingerprintingservice.com/. But I think that only applies to people with criminal records, unless DIMIA is more strict now.

Back in 2004 the DIMIA web site had a very helpful booklet stating their specific requirements for each country. I cannot find the booklet on their site at the moment, but I'm sure it's there.

Hope this helps.