Check your PCC validity..

R

Raju595

Registered Users (C)
Friends,

We are seeing multiple posts saying that Consulate(s)
are confirming the validity of PCC as 6 MONTHS only.

I am assuming that the consulate is giving these mails
with the full knowledge that the candidates have been
living in US and no travel has taken place between the
PCC issue date and now.

This could be due to prevailing high security levels.

So, go forward with the assumption that the PCC validity
is only 6 months.

Raju

[ Not a legal opinion. All disclaimers apply ]
 
Which Consulates?

I have seen posting regarding the chennai consulate,
has anyone checked with mumbai and delhi consulates?
is this true of other consulates (other than in india) as well?
thanks
KYCP
 
Confirmed with Delhi Consulate

I have confirmed that the validity of the PCC is 6 months only with the US Embassy, New Delhi on a conversation over the phone on March 24, 2003 (Monday).

Thanks.
 
Other consulates

Right now we have no information about other consulates.

This should prompt those members to make enquiries and
post the outcome here.

Raju
 
Last time I checked with Consulate General of India at SFO they also mentioned that PCC iuued by them has validity of 6 months.

Further, when I reapplied they asked me to wait till they get response back from India or 35-40 days before they can issue the PCC. currently I am in wait phase and am expecting to get PCC in Mid-April
 
Surprise NEWS

It's hard for me to believe what is stated below. But I am posting it with the original file I received from the US Consualte, Chennai for my e-mail query to "ChennaiNIV@state.gov"

Do I need to get a police certificate for the interview?
If an applicant has only resided in India or the United States, then no police certificate is required from the Indian police or any local police authority in the United States. However, if the applicant has resided abroad since the age of 16 for periods of six months or more, then a police certificate might be required from that country, depending on which country it was. A full list of countries where police certificates are considered to be unavailable is at the National Visa Center web site.

I am dividing the file in three parts because of the file size.
 
cpDelhi,
that email id is for non-immigrant visa information from chennai consulate, correct?

do they also need a police certificate?

I do not think that requirement would similar to the immigrant visa!?

did you mean to attach another file? I could not find the info you mention on your posting, in the file attached?!
thanks
 
Listed below is the PCC info from NVC, which presents a different light...
thanks,
KYCP


http://travel.state.gov/nvc3.html#pc

Police certificates

Police certificates are required for each visa applicant aged 16 years or older. The table below shows 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.

The police certificate must:

Cover the entire period of the applicant’s residence in that area, and State what the appropriate police authorities records show concerning each applicant, including all arrests, the reason for the arrest(s), and the disposition of each case of which there is a record.
Note: Police certificates from certain countries are unavailable. More specific information is available from NVC or the nearest United States immigrant visa processing post.
 
The mail ID is for the Non-immigrant section but the enclosed
document says what cpDelhi has inserted in the body of his
mail.

But the problem is this only adds to the confusion. From what is
mentioned here, most of us do not need a PCC at all.

I have seen this document before and the first para looks new
to me.

I suspect, who ever is updating the website and the documents
are not communicating in a clear fashion.

I am going ahead with the assumption that PCC is a required
document and is valid only for 6 months now.

Raju
 
File has three parts

Originally posted by KYCP
cpDelhi,
that email id is for non-immigrant visa information from chennai consulate, correct?
Correct.

do they also need a police certificate?
Don't know.

I do not think that requirement would similar to the immigrant visa!?
I think the same. But the info in the three files is general in nature.

did you mean to attach another file? I could not find the info you mention on your posting, in the file attached?!
The excerpt which I posted is in Visa Information part 2.doc file.

thanks
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just got the packet 4 form mumbai consulate,
there is some thing more confusing about the PCC.

the paragraph about PCC goes:
"As of Jan 01 2002:
All immigrant visa applicants over age 16 must present indian police certificates.

2 certificates must be obtained as follows:

1. A certificate form the local police station
2. A certificate from Regional passport office"
Click to expand...

ceebee, gpiyush - did you guys get the same letter?
anybody else CP from mumbai consulate - please reply
thanks
-KYCP
 
Originally posted by KYCP
I just got the packet 4 form mumbai consulate,
there is some thing more confusing about the PCC.

the paragraph about PCC goes:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"As of Jan 01 2002:
All immigrant visa applicants over age 16 must present indian police certificates.

