I have two Questions. Little Background. Married my wife in Feb 2,2008. Came back to US and filed a I-130 petion on Feb 25th. At the same time, she applied for a passport and has received it (Mid April). My wife's permanent address has always been with her parents in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. She went to college in another city, Rajkot, Gujarat, India. She lived in Rajkot during the semester while she complete her BSc. I am anticipating a December interview on histrorical average.
Question 1) Does she need anything besides police certficate from Local Passport Office?
Question 2) If she does need additional police certificate from District Police, does she need them from both locations, Gandhinagar and Rajkot?
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Full Version: Police Clearance Certificate in Gujarat India
Depends on how long ago the passport was issued.
QUOTE
Police Records
Indian Police Clearance Certificates should be obtained as follows:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciproc...ocity_3582.html
Indian Police Clearance Certificates should be obtained as follows:
- All Indian IV applicants aged 16 and above, residing in India, should obtain police certificates from the local Passport Office. These are usually more dependable than those obtained at a local level and indicate that the subject had no serious criminal convictions on record at the time of passport issuance. Applicants whose Indian passport was issued within the past six months may present just the Passport Office Police Certificate, and need not obtain additional police clearances.
- Applicants over age 16, whose passports were issued more than six months previous to visa application, must also obtain a police clearance from the District Police Office serving the applicant's place of residence.
- Indian passport holders applying for visas outside India should obtain a statement from their local embassy or consulate confirming they have no criminal record.
- Non-Indian IV applicants residing in India should obtain police certificates from the District Police Station serving their area of residence.
- Indian police certificates are not available for foreign (non-Indian) applicants applying outside India.
Hi kman!
She will need the Police cert from her local office and the PCC is good for 6 months only - if it takes more than 6 months for her to get the interview from the time her passport was issued, she will need another PCC. Check the timelines for your visa type under India to get an idea of how long it will be for you guys so that you are prepared - our PCC took 5 weeks and a lot of stress and running around to get it right before the interview, so plan in advance!
(I belive the local cert. is good for one year, but check on that to be sure!)
Good luck with your process, keep posting regarding your experiences!
She will need the Police cert from her local office and the PCC is good for 6 months only - if it takes more than 6 months for her to get the interview from the time her passport was issued, she will need another PCC. Check the timelines for your visa type under India to get an idea of how long it will be for you guys so that you are prepared - our PCC took 5 weeks and a lot of stress and running around to get it right before the interview, so plan in advance!
(I belive the local cert. is good for one year, but check on that to be sure!)Good luck with your process, keep posting regarding your experiences!
Her passport was just recently issued. So that means we should start gathering the PCC from regional passpost office and local office when the NVC process has started?
Hi,
Your wife should get police clearance certificates from Gandhinagar and Rajkot. Also, she has to apply for police clearance certificate from regional passport office(probably Ahmedabad).
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Your wife should get police clearance certificates from Gandhinagar and Rajkot. Also, she has to apply for police clearance certificate from regional passport office(probably Ahmedabad).
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Hi mqk,
There was a lot of confusion for us as well regarding the PCCs and Local Certs. as Ritesh grew up in Delhi (until the age of 24) and then moved to Bangalore. The only 'local' cert. that we had to get (we got an email response from Chennai Consulate) was for the current address in Bangalore. I don't think you will need two 'local' certs, just the one from her family residence location, but you can check with your interviewing Consulate to be sure of their requirements.
Having a 'fresh' passport, the PCC is NOT required unless your interview is 6 months later than the issuance of the passport. (Just having the passport be so new IS having a PCC) For example, if the passport was issued on Feb. 1st, she would not require a PCC unless the interview was after August 1st. Once you check the timelines in VJ, you can guess when the interview might happen, and do the PCC about 2 months in advance to be sure you get it. (Some places issue the PCC within days, our situation was more complicated!)
I hope this is more clear!
There was a lot of confusion for us as well regarding the PCCs and Local Certs. as Ritesh grew up in Delhi (until the age of 24) and then moved to Bangalore. The only 'local' cert. that we had to get (we got an email response from Chennai Consulate) was for the current address in Bangalore. I don't think you will need two 'local' certs, just the one from her family residence location, but you can check with your interviewing Consulate to be sure of their requirements.
