How vital is police clearance paper for a DV interview? The rule is that I have to bring clearance from all countries I have lived for more than six months after the age of 16. In my case I will have to collect this from 5 five different countries. Can some one tell me if this is vital to my interview? I am a bit worried because some (two) of these countries are a bit inaccessible & I stayed there as part of a foreign mission to work on a project to which I have a letter from my employers whose headquarters are in Europe.
Police clearance
- Thread starter hermias
- Start date
Hi hermias,
Since it is required documents, I guess there will be some serious consequences if you fail to submit them. As for foreign countries, you have to get police certificates from the countries where you lived in the past for more than 12 months when you were 16 or older.
For those who need police certificate from other countries, check Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder.
It will give you information whether the document is available or not, or how to get them.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm
According to DV2004 instruction, police certificate is not availabe for following countries:
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Costa Rica
Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Libya
Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Korea
Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, U.S., Uzbekistan
But, this information might be old. So, you should double check by Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder.
Since it is required documents, I guess there will be some serious consequences if you fail to submit them. As for foreign countries, you have to get police certificates from the countries where you lived in the past for more than 12 months when you were 16 or older.
For those who need police certificate from other countries, check Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder.
It will give you information whether the document is available or not, or how to get them.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm
According to DV2004 instruction, police certificate is not availabe for following countries:
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Costa Rica
Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Libya
Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Korea
Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, U.S., Uzbekistan
But, this information might be old. So, you should double check by Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder.
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Hi hermias,
Police certificate that you're required to obtain by yourself are crucial. No visa will be issued until all the police certificates are available. I know someone who passed his interview and he was successful. However the issuance of his visa got delayed till he provided the missing police certificate.
Good luck,
Police certificate that you're required to obtain by yourself are crucial. No visa will be issued until all the police certificates are available. I know someone who passed his interview and he was successful. However the issuance of his visa got delayed till he provided the missing police certificate.
Good luck,
Toomackie and Bizza
Thanks for the information! I am still confused because I might never be able get these certificates because I can not travel to these two countries at this moment. Remember I have lived in these two countries for a year each (which I have already indicated in my earlier application to KCC) I am not resident there any more. From what I know these countries issue police clearance if only I appear in person and give them finger prints. I don’t know if there is a way around?
Thanks for the information! I am still confused because I might never be able get these certificates because I can not travel to these two countries at this moment. Remember I have lived in these two countries for a year each (which I have already indicated in my earlier application to KCC) I am not resident there any more. From what I know these countries issue police clearance if only I appear in person and give them finger prints. I don’t know if there is a way around?
Unfortunately, it doesn't matter if you are currently resident or not as long as you lived there for more than a year...
Mind if I ask which countries? If you give the name of the two countries, you might be able to get information from those who had been there.
Mind if I ask which countries? If you give the name of the two countries, you might be able to get information from those who had been there.
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dragoman
Registered Users (C)
This is from reciprocity table on state.gov, but you are saying in Turkey police record is not available. It is better check the countries one by one..
POLICE RECORD
A Turkish Criminal Record is available and the quality of the document is high. The document can be obtained in 2 or 3 days by applicants. It is available both to Turkish Citizens and other nationals, whether they are living in Turkey or residing abroad.
In Turkey, the applicant can obtain the document by visiting one of the 167 Criminal Records offices of the Ministry of Justice. The official there will do a computerized records check on the national system. To request the document from abroad, the applicant can write to Turkish Republic Ministry of Justice General Directory of Criminal Records Central Office in Ankara (address: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti, Adalet Bakanligi, Adli Sicil Genel Mudurlugu, Tuna Caddesi No. 10, Ankara), providing all identifying information and including international postage.
POLICE RECORD
A Turkish Criminal Record is available and the quality of the document is high. The document can be obtained in 2 or 3 days by applicants. It is available both to Turkish Citizens and other nationals, whether they are living in Turkey or residing abroad.
In Turkey, the applicant can obtain the document by visiting one of the 167 Criminal Records offices of the Ministry of Justice. The official there will do a computerized records check on the national system. To request the document from abroad, the applicant can write to Turkish Republic Ministry of Justice General Directory of Criminal Records Central Office in Ankara (address: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti, Adalet Bakanligi, Adli Sicil Genel Mudurlugu, Tuna Caddesi No. 10, Ankara), providing all identifying information and including international postage.
dragoman
Registered Users (C)
If you worked in China in a foreign mission than you dont need to get it. On reciprocity table you can find everthing..you can contact those foreign missons to obtain the police reports from relevant country authorities. But some of them such as Hong Kong require your fingerprints, money etc .
I kind of thought information might be old. That's why I gave warning. 
does police report valid after 1 year?
I already got one police report from my home country from my family. But the question is that if I have chance to have interview next year, this police report I have right now will be over 1 year from the issued day.
Is that okay I use this police report or I'd better to acquire another one by the time I have interview.
I am in USA right now, btw
I already got one police report from my home country from my family. But the question is that if I have chance to have interview next year, this police report I have right now will be over 1 year from the issued day.
Is that okay I use this police report or I'd better to acquire another one by the time I have interview.
I am in USA right now, btw
dragoman
Registered Users (C)
I am also confused some says more tan 6 months some of them say more than 12 months..Which one of them is true..? Can you give me a source..?