2 certificates must be obtained as follows:

1. A certificate form the local police station
2. A certificate from Regional passport office"



ceebee, gpiyush - did you guys get the same letter?
anybody else CP from mumbai consulate - please reply
thanks
-KYCP
Click to expand...

KYCP,

I don't think you need to worry about this. This looks like
one of those standard forms they throw into the cover.

This looks like the requirement for people applying from within
India.

Raju
 
Thanks Raju

Thanks Raju,
Mumbai Consulate Website essentially tates what you said about the PCC,
I hope to send them an email regarding this and take a copy of the reply to the interview just to be on the safer side,
thanks
-KYCP

http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/in3/wwwhimmi.html#police

Indian passport holders applying for visas outside India should obtain a statement from their local embassy or consulate confirming they have no criminal record.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
PCC Validity

Friends:

My case was sent to Chennai consulate on the 13nth of march and the consulate sent me an email saying the interview could be either in May or June.

I have a PCC which was issued from the NY consulate in Oct 2002 and obviously it will be more than six months by the end of March. After seeing the posts I called the NY Indian consulate asking whether it is possible for them to issue another PCC without the usual 45 day period since I already have one. The answer was NO. They want me to reapply and if they get a clearence from India they will issue it immediatly otherwise I need to wait for 45 days.

My wife who got a similar PCC from NY in Oct 2002 is in India from Nov 02. she applied for an Indian PCC since she will be staying in India for more than six months prior to our interview. The passport office in Trivandrum issued their clearance certificate in a day (they need the passport and a photograph) and she could get the certificate from district police office in 10 days. So the option of getting Indian PCC is still open for people who are very close to their interview date provided they can reach India in advance (may be a couple of weeks earlier than they had planned). The district police office will issue a clearance certificate covering the period of stay in India only.

Today I sent another email to Chennai consulate asking them what course of action they suggest in this situation. I am waiting for their reply and will post it as soon as I hear from the consulate.

In my case I plan to do two things. 1) Apply for a new PCC with copies of passport so that I can still travel in case it is necessary and get PCC from India. 2) Leave for India at least two weeks early so that I can get an Indian PCC.

Good luck..

DMN
 
I have October 2002 dated PCC's from Australia for wife and myself. Asked Sydney consulate today if this will be OK for May interview. Their email reply was "they would be fine and are valid for 12 months".

Seems like only some consulates are changing PCC validity period.
 
Very inconsistent

I am now convinced that the Chennai consulate is indeed telling people that the PCC validity is 6 months. However, this is only adding to the confusion.

What if someone just went by what is on their webpage? After all, not everybody makes phone calls or sends emails to the consulate?

The webpage, which should be the absolute standard for updated information says NOTHING about the validity of the PCC. In theory, one could take a PCC that is older than ONE YEAR and the Chennai consulate would not be able to categorically tell the candidate that the PCC is past it's validity. Simply because there is no validity either mentioned on the PCC, nor on the consulate website.

I really wonder what would happen if someone showed up with a PCC older than six months. Any guesses? The consulate cannot ask the person to get in touch with the Indian consulate in the US and get a new PCC, or would they go to that extent, when they have not even made it clear that PCCs older than six months are not valid?

Whatever.... this is going to lead to the next round of scrambling by us "desis", who are used to blindly following any rule any offical comes up with!

Aish
 
desis..

We have been having a healthy atmosphere in this forum all along, and I do not want any one going at a tangent using words like this, and I am sure most of the other members agree with me.

While it is true that the members are predominently Indians I am sure nationals from several other countries are getting benefitted from the information posted here.

Coming to following of rules, if rules are laid down by Dept. of
State or INS then, it is the candidate's choice to either follow them
or, not deal with these agencies.

There is nothing wrong in following rules.

If any one is prepared to delibarately go with an out dated PCC
and argue with the consular officer, then only thing I say to him/her is 'Good Luck'!

Raju
 
PCC

Hi All,

I do agree with Raju, its one's choice if you want to follow the rules of INS or not. And its not only folks from India there are lots of other people from other countries benefitted from this forums.

In Regards to PCC Question, the validity changes from countires to different consulates. Please send an email or call your Consulate to check on the validity of your PCC. I would suggest to make sure that you will get the PCC in India in two weeks before your interview. So you can go earlier than two weeks just to be on the safer side.

Recent Forums Discussions shows that PCC are valid only for six months for Consulates in India. Please read/search for yourself.

Thanks.
VinCP.
 
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