Having a 'fresh' passport, the PCC is NOT required unless your interview is 6 months later than the issuance of the passport. (Just having the passport be so new IS having a PCC) For example, if the passport was issued on Feb. 1st, she would not require a PCC unless the interview was after August 1st. Once you check the timelines in VJ, you can guess when the interview might happen, and do the PCC about 2 months in advance to be sure you get it. (Some places issue the PCC within days, our situation was more complicated!)
I hope this is more clear!
All PCCs are valid for 12 months, not 6 months.
See: http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/ivpolicecertificates.html
You don't need to get one from Regional Passport Office, as your passport has just been issued in mid April 2008. (within 6 months, and you don't need cert from RPO.)
You do need to get two PCC: one from Gandhinagar and one from Rajkot. I have read somewhere in this Forum that if you lived > 6 months in more than 2 places, you need to get at most 2 PCCs from the most recent 2 cities.
Also, when DS-230 needs to be filled, do include Rajkot as one of the places she lived.
If she lived in Hostel, she will need letter from Wardon of the Hostel to get the PCC from Rajkot. If she lived in private house / apartment, she will need rent receipt or letter from association chairman, if there is one, or two witness. I know, it sounds complicated, but trust me, these things delayed PCC for my nephew by 10 days.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
See: http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/ivpolicecertificates.html
You don't need to get one from Regional Passport Office, as your passport has just been issued in mid April 2008. (within 6 months, and you don't need cert from RPO.)
You do need to get two PCC: one from Gandhinagar and one from Rajkot. I have read somewhere in this Forum that if you lived > 6 months in more than 2 places, you need to get at most 2 PCCs from the most recent 2 cities.
Also, when DS-230 needs to be filled, do include Rajkot as one of the places she lived.
If she lived in Hostel, she will need letter from Wardon of the Hostel to get the PCC from Rajkot. If she lived in private house / apartment, she will need rent receipt or letter from association chairman, if there is one, or two witness. I know, it sounds complicated, but trust me, these things delayed PCC for my nephew by 10 days.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
the website above says that if you passport was issue within the past 6 months, then they only need PCC from the regional passport office and not anywhere else. Am I reading this clearly? If so, can we get the PCC from the regional passport office just before the 6 months and turn that in since it is valid for one year?
hi,
If i am not wrong gujarat doesnt issue police clearance certificates from the police stations....
So she will just need the PCC from the passport office
Jigi
If i am not wrong gujarat doesnt issue police clearance certificates from the police stations....
So she will just need the PCC from the passport office
Jigi
that makes it a lot easier right. Would NVC know this info or would they send an RFE if we send only PCC from passport office?
QUOTE(Sanjiv Patel @ Apr 16 2008, 08:53 PM) 
All PCCs are valid for 12 months, not 6 months.
See: http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/ivpolicecertificates.html
You don't need to get one from Regional Passport Office, as your passport has just been issued in mid April 2008. (within 6 months, and you don't need cert from RPO.)
You do need to get two PCC: one from Gandhinagar and one from Rajkot. I have read somewhere in this Forum that if you lived > 6 months in more than 2 places, you need to get at most 2 PCCs from the most recent 2 cities.
Also, when DS-230 needs to be filled, do include Rajkot as one of the places she lived.
If she lived in Hostel, she will need letter from Wardon of the Hostel to get the PCC from Rajkot. If she lived in private house / apartment, she will need rent receipt or letter from association chairman, if there is one, or two witness. I know, it sounds complicated, but trust me, these things delayed PCC for my nephew by 10 days.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
See: http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/ivpolicecertificates.html
You don't need to get one from Regional Passport Office, as your passport has just been issued in mid April 2008. (within 6 months, and you don't need cert from RPO.)
You do need to get two PCC: one from Gandhinagar and one from Rajkot. I have read somewhere in this Forum that if you lived > 6 months in more than 2 places, you need to get at most 2 PCCs from the most recent 2 cities.
Also, when DS-230 needs to be filled, do include Rajkot as one of the places she lived.
If she lived in Hostel, she will need letter from Wardon of the Hostel to get the PCC from Rajkot. If she lived in private house / apartment, she will need rent receipt or letter from association chairman, if there is one, or two witness. I know, it sounds complicated, but trust me, these things delayed PCC for my nephew by 10 days.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
I definitely agree that any addresses she has lived in should be included on any forms for immigration - the I-130/G-325As, the DS 230, etc. - and they must be consistent with each other.