I appreciate the information you are giving me but I still have one basic question. After posting the question I checked through all the documents that I received along with my first notification letter from KCC and couldn’t find where it is written that I must bring police certificate from all places I lived after the age of 16. All I got is that I must prepare “police certificate” among other documents for my interview. I believe I must have gotten the idea from this forum! Correct me if I am wrong and please also guide me if it is written somewhere.
It is a bit difficult situation for me to get the certificate at this point because the countries I had lived in are both in Africa (Angola and Chad) and the time is 4 and 5 years ago respectively. Both of them demand my physical presence at the police station and finger print. You can imagine my predicament!
Thank you!
It is a bit difficult situation for me to get the certificate at this point because the countries I had lived in are both in Africa (Angola and Chad) and the time is 4 and 5 years ago respectively. Both of them demand my physical presence at the police station and finger print. You can imagine my predicament!
Thank you!
I think police certificate must be valid at the time of interview. So you will probably need one... US Embassy in Japan says police certificat is usually valid for a year, but I've read this is not the case for other countries. In some countries, it is 6 month. You might want to check with police.
It's not in the 1st package but probably in the 2nd one. In my case (DV2004) I got this information in 1st package. It looks like KCC simplified information.
Did you check Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder? I didn't get any info about Chad, and it is one of the countries where police certificate is unobtainable according to DV2004 instruction. So, you may not need one form Chad. About Angola, instruction says "Applicants may write or visit." If you are in US, you may be able to get information from Embassy of Angola in U.S.
Yeah, explanation itself is a bit confusing... I wasn't able to find it in USCIS page, but I found it in my DV2004 instruction and
in HP of US Embassy in Japan. http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-ivpolice.html
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islandgirl
Registered Users (C)
I think the difference is that for DV-2007 it is over 12 months and for DV-2008 it is over 6 months. I am not entirely sure but I believe this is because they ask you in DV-2007 to list the places you have lived in for over 12 months and in DV-2008 they ask for places you have lived in for over 6 months.
I think this is the info that some are using to determine the need for the police certificate. I do not currently have my 2008 NL with me so I cannot check it to verify what is actually said about the police certificate.
If am wrong with any of the info above I stand corrected. Could anyone verify?
Hey Islandgirl,
I was under the impression that it was 6 months but I checked the documents yesterday. They ask you to name places where you have lived more than 6 months, but the police certificate is required only for places where you have lived more than 1 year.
I found info about police certificate in USCIS:
Definitions . (1) Police certificate means a certification by the police or other appropriate authorities reporting information entered in their records relating to the alien. In the case of the country of an alien's nationality and the country of an alien's current residence (as of the time of visa application) the term "appropriate police authorities'' means those of a country, area or locality in which the alien has resided for at least six months. In the case of all other countries, areas, or localities, the term " appropriate police authorities'' means the authorities of any country, area, or locality in which the alien has resided for at least one year. A consular officer may require a police certificate regardless of length of residence in any country if he or she has reason to believe that a police record exists in the country, area, or locality concerned.
source: http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?dockey=8f6d047cd806e70db3c245d0410e1eb6
FYI, the following information is I got from KCC for DV2004 instruction
Applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality, if the applicant:
Definitions . (1) Police certificate means a certification by the police or other appropriate authorities reporting information entered in their records relating to the alien. In the case of the country of an alien's nationality and the country of an alien's current residence (as of the time of visa application) the term "appropriate police authorities'' means those of a country, area or locality in which the alien has resided for at least six months. In the case of all other countries, areas, or localities, the term " appropriate police authorities'' means the authorities of any country, area, or locality in which the alien has resided for at least one year. A consular officer may require a police certificate regardless of length of residence in any country if he or she has reason to believe that a police record exists in the country, area, or locality concerned.
source: http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?dockey=8f6d047cd806e70db3c245d0410e1eb6
FYI, the following information is I got from KCC for DV2004 instruction
Applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality, if the applicant:
- is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months / and is 16 years old or older.
- lived in a different part of their country of nationality for more than 6 months / was 16 years or older at that time.
- lived in a different country for more than 12 months / was 16 years or older at that time.
- was arrested for any reason regardless of how long they lived there / was any age at that time.
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islandgirl
Registered Users (C)
Okay, thanks for claryifying.
dragoman
Registered Users (C)
Police reports
Here is the response from KCC about police report..
"Police Certificates
Police certificates are required for each visa applicant aged 16 years or older. The following information illustrates how many police certificates are required based on where each applicant lives and has lived previously. Present and former residents of the United States should NOT obtain any police certificates covering their residence in the U.S.
· If the applicant is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months, and is 16 years old or older, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality.
· If the applicant lived in a different part of their country of nationality for more than 6 months, and was 16 years or older at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality.
· If the applicant lived in a different country for more than 12 months, and was 16 years or older at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality.
· If the applicant was arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived there, and was any age at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality."
Here is the response from KCC about police report..
"Police Certificates
Police certificates are required for each visa applicant aged 16 years or older. The following information illustrates how many police certificates are required based on where each applicant lives and has lived previously. Present and former residents of the United States should NOT obtain any police certificates covering their residence in the U.S.
· If the applicant is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months, and is 16 years old or older, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality.
· If the applicant lived in a different part of their country of nationality for more than 6 months, and was 16 years or older at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality.
· If the applicant lived in a different country for more than 12 months, and was 16 years or older at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality.
· If the applicant was arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived there, and was any age at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality."