2011-Aug 19: Canadian police certificates

Visa Pak 30- Information about Canadian police certificates and what types are acceptable for visa applications.

Visa Paks

19 August 2011

Canadian police certificates

Advice and practice for Canadian police certificates is inconsistent. This is leading to confusion and complaints by customers and uncertainty amongst Immigration New Zealand (INZ) officers as to what may be accepted.

Background
Visa applicants in Canada can obtain a police certificate from the Canadian Police Information Centre [CPIC] but this is not available to applicants outside Canada.

Applicants outside Canada, either Canadian citizens or people who have lived there for 12 months or more, must apply through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP takes up to 6 months to process requests for a police check.

Action
This advice is to clarify when CPIC police checks are acceptable and if and when RCMP police checks need to be provided.

Advice to branches

  • Canadian visa applicants applying offshore for a residence or temporary visa may submit either a CPIC or a RCMP police check
  • Canadian visa applicants in New Zealand must provide fingerprints and apply for a RCMP police check (as the CPIC police check is not available to applicants outside Canada). However, if an applicant outside Canada has obtained a police certificate using CPIC, then INZ will accept this i.e. a Canadian visa applicant may be approved temporary or residence visas by providing only CPIC police checks.

The website and template letters have been updated to reflect