It is interesting that on Ritesh's Passport Clearance Cert., it states that it is valid for 6 months, while the Mumbai Consular site says it thinks any police cert. is valid for 1 year. Perhaps Gujarat/Mumbai Consulate is different in the way that it handles things for District and Regional Passport Offices from B-lore/Chennai Consulate, but when we asked about all the different locations where Ritesh had lived, and if we needed separate police clearance forms, we were told NO, only the Bangalore District Police Office and Regional Passport Office - even though his passport was issued in Delhi.
The best thing might be to get it straight from the Consulate, clearly spell out your situation, and send it in an email - just to be on the safe side!
hey,
Embassies dont reply to emails... thats the problems.. NVC thinks we are at fault. I think the VFS , Mumbai COnsulate and the NVC are not updated to the same guideline platform yet. Thats where all the confusion STARTS! ! ! !
Jigi
Embassies dont reply to emails... thats the problems.. NVC thinks we are at fault. I think the VFS , Mumbai COnsulate and the NVC are not updated to the same guideline platform yet. Thats where all the confusion STARTS! ! ! !
Jigi
kman,
You are right. As per the previous link I provided, you are not required to produce anything but RPO clearance, as you just got a new passport. However, because of Dec 2007 change of Indian consulate and embassy from "Standard" Post to "Appointment" Post, NVC now collects all the civil docs, PCC, RPO cert, etc. So, you have to follow NVC's guideline and not specific consulates'. As Jigi correctly pointed out the mismatch between VFS, Consulates, and NVC, the requirements are slightly different and creates a lot of confusion (see separate thread on this: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115809&st=0&p=1660414&#entry1660414).
NVC's guideline for PCC: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html#police
It does not have different guideline for people with new passports. So, to be on safe side and to avoid any RFE, I would suggest that you request PCC from both Gandhinagar and Rajkot.
Jigi,
I know of at least two major cities (Ahmedabad and Baroda) that provides PCC for immigration. I know Mumbai Consulate states that there seems to be unwillingness to provide PCC on part of some other districts in Gujarat. But, I am not sure which cities/districts these are that don't issue PCC. My sister had to get one from Baroda and my nephew had to get one from Baroda and one from Ahmedabad.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
You are right. As per the previous link I provided, you are not required to produce anything but RPO clearance, as you just got a new passport. However, because of Dec 2007 change of Indian consulate and embassy from "Standard" Post to "Appointment" Post, NVC now collects all the civil docs, PCC, RPO cert, etc. So, you have to follow NVC's guideline and not specific consulates'. As Jigi correctly pointed out the mismatch between VFS, Consulates, and NVC, the requirements are slightly different and creates a lot of confusion (see separate thread on this: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115809&st=0&p=1660414&#entry1660414).
NVC's guideline for PCC: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html#police
It does not have different guideline for people with new passports. So, to be on safe side and to avoid any RFE, I would suggest that you request PCC from both Gandhinagar and Rajkot.
Jigi,
I know of at least two major cities (Ahmedabad and Baroda) that provides PCC for immigration. I know Mumbai Consulate states that there seems to be unwillingness to provide PCC on part of some other districts in Gujarat. But, I am not sure which cities/districts these are that don't issue PCC. My sister had to get one from Baroda and my nephew had to get one from Baroda and one from Ahmedabad.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
very helpful discussion. thank you all
Wow, all I can say is that I am sorry that it is soooo complicated and that requirements vary depending upon the place you are coming from, the way that you are processing your visa (DCF versus Stateside, etc.) This would be a GREAT thing to make some recommendations on for CHANGE in the system!
Ahmedabad provides police clearance certificates. My wife got her's from Ahmedabad police commissioners office and regional passport office.
QUOTE(Sanjiv Patel @ Apr 18 2008, 10:47 AM)
kman,
You are right. As per the previous link I provided, you are not required to produce anything but RPO clearance, as you just got a new passport. However, because of Dec 2007 change of Indian consulate and embassy from "Standard" Post to "Appointment" Post, NVC now collects all the civil docs, PCC, RPO cert, etc. So, you have to follow NVC's guideline and not specific consulates'. As Jigi correctly pointed out the mismatch between VFS, Consulates, and NVC, the requirements are slightly different and creates a lot of confusion (see separate thread on this: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115809&st=0&p=1660414&#entry1660414).
