Electronic Processing

[celiothrkn 0]

We are applying for a CR-1 and will be interviewing at US Consulate-Guangzhou.

My wife is from Shandong province, China. She went to high school & college in Japan for a few years, so according to the guidelines we need to obtain a Japanese police certificate (as well as a Chinese police certificate). We can obtain the Japanese police certificate from the nearest Japanese consulate but it comes in a sealed envelope. The "officialness" of the police certificate is broken if we open it.

Since we're doing electronic processing - where all files need to be scanned and sent via email - how do we send sealed official documents to NVC? Open it, scan it anyways and just show the original to the interviewer at US-Consulate Guangzhou? Or should we let the interviewer at US-Consulate Guangzhou open the Japanese police certificate himself?

[youtube 0]

We are applying for a CR-1 and will be interviewing at US Consulate-Guangzhou.

My wife is from Shandong province, China. She went to high school & college in Japan for a few years, so according to the guidelines we need to obtain a Japanese police certificate (as well as a Chinese police certificate). We can obtain the Japanese police certificate from the nearest Japanese consulate but it comes in a sealed envelope. The "officialness" of the police certificate is broken if we open it.

Since we're doing electronic processing - where all files need to be scanned and sent via email - how do we send sealed official documents to NVC? Open it, scan it anyways and just show the original to the interviewer at US-Consulate Guangzhou? Or should we let the interviewer at US-Consulate Guangzhou open the Japanese police certificate himself?

good question.

I would not open any sealed envelope.

Ask USCIS. I would assume they will have you send it to them.

I would probably have it sent via FEDEX / USPS so you will have a signature. Make sure you have a cover letter indicating what's enclosed to CYA!

Good luck.

[endoftheroad 1]

We are applying for a CR-1 and will be interviewing at US Consulate-Guangzhou.

My wife is from Shandong province, China. She went to high school & college in Japan for a few years, so according to the guidelines we need to obtain a Japanese police certificate (as well as a Chinese police certificate). We can obtain the Japanese police certificate from the nearest Japanese consulate but it comes in a sealed envelope. The "officialness" of the police certificate is broken if we open it.

Since we're doing electronic processing - where all files need to be scanned and sent via email - how do we send sealed official documents to NVC? Open it, scan it anyways and just show the original to the interviewer at US-Consulate Guangzhou? Or should we let the interviewer at US-Consulate Guangzhou open the Japanese police certificate himself?

Ask for a copy of it from the Jap consulate in addition to the envelope.

[Darnell 8,478]

I smell two paths here - I've no idea if either are do-able.

1. Have NVC Officer (No a Tele-Operator ) cut the letter to the Japanese Embassy in China, requesting the Police Certificate, asking that TWO SETS (TWO SEALED ENVELOPES ) be sent to the BEneficiary's address in China (Suggest you prep the body of the letter, including the chinese characters for the name and address ).

2. She opens ONE SET scans it in , in China, emails it to you, you convert it to PDF, email it to NVC.

3. She presents the SECOND SEALED ENVELOPE on Interview Day

OR

1. You let NVC know that the Japanese Police Certificate is unavailable UNTIL the Casefile is opened in Guangzhou - ask them for a waiver on this Japanese police document at NVC Processing Stage, tell them it will be forthcoming on or after Interview Day. Be Prepared to write up a letter of attestation , outlining the difficulties in obtaining the certificate during NVC Processing Stage.

2. Get GUZ IV Involved - keep on top of status at DOS, when the casefile is marked 'OPEN at GUZ' - then contact GUZ IV Unit via fax, ask them to generate the letter to the Japanese Consulate in China, giving them the body of the letter that you prepped above.

That's all I got, for now... I can't even say it's doable - but I'd try either path until blood oozed from fingertips.

Good Luck !

[Darnell 8,478]

Duh - my bad - if she can get it in China, ask for unsealed copy, along with the sealed set. Send you the scan of the unsealed copy via email.

Double Duh !!!

xie xie

[endoftheroad 1]

Ask for a copy of it from the Jap consulate in addition to the envelope.

if she can get it in China, ask for unsealed copy, along with the sealed set.

Is there an echo in here? 没问题

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Edited October 20, 2009 by endoftheroad

[celiothrkn 0]

One of the NVC operators put me on hold for a while to ask her supervisor. She said that we should scan the envelope that the Japanese Consulate gives us and include a note which says that this envelope cannot be opened otherwise its contents would be null and void. The interviewing officer at Guangzhou will open it and review the contents.

By the way, to anyone who knows how difficult it is to get the Japanese Consulate to issue a police certificate, the NVC operator recommended that we send in the entire DS-230 packet asides from the Japanese police certificate. NVC will issue a Request for the Japanese police certificate. Take this Request to the Japanese Consulate. It's the best option we have right now since the Japanese Consulate are especially stubborn about giving out police certificates.

[Darnell 8,478]

Hey - any update? That thing leave NVC yet?

[celiothrkn 0]

Thanks for checking up on me.

I scanned the envelope and sent it to NVC. On the envelope, it specified that the contents should be opened by the addressee only - the addressee being "authorities of the United States of America." NVC accepted it and did not ask me to open the sealed document. It will be opened at the Consulate.

Problem solved.

[Darnell 8,478]

That's great news. ! ! !

[nolanbb 1]

I'm curious about bringing a Japanese police certificate to the US consulate in Guangzhou. My wife lived in Tokyo for 4 years with her daughter, so they received a sealed Japanese certificate for each of them. After reading these and other forums I found that it would be best to scan the sealed envelopes and note in the cover letter that they cannot be opened by anyone other than the US official. That seems to have worked, since we just received an email from the NVC that they have all the documents they require for pre-processing of my wife and her daughter's cases. The email also provided a link to travel.state.gov for additional documentation requirements. When I went to that location and entered Guangzhou as the consulate location I downloaded a letter that outlined all the requirements and restrictions.

Here is a part of the letter regarding restrictions:

Please be aware that the following items are not permitted inside the consulate:

• Sealed envelopes or packages

Does that mean when we go for the interview we won't be allowed to bring the sealed Japanese police certificate inside the consulate for the officer to open?

[Darnell 8,478]

no, you will be ok. bring them.