Police Certificate Wait Time

[Theonlywhale 1]

My wife and I are currently submitting all of our documents to the NVC for initial review. Unfortunately we've learned that the Japanese police certificate we need will take 2-3 months to get through a consulate (she no longer lives in Japan).

 

Would it make sense to submit everything else ASAP and then hope we get a short review time on the inevitable request for evidence?

 

I figure there's no harm in doing so and after waiting so long we just want to be finished with this as soon as we can.

[nelmagriffin 148]

Greetings!

I thought it say two to three weeks. Read below.

reference: Japan (state.gov)

 

Police Certificates 

Available

Fees: Free at Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, but varies from prefecture to prefecture

Document Name: The Certificate of Criminal Record.

Issuing Authority: The headquarters' records section of the Metropolitan or Prefectural police issues certificates which include a nationwide criminal records check.

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Japanese Police Certificates are issued in a sealed envelope. If the seal is broken, the certificate is considered invalid. Visa applicants should not open a sealed envelope containing a Police Certificate. The applicant must bring the original Police Certificate in a sealed envelope to the U.S. Embassy/Consulate at the time of his/her interview. Applicants should only send a photocopy of the sealed envelope to the National Visa Center, but not the actual police certificate itself.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title

Registration Criteria: There are no registration criteria

Procedure for Obtaining:

Applicants Physically Present in Japan: Foreign nationals holding legal resident status and Japanese citizens must apply in person at the Metropolitan or Prefectural police headquarters having jurisdiction over their present place of residence in Japan. Processing time is approximately two-three weeks.

Applicants Outside of Japan: Former legal residents, former illegal aliens, and Japanese citizens, should apply at the nearest Japanese Consulate. Issuing Authority is National Police Agency. Processing time is approximately two-three weeks.

 

 

Applicants Physically Present in Japan as Illegal Aliens: Officially, the Japanese police will not process requests for police good conduct certificates from illegal aliens while they are physically present in Japan. In some cases, however, the police will issue the appropriate police certificate, provided that the illegal alien submits to deportation proceedings and agrees to leave Japan by a date specified by Japanese Immigration.

Police certificate from U.S. military base: Criminal records from the Japanese police authority and from U.S. military bases are not cross-indexed. Therefore, a crime that occurred in one jurisdiction may not be reported to the police of the other jurisdiction. U.S. military applicants (civilian employees, military personnel, and family members) who are physically present in Japan under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) must show the results of a local military base police records check as well as a Japanese police certificate. Processing time: Approximately two weeks.

Local military base police records checks are unavailable to applicants outside of Japan. However, Defense Department law enforcement agencies may be able to determine if an applicant who formerly resided in Japan under the SOFA engaged in criminal activity.

Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available

Alternate Documents: There are no alternate documents

Exceptions: None

Comments:  Japanese police certificates are based on fingerprints. Japanese police certificates will not contain information about criminal convictions when:

• The period of probation is completed;
• Ten years have passed after the period of imprisonment is completed or waived, provided the individual has no further punishments or fines;
• Five years have passed after paying a fine or after an imposed fine was waived without any further punishments or fines;
• The conviction was vacated or the offender was subject to a pardon or amnesty;
• The conviction is for minor traffic violations;
• The offender is considered a minor under Juvenile Law article 60; or
• The sentenced punishment was abolished after sentencing.

The headquarters' records section of the Metropolitan or Prefectural Police issues certificates which include a nationwide criminal records check. It is unclear how long it takes for criminal information to be submitted into the national database.

Note: A limited validity Japanese passport may be indicative of a criminal history in Japan, although a police certificate may not show a criminal background.

 

[Theonlywhale 1]

The consulate we're applying to said 2-3 months so I'm assuming they're more up to date.

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Removed related thread.  Please post your related questions in this thread to keep the discussion in one place. ***

 

1 hour ago, Theonlywhale said:

Our case has just reached the NVC stage and we're preparing to submit our civil documents. My wife (the beneficiary) needs a police certificate from Japan but no longer lives there so she needs to apply through a consulate. This is a really long and convoluted process which, according to the consulate, can take around 3 months but we're working to get it done ASAP. Obviously this would delay our case quite a bit.

 

I was wondering if it might be worth trying to submit all of our other documents to NVC along with an explanation that we are in the process of acquiring the Japanese police certificate and will submit it to the embassy at the interview stage. Apparently Japanese police certificates must remain sealed, so we can't scan and upload it anyways. I figure the worst that can happen is the say no and we mail it to them once we get it. 

 

Any thoughts?