NVC's guideline for PCC: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html#police
It does not have different guideline for people with new passports. So, to be on safe side and to avoid any RFE, I would suggest that you request PCC from both Gandhinagar and Rajkot.
Jigi,
I know of at least two major cities (Ahmedabad and Baroda) that provides PCC for immigration. I know Mumbai Consulate states that there seems to be unwillingness to provide PCC on part of some other districts in Gujarat. But, I am not sure which cities/districts these are that don't issue PCC. My sister had to get one from Baroda and my nephew had to get one from Baroda and one from Ahmedabad.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
You are right. As per the previous link I provided, you are not required to produce anything but RPO clearance, as you just got a new passport. However, because of Dec 2007 change of Indian consulate and embassy from "Standard" Post to "Appointment" Post, NVC now collects all the civil docs, PCC, RPO cert, etc. So, you have to follow NVC's guideline and not specific consulates'. As Jigi correctly pointed out the mismatch between VFS, Consulates, and NVC, the requirements are slightly different and creates a lot of confusion (see separate thread on this: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115809&st=0&p=1660414&#entry1660414).
NVC's guideline for PCC: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html#police
It does not have different guideline for people with new passports. So, to be on safe side and to avoid any RFE, I would suggest that you request PCC from both Gandhinagar and Rajkot.
Jigi,
I know of at least two major cities (Ahmedabad and Baroda) that provides PCC for immigration. I know Mumbai Consulate states that there seems to be unwillingness to provide PCC on part of some other districts in Gujarat. But, I am not sure which cities/districts these are that don't issue PCC. My sister had to get one from Baroda and my nephew had to get one from Baroda and one from Ahmedabad.
Regards,
Sanjiv Patel
will the cover letter from NVC requesting PCC be enough to obtain the PCC from the passport office? I know some people said they had to show the appointment letter.
QUOTE(kman @ Apr 23 2008, 09:18 AM)
will the cover letter from NVC requesting PCC be enough to obtain the PCC from the passport office? I know some people said they had to show the appointment letter.
Kman
You would first PCC from police department and than take the same to Regional passport office, it should work.
Since the process has changed, without submitting original PCCs one can't get an interview letter.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
QUOTE(kman @ Apr 23 2008, 09:18 AM)
will the cover letter from NVC requesting PCC be enough to obtain the PCC from the passport office? I know some people said they had to show the appointment letter.
kman,
What do you you mean by cover letter from NVC? Is it cover letter comes with DS-230? Who receives this cover letter? Beneficiary(foreign spouse) or Agent(USC)?
I heard that in Gujarat police department will not issue PCC unless they see interview letter. I guess they are totally unaware of change in process.
-I think after you pay IV fee, NVC sends you the documents (basically the cover sheet and DS230 form).
-I think the cover letter has list of documents(original birth certificate, original marriage certificate, original PCC) that you must send back to them. If you pay online, I think you can manually print of this coversheet and manually print DS230 form pdf.
-What I was saying is if this cover letter from NVC asking for PCC will be enough evidence for the Passport office to issue the certificate.
-I also found a pdf for general package 3 requirements from Mumbai US consulate website. I told my wife to try to print this out document out and try to obtain the PCC. My file is not even approved yet but just trying to be proactive in getting the certificate since it is valid for one year for passport office.
-I think the cover letter has list of documents(original birth certificate, original marriage certificate, original PCC) that you must send back to them. If you pay online, I think you can manually print of this coversheet and manually print DS230 form pdf.
-What I was saying is if this cover letter from NVC asking for PCC will be enough evidence for the Passport office to issue the certificate.
-I also found a pdf for general package 3 requirements from Mumbai US consulate website. I told my wife to try to print this out document out and try to obtain the PCC. My file is not even approved yet but just trying to be proactive in getting the certificate since it is valid for one year for passport office.
kman,
My sister and nehphew's experience in March 2008 agrees with what mgk said. You will be asked of Appointment Letter (as they are still not aware of the new process) by both the PCC and RPO, but your wife can state that the process has changed and the best document available so far is DS-230 wih her name on it. In my sister and nephew's case, they had some convincing to do, but it worked after 0.5 Hr wait.
