Can CO reject docs NVC approved?

[JolieBR19 1]

Can the consular officer reject something the was approved by the NVC? We submitted a waiver for the police certificate for my husband living in Malawi because he lived there for a very short period of time when he was 17 and there is no official website for the police headquarters there or email address that we could find. We then felt it was note safe to send $300 cash by post to Malawi as my husband has experience with money being taken out of envelopes and post. Also on the US website where it says "Available: yes" for an available document, the Malawi police report just has the heading for "available". Not actually stating if it is available. NVC accepted the reason in the comments for not uploading the Malawi police certificate, but can the consular officer reject this and demand he get one? Thanks! 

[aaron2020 11,651]

The NVC does not approve anything.  The NVC is just a clearing house that collect documents.

It's up to the CO to determine what documents are needed to approve the visa. 

[Free Man 119]

Sending cash via post is not secure,  you may send money to any part of the world via western union or money gram.  You can do all these in the comfort of your house. 

Agree with @Aaron2020

[Crazy Cat 41,980]

The Consulate Officer is the sole approval and issuing authority for all visas.  The CO can absolutely require a police certificate....if his length of stay there was long enough  It happens frequently.

 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Malawi.html

https://www.facebook.com/malawipolice/

Edited December 17, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[Babu Frik 1,162]

It's likely NVC gave you a pass due to the current situation, but that doesn't mean it's still not needed for the interview.

 

The person who reviewed my case at NVC specifically noted this to me about being ok for NVC purposes, but required to bring it to the consulate and to upload it when I receive it.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

What is a “very short time”? Is it less than the official requirement for a police certificate, or not?

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

50 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

What is a “very short time”? Is it less than the official requirement for a police certificate, or not?

 

 

 

Would be useful to know this ...

 

anyway while there is not apparently an official Malawi Police website - not sure why OP assumed one had to send cash in the mail seemingly without confirming it - a quick Google search shows you can actually do this through the consulates. Example from the UK High Commission below but have seen similar for other countries. 

https://www.malawihighcommission.co.uk/index.php/immigration-and-consular
POLICE CLEARANCE (CRB)

The following are required:

Get fingerprints taken at any local police station and send them with: 
2 Passport photos 
Covering letter
Copy of passport
Fee: £184 (cash/bank certified cheque/bankdraft/postal order payable to Malawi High Commission) 

PLEASE NOTE: DOCUMENTS ARE SENT TO MALAWI POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN LILONGWE. ALLOW TIME FOR PROCESSING.

 

Again, first figure out if he needs it for the time he spent there. If the answer is yes, and they are available which they are, there is no such thing as a “waiver”. (To be clear in responding to a comment in the first post, the heading of “available” means exactly that - that they are available. If you look at Pakistan as an example, the heading is “unavailable”.)

 

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by SusieQQQ

[payxibka 10,045]

3 hours ago, JolieBR19 said:

Can the consular officer reject something the was approved by the NVC? We submitted a waiver for the police certificate for my husband living in Malawi because he lived there for a very short period of time when he was 17 and there is no official website for the police headquarters there or email address that we could find. We then felt it was note safe to send $300 cash by post to Malawi as my husband has experience with money being taken out of envelopes and post. Also on the US website where it says "Available: yes" for an available document, the Malawi police report just has the heading for "available". Not actually stating if it is available. NVC accepted the reason in the comments for not uploading the Malawi police certificate, but can the consular officer reject this and demand he get one? Thanks! 

Applicants outside Malawi are required to submit 2 fingerprints charts taken by a competent authority (i.e. local police and other government entities commissioned to take finger-prints), along with a notarized copy of the bio-data page of applicant’s passport. 

 

Applicants must also submit an individual statement giving reasons for requesting a Malawi police clearance certificate and indicate the dates and addresses lived in Malawi.

 

Applicants should contact the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), National Police Headquarters, Area 30, Private Bag 305, Capital City, Lilongwe 3, Malawi, telephone (265) 1-796-806.

[Pinkrlion 2,724]

8 hours ago, JolieBR19 said:

Can the consular officer reject something the was approved by the NVC? We submitted a waiver for the police certificate for my husband living in Malawi because he lived there for a very short period of time when he was 17 and there is no official website for the police headquarters there or email address that we could find. We then felt it was note safe to send $300 cash by post to Malawi as my husband has experience with money being taken out of envelopes and post. Also on the US website where it says "Available: yes" for an available document, the Malawi police report just has the heading for "available". Not actually stating if it is available. NVC accepted the reason in the comments for not uploading the Malawi police certificate, but can the consular officer reject this and demand he get one? Thanks! 

The US Post Office issues money orders in International Currency, so they are accepted overseas.  

[JeanneAdil 6,554]

Usps has international MO / the regular MO we buy does not have to be honored

[bakphx1 789]

The CO normally doesn’t second guess the NVC if there’s not a glaring error.  But normally they should all follow the same processes.  

[jan22 3,056]

On 12/18/2020 at 12:33 AM, bakphx1 said:

The CO normally doesn’t second guess the NVC if there’s not a glaring error.  But normally they should all follow the same processes.  

Not sure where you got this idea/information, but it is not accurate.  As has been stated previously in this thread, NVC does not evaluate/approve any documents -- they are a document collection agency only and reviews to see if all documents that may meet the requirements have been submitted.  The officer does the actual review/evaluation.  And, neither the NVC nor the interviewing officer has the authority to waive a required document if it has been deemed "Available".

Edited December 20, 2020 by jan22