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Obtaining a Police Certificate

In some cases, persons wishing to enter Canada may be required to provide POLICE CERTIFICATES as part of the documentation necessary to be granted an entry Visa. Most authorities will require that the applicant provide fingerprints and pay a fee in order to obtain a Police Certificate. Do not request a police certificate from Hong Kong, the United States or Canada until you are instructed to do so by a visa office. Further instructions for obtaining the police certificate from these authorities will be sent to you if one is required.

Canadian Visa Offices in the United States have STRICT GUIDELINES for applicants who require Police Certificates. It is imperative that those requiring this documentation follow the GUIDELINES listed below:

• A Police Certificate, or certificate of "no criminal record" is necessary for every applicant age 18 and older who requires it.
• A Police Certificate is required from the country where the applicant CURRENTLY lives, along with ALL other countries where the applicant has resided in for 6 months or more since age 18.
• The Police Certificate should be issued by a NATIONAL or FEDERAL police agency where possible. Applicants may need to apply at an Embassy/High Commission if they are not currently residing in that country.
• All Police Certificates must have been issued within the last SIX MONTHS. Outdated Police Certificates will NOT be accepted.
• All Police Certificates MUST BE ORIGINALS. Photocopies will NOT be accepted.
• All Police Certificates MUST be accompanied by an ORIGINAL TRANSLATION prepared by an accredited translator if they are in a language other than English or French.

• How to Obtain a Police Certificate from Authorities in the United States
• How to Obtain a Police Certificate from Canadian Authorities

Applicants requiring Police Certificates who are currently present in the United States or who have stayed in the U.S. for six months or more MUST obtain police clearance from the FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI).

STEP ONE - HAVE A FULL SET OF FINGERPRINTS TAKEN BY A RECOGNIZED AGENCY:

• Fingerprints for U.S. record checks should be taken on the FBI FINGERPRINT FORM. Do not contact any FBI office regarding fingerprinting. A Fingerprint Form can be obtained by requesting one by mail from the FBI at the address listed below.

• Fingerprints can usually be taken in the U.S. by a LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. Persons MAY also be fingerprinted at a regional office of the DEPT. OF MOTOR VEHICLES, or from a private organization engaged in the fingerprinting business. The applicant should always specify when making a fingerprinting request that it is required for Canadian immigration purposes.

• Applicants appearing for fingerprinting will also need PHOTO IDENTIFICATION, such as a passport. They should also be prepared to provide fingerprinting agents with details including full name, maiden name, any aliases, date of birth, sex, race, social security number, proof of identity, and the reason for requesting fingerprinting (Canadian immigration purposes).

• A fee will usually be charged for fingerprinting. Fees vary according to the location where the applicant is fingerprinted.

STEP TWO - SEND FINGERPRINTS ALONG WITH A PROCESSING FEE TO THE FBI:

• A CERTIFIED CHECK OR MONEY ORDER for U.S. $18 should be made payable to "Treasury of the United States".
• Processing usually takes between 6 and 8 weeks. The FBI will send the applicant the results of their check by RETURNING their fingerprint card. THAT IS THE APPLICANT'S POLICE CERTIFICATE.

STEP THREE - SEND THE POLICE CERTIFICATE TO THE CANADIAN VISA OFFICE PROCESSING YOUR APPLICATION.

Applicants requiring Police Certificates who are currently present in Canada or who have resided in Canada for any period of time, MUST obtain a police clearance from the ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE (RCMP). Please note that Canadian Visa Offices will NOT accept Police Certificates from Canada where a name check has been conducted. The RCMP record check that is required must be based on a FINGERPRINT CHECK.

STEP ONE - HAVE FINGERPRINTS TAKEN BY A RECOGNIZED AGENCY:

• Recognized agencies include a LOCAL RCMP DETACHMENT or a LOCAL POLICE SERVICE.

• A fee will usually be charged for fingerprinting. Fees vary according to the location where the applicant is fingerprinted.

• Applicants appearing for fingerprinting will need to bring PHOTO IDENTIFICATION, such as a passport, and a LETTER FROM THE CANADIAN VISA OFFICE which requests an RCMP fingerprint-based criminal record check. Applicants may also wish to contact the RCMP for any additional instructions.

**IMPORTANT: The applicant's IMMIGRATION FILE NUMBER from the Canadian Visa Office that is processing his/her application MUST appear on the applicant's fingerprint form. This will ensure that the results of the applicant's fingerprint check are matched to his/her Canadian immigration file.

**NOTE: The RCMP will send the results of the applicant's criminal record check DIRECTLY TO THE CANADIAN VISA OFFICE. They will not return fingerprints to the applicant. The normal processing time for a criminal record check is 60 days.