You are right on about getting PCC early enough. The PCC and RPO certificates will take at the most 2 weeks, and if you are lucky, as short as a week.
Hope this helps.
Sanjiv Patel
My sister and nehphew's experience in March 2008 agrees with what mgk said. You will be asked of Appointment Letter (as they are still not aware of the new process) by both the PCC and RPO, but your wife can state that the process has changed and the best document available so far is DS-230 wih her name on it. In my sister and nephew's case, they had some convincing to do, but it worked after 0.5 Hr wait.
You are right on about getting PCC early enough. The PCC and RPO certificates will take at the most 2 weeks, and if you are lucky, as short as a week.
Hope this helps.
Sanjiv Patel
Hi,
How do i obtain a PCC from the regional passport office?
do i go and apply for it myself or is it easier and faster through an agent?
I spoke to one guy and he said it will take abt 2-4 weeks,is that common?
Also do we have to submit the passport for this,I heard the PCC will be stamped on the passport.
Any clue,please reply.
THANKS
How do i obtain a PCC from the regional passport office?
do i go and apply for it myself or is it easier and faster through an agent?
I spoke to one guy and he said it will take abt 2-4 weeks,is that common?
Also do we have to submit the passport for this,I heard the PCC will be stamped on the passport.
Any clue,please reply.
THANKS
you do not want passport stamped. you need it in a letter to send to nvc. I will be trying to obtain it withing the next month so will tell my experience.
so do we have to submit the passport for getting the PCC from passport office?
I am right now out of the country,so I want to know if I can initiate the process...without me being there,considering passport is with me.
I am right now out of the country,so I want to know if I can initiate the process...without me being there,considering passport is with me.
i applied my PCC in chandigarh passport office , i have submitted my passport along with photocopy of it and miscellinous form(eap-2) and 300 hundred rupees,
according to them they will provide PCC in 1 week.
according to them they will provide PCC in 1 week.
QUOTE(ROZA @ May 6 2008, 08:28 AM)
i applied my PCC in chandigarh passport office , i have submitted my passport along with photocopy of it and miscellinous form(eap-2) and 300 hundred rupees,
according to them they will provide PCC in 1 week.
according to them they will provide PCC in 1 week.
Will they mail you back the passport and the letter? Also, is there a consistent policy across the passport offices?
According to them, Yes
they will send me the passport along with certificate or letter.
they will send me the passport along with certificate or letter.
QUOTE(ROZA @ May 6 2008, 03:00 PM)
According to them, Yes
they will send me the passport along with certificate or letter.
they will send me the passport along with certificate or letter.
Roza, did you receive the certificate? Also, what did you present to the RPO to get the certificate?
QUOTE(kman @ May 13 2008, 01:27 AM)
QUOTE(ROZA @ May 6 2008, 03:00 PM)
According to them, Yes
they will send me the passport along with certificate or letter.
they will send me the passport along with certificate or letter.
Roza, did you receive the certificate? Also, what did you present to the RPO to get the certificate?
Certificate not received yet
I have submitted My passport and the copy of passport and Miscilleneous Form provided by www.passport.gov.inGuys I need your suggesion, My spouse lived in two cities after age 16, do he need to go through the procedure provided in this site http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciproc...ocity_3582.html
OR
He need to get Police clearance from previous city, present city and the regional passport office( same for both cities)
Presently trying to get PCC from passport office and this is giving me headache and if and only if i have to get PCC from previous city then that will kill.
And one more issue after i made my passport i changed my address in same area(same phase only the house number is changed) Now i have applied my Pcc from Rpo on previous address.
Will that afect my case?
Kindly sugest .
My bother-in-law got his CR1 visa on May 10th with DCF. He lived in Manglore for 5 years for study then he came back to Anand, Gujarat for past 2 years and got indian passport. He did not have PCC from Manglore. He asked question at Passport office and local police station if he needs PCC from Manglore too. But both replied that when you get new passport all your police records gets transfered to last residence so you will not need PCC from Manglore.
I hope that NVC is aware of this.
I hope that NVC is aware of this.
Thanks for your response Divyesidhi, now i am going to stick with this plan.
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