Foreign Police Checks

[TJQ 0]

 

Hey everybody, just made my account here. Glad we were able to find this site. I am an English citizen, but I previously lived in Hong Kong for a little over a year and am wondering will the embassy request checks from HK police, or is it down to me? If it is down to me will they at least let me know/ how to go about this - what information and documents i will need to supply? We receieved the NOA2 in March 2021 so hopefully we'll be notified on the next step soon from the London embassy... Any info would be much appreciated!

[nelmagriffin 168]

 

Greetings!

YES, you will need one and I think one must bring the original during your interview.

I hope it helps. Goodluck!, NG

 

Reference: Civil Documents (state.gov)

 

If you are 16 years of age or older, you must obtain a photocopy of a police certificate from all countries you have lived in using below criteria:

If you ...	AND you...	THEN submit a police certificate from...
Are 16 years old or older	Lived in your country of nationality for more than 6 months at any time in your life	Your country of nationality
Are 16 years old or older	Have lived in your country of current residence (if different from nationality) for more than 6 months	Your country of current residence
Have ever lived in another country for 12 months or more	Were 16 years or older at the time you lived there	The country where you used to live.
Were arrested for any reason, regardless of how long you lived in that city or country, and no matter what age you were		The city and/or country where you were arrested.

Note: Present and former residents of the United States do NOT need to submit any U.S. police certificates.

Important: Police certificates expire after two years, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued. If at the time of your interview the following three items are all true, you must bring a new police certificate to your visa interview:

• You are more than 16 years old;
• The police certificate submitted to NVC was obtained more than two years ago; and
• You still live in the country that issued the certificate.

 

 

Reference: Hong Kong (state.gov)

Police Certificates

Available

Fees: HK$225

Document Name:  Certificate of No Criminal Conviction

Issuing Authority:  Hong Kong Police Force

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: An embossed seal of the IDENTIFICATION BUREAU (HQ) HONG KONG OFFICE

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:  Commissioner of Police

Registration Criteria:  There are no registration criteria.

Procedure for Obtaining:  Both individuals residing in Hong Kong and individuals residing outside of Hong Kong may apply.
 

Individuals residing in Hong Kong:

All applicants should appear in person at the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction Office which is located at 14/F, Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The office is open from 9am to 5:15pm from Monday to Friday. (Note: The payment window is closed daily between 1-2pm and stops accepting payments at 5pm.) Applicants may elect to make an advance appointment through the Automatic Telephone Appointment System at 2396-5351, no less than one day in advance of the intended appointment. Please do not request that the “Certificate of No Criminal Conviction" or an appropriate reply together with the applicant's police record be sent directly to the National Visa Center, as this may cause delays in your case.

An applicant should be prepared to present the following items:

• his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;
• the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);
• the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant's name;
• the processing fee of HK $210 per person - payment via cash, Octopus cards or checks payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."

All applicants must consent to have their fingerprints taken. Each applicant must sign an authorization that the fingerprints can be retained by the Hong Kong Police and that details of any criminal conviction recorded in Hong Kong can be disclosed to the U.S. Consulate General.
 

Individuals residing outside Hong Kong:

Applications should be made in writing to:

The Commission of Police (Attn: EO CNCC)
14/F, Arsenal House
Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

An applicant residing outside Hong Kong must submit the following items (please note that documents issued in languages other than Chinese or English, must be accompanied by an official transcript, in Chinese or English, endorsed either by the issuing authority or a certificated translation services body):

• his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;
• the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);
• the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant's name;
• a full set of the applicant's fingerprints taken and certified by a recognized and official police or law enforcement agency where the applicant currently resides. Certification of the fingerprints must clearly state: (i) the full name and rank of the person taking the prints, (ii) the full name of the police or law enforcement agency with their official chop; and (iii) the date and place the prints were taken. Prints that do not clearly show certification will be refused. Fingerprints taken by the applicant him/herself, a legal representative or private/commercial agency are also unacceptable;
• a bank draft in the amount of HK$210 per person, made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region." The draft must be payable in Hong Kong. A personal check in Hong Kong dollars, which is issued an authorized by any licensed banks in Hong Kong, is also acceptable.
   

