Police Certificate when lived abroad

[Laure&Colin 562]

Hi there !

We're just starting the process for a K1 visa, meaning we are still gathering paperwork for the initial I-129F petition.

I have a question for more experienced guys : at what point in the whole process are the police certificate required?

I (the fiancee) am a French citizen but I lived in Istanbul, Turkey, during 5 years. When I saw the mention of these certificates being required for all countries you've lived in for more than a year, I contacted the Turkish consulate but they've been less than helpful : they basically said that police certificate are available to Turkish nationals only... So I guess it might take me time and effort to get the bloody paper, and I would like to be able to start in advance.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Laure

[Velociraptor 0]

The police certificate is required at the consulate (at the interview), so this means when your case has been transferred to the local embassy from NVC. For your police certificate from Turkey, what about asking somebody you know in Turkey to process it for you, you might send him a copy of your passport or foreign ID while living in Turkey (if any), but remember police certificate have a validity. You'd better check it to not make it too soon.

Anyway, bonne chance.

[payxibka 10,048]

Police Records

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.

Police certificates from Turkey are known as "ARSIV KAYITLI ADLI SICIL KAYDI". It is mandatory that they come with the archive records.

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 should contact any Turkish Embassy or Consulate. When the police certificate is prepared at a Turkish diplomatic mission, Turkish, English, French and German translations will also be shown on the document.

When requesting the police certificate (adli sicil kaydi), applicants must specifically request that both the current and archived records be shown on the document. The report will indicate the presence of a criminal record even if the convicted person was released after completing the sentence or was pardoned by an amnesty. The document lists each section of the conviction and sentence. Crimes are supposed to be entered into the system within three days of conviction. For crimes of moral turpitude, records for crimes committed by children between 11-14 years old are purged in 2-5 years; crimes by children between 15-18 are purged in 5-10 years; crimes committed by adults are purged in 5-10 years. Multiple crimes are not purged.

If a criminal record is needed in a language other than Turkish, the local Office of Criminal Records must request the information from the Turkish Republic Ministry of Justice General Directory of Criminal Records Central Office in Ankara (address above), which may take a few days.

Please note that if you are currently living outside of Turkey and would like to request a police certificate, you should not contact the Turkish National Police directly. Rather you should contact the nearest Turkish Consulate in the country where you reside to request the information. Please be sure to sign your request and include a copy of a valid identity card with your request. You may request a response in English.

Edited September 21, 2011 by payxibka

[Laure&Colin 562]

Thanks Velociraptor! I didn't know police certificates had an expiry date. I'll have to wait a bit then.

Payxibka : thank you, I found that page on travel.state.gov too, and I did contact the Turkish consulate here in my city, but they don't seem to be aware of that.

[payxibka 10,048]

Thanks Velociraptor! I didn't know police certificates had an expiry date. I'll have to wait a bit then.

Payxibka : thank you, I found that page on travel.state.gov too, and I did contact the Turkish consulate here in my city, but they don't seem to be aware of that.

unfortunately the US Consulate is going to go by the information it has which is on the travel.state.gov site. You will be expected to provide a police report. My wife had to travel to the other country to retrieve hers...

[Laure&Colin 562]

unfortunately the US Consulate is going to go by the information it has which is on the travel.state.gov site. You will be expected to provide a police report. My wife had to travel to the other country to retrieve hers...

Well, I thought I might have to go and I'll be saving money for a trip just in case. Hopefully I can avoid it!

I wish paperwork in general could be less complicated

[KevinF 3]

You might try asking someone in Turkey to apply for you by proxy. You would need to supply the documents to them. I speak from personal experience as my fiancee lived in Morocco and she had assistance from a friend who got her police certificate for her. The moroccan consulate was absolutely clueless about police certificates.

[Laure&Colin 562]

You might try asking someone in Turkey to apply for you by proxy. You would need to supply the documents to them. I speak from personal experience as my fiancee lived in Morocco and she had assistance from a friend who got her police certificate for her. The moroccan consulate was absolutely clueless about police certificates.

I must say having lived in 2 countries already I have a little experience with consulates (French in Istanbul and Turkish in Lyon), and all I can say is : these guys should get new jobs... Seriously, you gotta be happy if they just answer the phone, since it's out of the ordinary!!!

Now the American Presence Post here isn't much better : it took them 2 weeks to return a phone call after several messages left on their machine and 2 emails. Good job.

Anyway, we are now most probably set on marriage in France and filing of I-130 instead of fiancee visa. But the police record will be needed just the same.

[KevinF 3]

yes, you will need the police certificate. You should go ahead and begin to work on it now. and the state. dept. directions on this question are inaccurate.