Police Certificates Queries
May 12th 2010, 8:44 pm
#1
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Police Certificates Queries
A couple of queries concerning Police certificates.
1) When obtaining an ACRO certificate for the time I've spent living in the UK since the age of 16, will 1 application and certificate suffice for the 15 some-odd years of residency + various different locales that I lived in?
2) I am also trying to determine if I require police records for the time I've spent living in China (although I desperately hope I don't have to because it looks like it will take a long time to get them). For my first time in China, I lived and worked there for approximately 10 1/2 months. I then returned to the UK for a period of six weeks before heading out to a different part of China, where I worked and lived for approximately 10 1/2 months again. I went back out to China a couple of years later on a secondment. The secondment was for a two-year period. However, I was not resident in China during this time for more than 12 months at any one time - I was in China for a 9 month stint and, then after a 2 month period back in the US + UK, I went back to the same city + company (although not the same address) for a further period of 11 months. Looking at my Chinese visas for this time (Z visas) my first visa ran from October to August of the following year but was then superseded by a newer visa than run from June of the following year to September of the next year.
If I do need at least 1 police certificate, does anyone have any idea about the best way to go about it? Through the HR department of my company?
Many thanks,
Dan
1) When obtaining an ACRO certificate for the time I've spent living in the UK since the age of 16, will 1 application and certificate suffice for the 15 some-odd years of residency + various different locales that I lived in?
2) I am also trying to determine if I require police records for the time I've spent living in China (although I desperately hope I don't have to because it looks like it will take a long time to get them). For my first time in China, I lived and worked there for approximately 10 1/2 months. I then returned to the UK for a period of six weeks before heading out to a different part of China, where I worked and lived for approximately 10 1/2 months again. I went back out to China a couple of years later on a secondment. The secondment was for a two-year period. However, I was not resident in China during this time for more than 12 months at any one time - I was in China for a 9 month stint and, then after a 2 month period back in the US + UK, I went back to the same city + company (although not the same address) for a further period of 11 months. Looking at my Chinese visas for this time (Z visas) my first visa ran from October to August of the following year but was then superseded by a newer visa than run from June of the following year to September of the next year.
If I do need at least 1 police certificate, does anyone have any idea about the best way to go about it? Through the HR department of my company?
Many thanks,
Dan
May 14th 2010, 10:43 pm
#2
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
Re: Police Certificates Queries
You only need the ACRO certificate if you've ever been arrested/convicted.
May 15th 2010, 2:10 pm
#4
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Re: Police Certificates Queries
Having recieved my ACPO certificate through today, I should hopefully be able to help here.
1). You will only need one certificate if your conviction was in this country, if it was in another, you will need to apply to the courts you were convicted, whichever country that may be in. It needs to be issued within 6months of you planned visit to the states.
You have to apply yourself to the Hampshire police for your ACPO certificate.
The application form is here.
http://www.acpo.police.uk/certificates.asp
It is a bit of pain to fill in, but pretty quick turnaround.
1). You will only need one certificate if your conviction was in this country, if it was in another, you will need to apply to the courts you were convicted, whichever country that may be in. It needs to be issued within 6months of you planned visit to the states.
You have to apply yourself to the Hampshire police for your ACPO certificate.
The application form is here.
http://www.acpo.police.uk/certificates.asp
It is a bit of pain to fill in, but pretty quick turnaround.
May 17th 2010, 7:41 pm
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 40
Re: Police Certificates Queries
Thanks for the replies and apologies for posting in the wrong forum (I didn't think it was specifically a marriage-based visa query but that is what I am applying for, so...).
In terms of the UK one, it seems pretty clear that only 1 is required rather than obtaining a certificate from each individual locale that you have lived. As for China, as far as I can deduce, it is necessary to obtain a police certificate from any country in which you have lived more than 12 months in total - as opposed to only requiring it from any place that you have lived more than 12 months at a time i.e. I need 1 from China because I have lived there more than 12 months in totality, even though it has never been more than 12 months at a time.