Please do not ask for a copy to be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) as this could delay processing of your visa application.

If an applicant is under investigation by the Hong Kong Police or is currently a defendant in criminal proceedings in Hong Kong or is subject to non-payment of fines including traffic offences, his/her application will not be further processed until the matter has been concluded.

The relevant application form, standard personal data form, and fingerprint consent form can be downloaded from the web page of "Certificate of No Criminal Conviction" on Hong Kong Police Force website. Any inquiries may be addressed to Certificate of No Criminal Conviction office, email: eo-cncc-ib@police.gov.hk, phone: +852-2860-6557 (for local residents); +852-2860-6558 (for overseas applicants), fax: +852-2200-4321. Please refer to police.gov.hk for further information and updates on police certificate from Hong Kong.
 

Certified Copies Available:  Certified copies are available.

Alternate Documents:  There are no alternate documents.

Exceptions:  None

 

Court Records

Available

Fees:  Approximately HK$36

Document Name:  Certificate of Trial

Issuing Authority:  Magistrates Courts or High Court

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format:   A round ink stamp of the Magistrates’ Courts

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:  First Clerk or Second Clerk of Magistrates’ Court

Registration Criteria:  There are no registration criteria.

Procedure for Obtaining: Extracts from case registers are available to an applicant upon written application to the First Clerk of the Magistracy where the conviction occurred. The applicant should provide his/her full name, date and place of birth, and the case number. Magisterial records are normally available only for three years. If the conviction occurred in a District Court or the High Court, the application should be addressed to the Registrar of the court concerned.

Certified Copies Available:  Certified copies are available.

Alternate Documents:  There are no alternate documents.

Exceptions:  None

 

Prison Records

Available

Fees:  Free of charge

Document Name:  Certificate of Imprisonment

Issuing Authority:  Correctional Services Department

Special Seal(s)/Color/Format:  There are no special seals, colors, or formats.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:  Commissioner of Correctional Services

Registration Criteria:  There are no registration criteria.

Procedure for Obtaining:  The applicant should complete Form OPS003 and apply in person.  Inquiries can be sent to email@csd.gov.hk.

Certified Copies Available:  Certified copies are available.

Alternate Documents:  There are no alternate documents.

Exceptions:  None

[powerpuff 6,768]

Moved from K1 Case Filing and Progress Reports to K1 P&P 

[TJQ 0]

8 hours ago, nelmagriffin said:

 

Greetings!

YES, you will need one and I think one must bring the original during your interview.

I hope it helps. Goodluck!, NG

 

Reference: Civil Documents (state.gov)

 

If you are 16 years of age or older, you must obtain a photocopy of a police certificate from all countries you have lived in using below criteria:

If you ...	AND you...	THEN submit a police certificate from...
Are 16 years old or older	Lived in your country of nationality for more than 6 months at any time in your life	Your country of nationality
Are 16 years old or older	Have lived in your country of current residence (if different from nationality) for more than 6 months	Your country of current residence
Have ever lived in another country for 12 months or more	Were 16 years or older at the time you lived there	The country where you used to live.
Were arrested for any reason, regardless of how long you lived in that city or country, and no matter what age you were		The city and/or country where you were arrested.

Note: Present and former residents of the United States do NOT need to submit any U.S. police certificates.

Important: Police certificates expire after two years, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued. If at the time of your interview the following three items are all true, you must bring a new police certificate to your visa interview:

• You are more than 16 years old;
• The police certificate submitted to NVC was obtained more than two years ago; and
• You still live in the country that issued the certificate.

