ExpatNick

Hello everyone,

Here is my very first post on the BE forum.

Please excuse the question if it has been posed elsewhere (there's an awful lot to read on here!!) but does anyone have recent experience of acquiring a Certificate of Good Conduct from the UK?

Also, does anyone know where I can find out the MM2H minimum house purchase price on a state by state basis?

Many thanks in advance, and I'm looking forward to some friendly, vigorous, and useful information exchanges!

All the best, EN.

bakedbean

Hi there and welcome to the forum

There was a thread on here about minimum prices of properties. I think it was also discussed on the MM2H sticky at the top of this section. Have a read through that thread and you may find it (I hope )

I have no experience of getting the LGC from the UK, as I got my one from Thailand where I was living.

If you have no response on here from anyone, check out the MM2H info site my2 home.info as there is a lot of info on there on all things MM2H and definitely about the UK LGC.

ExpatNick

Thanks bakedbean,

I'll have a look at the discussions you suggested over the weekend.

If anyone else wants to chip in with suggestions, feel free!!

EN.

cybernet1969

The UK Police do not supply "Letter of Good Conduct".

You need to apply to ACPO and pay GBP 45.00.

They will then send you a letter/certificate which contains the following.

1. No Trace
2. No Active Trace
3. Something else

1. Means you have never been arrested and/or cautioned and/or convicted and/or jailed. Meaning you are a very good citizen of the UK.

2. Means you have been arrested and/or cautioned and/or convicted and/or jailed but it was more than five years ago. Meaning you were once a naughty person in the past but have been a good citizen since.

3. Means you have been arrested and/or cautioned and/or convicted and/or jailed but it was less than five years ago. Meaning you are still classed as a naughty citizen. It is unlikely you will be able to visit any country on the Visa Waiver Program or apply for certain jobs or apply for a Firearm License etc etc

You have to download a form from their website, fill it in and post it with a cheque etc. It can take upto 3 months to get the letter/certificate back. You can pay GBP £80.00 priority and get it back within 30 days. You cannot do it on-line.

Also, many countries know what the ACPO send you so there is no point in telling porkies. Example, "Have you ever been arrested", "No officer" but it says "No Active Trace", means you have at the very least been arrested. So, you will get done for telling porkies to an immigration and/or police officer. Meaning you are still a naughty citizen.

Allot of people think a UK caution is not important. It is as it is basically an admission of guilt regardless if you were prosecuted or not. You should never accept a Police caution if you are 100% sure you have done nothing wrong as it basically stays on your ACPO for life and can hinder you wanting to-do something in the future. They are never spent and can be taken into account by the courts if you then go on to-do something else bad in the future. If your trace comes back with 2 above then everyone and their dog knows at some point in your past you did something wrong which you either admitted or were found guilty of in court. It doesn't matter if it was 5, 10 or 20 years ago. But there is no need to panic if it does come back with this. Just admit what you did if asked my Embassy, Immigration or Police etc. At least then it shows you are being honest and it was more than 5 years ago. However, if you don't get asked the details surrounding the caution etc then you don't have to volunteer the information.

The ACPO letter/certificate is not the same as a UK CRB check.

Cheers

Mark

ExpatNick

Hello Mark,

That's a very detailed response and full of very valuable info.

30 years ago I was in court twice for driving offences to which I pleaded guilty both times. I don't know if this kind of "civil" (rather than criminal) activity will show up, but I'm now expecting to end up being a "No Active Trace" as I've not lived in the UK for 20 plus years.....

.....which raises another question - the UK is the country of my birth and I am a UK national, but I haven't lived there since the early 1990s, so should I source my LGC (or equivalent) from the UK or elsewhere? I now live in Macau but have only been here for six months (and I am not convinced the Macau authorities issue LGCs). Previously, I was in Singapore for six years - would this be an acceptable country from which to source an LGC?

Any thoughts much appreciated everybody!!

Thanks in advance,

Nick.

cybernet1969

Hi Nick,

I would go with Singapore.

They are usually only interested in the last 5 years.

Yes I know you shouldn't offer information but it might be good to get the UK one also. Even if it does say 2. No live trace found. This at least shows them that you are being very honest and doing more than you actually need to. I very much doubt they will even question you about it etc.

I had a friend that went to USA on the Visa Waiver Program. The first question it asks is "Have you ever been arrested". He said NO. He lied as he had a previous caution for being drunk in public. Anyway, all went fine, he went to USA and back. Then 3 months later he applied for a B2 Multiple entry VISA for the USA as he met a girl there. Part of getting the visa is also getting an ACPO certificate. It came back no live trace found. When he went for the interview at the US Embassy in London, they said, you travelled to the USA on VWP and have clearly lied about the arrest question. He said, sorry, I got confused. They said, not a problem, B2 Visa denied and you cant now use the VWP.

So, he is stuffed for at least 5 years. No entry by any means to the USA. He can ofcourse re-apply as many times as he wants but he will not get a visa as he lied to Embassy/Immigration officials.

Morale of the story. Be honest. Telling porkies about something that happened in your past just might come back to haunt you in the future.

If the day comes ( depending on data protection laws ) when external Embassy/Immigration officials have access to your home country's police databases then I imagine a great deal of people will find themselves in trouble when arriving at foreign POE's only to be turned away and put back on the plane/boat.

Hope this helps.

Mark

bakedbean

I think I'd plump for the Singapore one if you can get it. Why don't you check with MM2H via email or phone. I heard today on the my2home site that they actually respond to emails now...hurrah.

ExpatNick

It appears that Singapore no longer provides a LGC. Instead, you are required to make a Declaration of Good Conduct which then needs to be notarised by a solicitor or the like.

Not sure if a self-declaration like this would stand up in an MM2H review?

cybernet1969

That wouldn't be accepted by any country.

As far as I am aware it must come from the Police.

bakedbean

I remember reading something about Singapore LGCs on the MM2H info site. I don't know if this is still up to date, but it was stated by someone in September 2012 that Singapore police will not issue a letter of good conduct until they have received MM2H Conditional Letter of Approval and MM2H is aware of this and was suggested that it be mentioned that letter of Good Conduct is not attached as yet.

If you're going this route (Singapore Police) then maybe have a good read here.

Atilla

To satisfy the MM2H requirement for a 'Letter of Good Conduct' from the UK you require only the police 'Subject Access' certificate costing £10.

See ACPO/ACRO site here:

http://www.acro.police.uk/subject_access.aspx

There are two types of certificate ACRO issue. 'Subject Access' (£10) and 'Police Certificate' (£48). They Police Certificate is only required for specific designated countries, South Africa, Belgium, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Malaysia is not one of them. For the SA you apply locally but the response is provided by ACRO.

See below also which is a link from "Ask the Police" which is linked to the Police National Legal Database:

http://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx

kennyboy33

yep..I remember paying just £10