Just thought I would post it in case others have a similar query.
Many thanks,
Dan
In terms of the UK one, it seems pretty clear that only 1 is required rather than obtaining a certificate from each individual locale that you have lived. As for China, as far as I can deduce, it is necessary to obtain a police certificate from any country in which you have lived more than 12 months in total - as opposed to only requiring it from any place that you have lived more than 12 months at a time i.e. I need 1 from China because I have lived there more than 12 months in totality, even though it has never been more than 12 months at a time.
Just thought I would post it in case others have a similar query.
Many thanks,
Dan
May 17th 2010, 7:44 pm
#6
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Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 58,679
Re: Police Certificates Queries
Thanks for the replies and apologies for posting in the wrong forum (I didn't think it was specifically a marriage-based visa query but that is what I am applying for, so...).
In terms of the UK one, it seems pretty clear that only 1 is required rather than obtaining a certificate from each individual locale that you have lived. As for China, as far as I can deduce, it is necessary to obtain a police certificate from any country in which you have lived more than 12 months in total - as opposed to only requiring it from any place that you have lived more than 12 months at a time i.e. I need 1 from China because I have lived there more than 12 months in totality, even though it has never been more than 12 months at a time.
Just thought I would post it in case others have a similar query.
Many thanks,
Dan
In terms of the UK one, it seems pretty clear that only 1 is required rather than obtaining a certificate from each individual locale that you have lived. As for China, as far as I can deduce, it is necessary to obtain a police certificate from any country in which you have lived more than 12 months in total - as opposed to only requiring it from any place that you have lived more than 12 months at a time i.e. I need 1 from China because I have lived there more than 12 months in totality, even though it has never been more than 12 months at a time.
Just thought I would post it in case others have a similar query.
Many thanks,
Dan
Rene
May 17th 2010, 10:31 pm
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Location: Kentucky
Posts: 38,865
Re: Police Certificates Queries
Ian
May 19th 2010, 2:25 am
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Joined: May 2010
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 122
Re: Police Certificates Queries
Does anybody know what the difference is between a "subject access" and Police Certificate?
The police told me I needed a subject access when I first asked, then I realised it wasn't right and i needed a Police Certificate. It's been a pain for me and cost me valuable time, I'm still waiting on the latter to come through before I book my interview.
Thanks.
The police told me I needed a subject access when I first asked, then I realised it wasn't right and i needed a Police Certificate. It's been a pain for me and cost me valuable time, I'm still waiting on the latter to come through before I book my interview.
Thanks.
May 19th 2010, 10:05 am
#9
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Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 308
Re: Police Certificates Queries
Does anybody know what the difference is between a "subject access" and Police Certificate?
The police told me I needed a subject access when I first asked, then I realised it wasn't right and i needed a Police Certificate. It's been a pain for me and cost me valuable time, I'm still waiting on the latter to come through before I book my interview.
Thanks.
The police told me I needed a subject access when I first asked, then I realised it wasn't right and i needed a Police Certificate. It's been a pain for me and cost me valuable time, I'm still waiting on the latter to come through before I book my interview.
Thanks.
http://www.acpo.police.uk/Certificat...%20English.pdf
May 19th 2010, 3:54 pm
#10
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: Police Certificates Queries
Does anybody know what the difference is between a "subject access" and Police Certificate?
The police told me I needed a subject access when I first asked, then I realised it wasn't right and i needed a Police Certificate. It's been a pain for me and cost me valuable time, I'm still waiting on the latter to come through before I book my interview.
Thanks.
The police told me I needed a subject access when I first asked, then I realised it wasn't right and i needed a Police Certificate. It's been a pain for me and cost me valuable time, I'm still waiting on the latter to come through before I book my interview.
Thanks.
The instructions under 'police certificate' from the US Embassy/London tell you which one to get.
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/iv/ukpc.html