 

 

Reference: Hong Kong (state.gov)

Police Certificates

Available

Fees: HK$225

Document Name:  Certificate of No Criminal Conviction

Issuing Authority:  Hong Kong Police Force

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: An embossed seal of the IDENTIFICATION BUREAU (HQ) HONG KONG OFFICE

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:  Commissioner of Police

Registration Criteria:  There are no registration criteria.

Procedure for Obtaining:  Both individuals residing in Hong Kong and individuals residing outside of Hong Kong may apply.
 

Individuals residing in Hong Kong:

All applicants should appear in person at the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction Office which is located at 14/F, Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The office is open from 9am to 5:15pm from Monday to Friday. (Note: The payment window is closed daily between 1-2pm and stops accepting payments at 5pm.) Applicants may elect to make an advance appointment through the Automatic Telephone Appointment System at 2396-5351, no less than one day in advance of the intended appointment. Please do not request that the “Certificate of No Criminal Conviction" or an appropriate reply together with the applicant's police record be sent directly to the National Visa Center, as this may cause delays in your case.

An applicant should be prepared to present the following items:

• his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;
• the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);
• the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant's name;
• the processing fee of HK $210 per person - payment via cash, Octopus cards or checks payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."

All applicants must consent to have their fingerprints taken. Each applicant must sign an authorization that the fingerprints can be retained by the Hong Kong Police and that details of any criminal conviction recorded in Hong Kong can be disclosed to the U.S. Consulate General.
 

Individuals residing outside Hong Kong:

Applications should be made in writing to:

The Commission of Police (Attn: EO CNCC)
14/F, Arsenal House
Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

An applicant residing outside Hong Kong must submit the following items (please note that documents issued in languages other than Chinese or English, must be accompanied by an official transcript, in Chinese or English, endorsed either by the issuing authority or a certificated translation services body):

• his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;
• the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);
• the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant's name;
• a full set of the applicant's fingerprints taken and certified by a recognized and official police or law enforcement agency where the applicant currently resides. Certification of the fingerprints must clearly state: (i) the full name and rank of the person taking the prints, (ii) the full name of the police or law enforcement agency with their official chop; and (iii) the date and place the prints were taken. Prints that do not clearly show certification will be refused. Fingerprints taken by the applicant him/herself, a legal representative or private/commercial agency are also unacceptable;
• a bank draft in the amount of HK$210 per person, made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region." The draft must be payable in Hong Kong. A personal check in Hong Kong dollars, which is issued an authorized by any licensed banks in Hong Kong, is also acceptable.
   

Please do not ask for a copy to be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) as this could delay processing of your visa application.

If an applicant is under investigation by the Hong Kong Police or is currently a defendant in criminal proceedings in Hong Kong or is subject to non-payment of fines including traffic offences, his/her application will not be further processed until the matter has been concluded.

The relevant application form, standard personal data form, and fingerprint consent form can be downloaded from the web page of "Certificate of No Criminal Conviction" on Hong Kong Police Force website. Any inquiries may be addressed to Certificate of No Criminal Conviction office, email: eo-cncc-ib@police.gov.hk, phone: +852-2860-6557 (for local residents); +852-2860-6558 (for overseas applicants), fax: +852-2200-4321. Please refer to police.gov.hk for further information and updates on police certificate from Hong Kong.
 

Certified Copies Available:  Certified copies are available.

Alternate Documents:  There are no alternate documents.

Exceptions:  None

 

Court Records

Available

Fees:  Approximately HK$36

Document Name:  Certificate of Trial

Issuing Authority:  Magistrates Courts or High Court

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format:   A round ink stamp of the Magistrates’ Courts

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:  First Clerk or Second Clerk of Magistrates’ Court

Registration Criteria:  There are no registration criteria.

Procedure for Obtaining: Extracts from case registers are available to an applicant upon written application to the First Clerk of the Magistracy where the conviction occurred. The applicant should provide his/her full name, date and place of birth, and the case number. Magisterial records are normally available only for three years. If the conviction occurred in a District Court or the High Court, the application should be addressed to the Registrar of the court concerned.

Certified Copies Available:  Certified copies are available.

Alternate Documents:  There are no alternate documents.

Exceptions:  None

 

Prison Records

Available

Fees:  Free of charge

Document Name:  Certificate of Imprisonment

Issuing Authority:  Correctional Services Department

Special Seal(s)/Color/Format:  There are no special seals, colors, or formats.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:  Commissioner of Correctional Services

Registration Criteria:  There are no registration criteria.

Procedure for Obtaining:  The applicant should complete Form OPS003 and apply in person.  Inquiries can be sent to email@csd.gov.hk.

Certified Copies Available:  Certified copies are available.

Alternate Documents:  There are no alternate documents.

Exceptions:  None

Thanks for the infomation, much apprecited!

However, i'm a still a little confused with the process? Will the NVC send me a letter or email with instructions that i can then foward on  HongKong? Having lived there i am aware that they can be pretty unclear with proceedures and like to take their time with things. So i'm a little worried.

T x 

 

[nelmagriffin 168]

13 hours ago, TJQ said:

Thanks for the infomation, much apprecited!

However, i'm a still a little confused with the process? Will the NVC send me a letter or email with instructions that i can then foward on  HongKong? Having lived there i am aware that they can be pretty unclear with proceedures and like to take their time with things. So i'm a little worried.

T x 

 

Greetings!

With the above statement yes, you will need:

 

"the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);"

I am not sure as to how long will it take for Hongkong to released the certificate, et us hope someone will chime in with experience.

Best of Luck, NG

[Chancy 6,247]

On 8/9/2021 at 6:13 PM, TJQ said:

I previously lived in Hong Kong for a little over a year and am wondering will the embassy request checks from HK police, or is it down to me?

 

You should begin the process of getting your HK police certificate now, to avoid delaying your visa process due to missing requirements.  The US embassy in London will expect the certificate to be ready in time for the interview.  They will not initiate the process themselves.

 

[TJQ 0]

1 hour ago, Chancy said:

 

You should begin the process of getting your HK police certificate now, to avoid delaying your visa process due to missing requirements.  The US embassy in London will expect the certificate to be ready in time for the interview.  They will not initiate the process themselves.

 

Thanks for the Info however I'm not sure how to start the process with as the HK police require the request letter from the US Embassy? So surely I have yo wait until I get that? However I have also heard the the embassy isn't sending out letters anymore?? 

I also have to supply them with finger prints.so when I get my police check here in the UK so I request another set to be done so I can send to HK? 

I'm finding this the most stressful part about all! 

[TJQ 0]

1 minute ago, TJQ said:

Thanks for the Info however I'm not sure how to start the process with as the HK police require the request letter from the US Embassy? So surely I have yo wait until I get that? However I have also heard the the embassy isn't sending out letters anymore?? 

I also have to supply them with finger prints.so when I get my police check here in the UK so I request another set to be done so I can send to HK? 

I'm finding this the most stressful part about all! 

 

[Chancy 6,247]

7 minutes ago, TJQ said:

I'm not sure how to start the process with as the HK police require the request letter from the US Embassy?

 

Did you get any email from NVC after your petition was approved and forwarded to them?  If so, please review that email.  Does it say anything about police certificates being required for your visa processing?  Note the requirement in the instructions copy-pasted above by @nelmagriffin --

• the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);

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

 

Again, the US embassy will NOT initiate the process to request your HK police certificate.  You must request it yourself, following the instructions on that linked page.

 

[KayDeeCee 4,902]

1 hour ago, TJQ said:

Thanks for the Info however I'm not sure how to start the process with as the HK police require the request letter from the US Embassy? So surely I have yo wait until I get that? However I have also heard the the embassy isn't sending out letters anymore?? 

I also have to supply them with finger prints.so when I get my police check here in the UK so I request another set to be done so I can send to HK? 

I'm finding this the most stressful part about all! 

The London US consulate site has some info, and a contact form in case all your questions cannot be answered there. > https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/fiancee-2/required-documents/