Background Check for CR-1

[anneta17 0]

Hi! My husband and I are looking at the CR-1 process and there might be a huge obstacle for us. As I understand, it is required to provide police clearance certificates from the countries where I resided before. In my case, I need to get a certificate from China and Cambodia as I spent over a year in both of these countries within the past five years . Generally speaking, it is nearly impossible to get these certificates since I do not reside in these countries anymore. These countries' embassies do not provide this document.  In case with China, even if I go there, which would be a huge additional expense to the process that's already costly, there is a big chance that I won't be able to get the certificate. I might be able to find an agency that can get me the certificate from Cambodia but it would take months. 

 

The question is: What if I am unable to provide police clearance certificate from the countries where I lived in the past five years? Would it mean that there is no way that I can apply for a Green Card through the consular process? 

 

Maybe someone on this forum had a similar problem. Any advice or suggestion is highly appreciated. 

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

Cambodia 

Exceptions: For foreigners no longer living in Cambodia, Cambodian criminal/police certificates are not readily available to non-Cambodian citizens who lived in Cambodia years ago.

 

For China, there are no listed Exceptions. 

 

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

[Micam 32]

Are you sure there is no way to get a background check in China? I found this website that says you can hire a representative to act on your behalf: https://www.zhaozhao.co/how-to-apply-for-a-china-police-certificate/ (I don't know how accurate this is).

 

I do know that it's the same process in Vietnam as I have been researching this for myself (I need someone to act on my behalf as they need someone to go in person to Hanoi). I would be surprised if there wasn't a similar route for China. 

[Highmystic 234]

7 minutes ago, Micam said:

Are you sure there is no way to get a background check in China? I found this website that says you can hire a representative to act on your behalf: https://www.zhaozhao.co/how-to-apply-for-a-china-police-certificate/ (I don't know how accurate this is).

 

I do know that it's the same process in Vietnam as I have been researching this for myself (I need someone to act on my behalf as they need someone to go in person to Hanoi). I would be surprised if there wasn't a similar route for China. 

My wife lived in Japan and Malaysia (I think Japan was just under a year though),  she had a friend there in Malaysia who got it for her and mailed it to the Philippines, but it took a couple months.  Perhaps you have a friend in those places to act on your behalf.

[Redro 4,611]

52 minutes ago, anneta17 said:

Hi! My husband and I are looking at the CR-1 process and there might be a huge obstacle for us. As I understand, it is required to provide police clearance certificates from the countries where I resided before. In my case, I need to get a certificate from China and Cambodia as I spent over a year in both of these countries within the past five years . Generally speaking, it is nearly impossible to get these certificates since I do not reside in these countries anymore. These countries' embassies do not provide this document.  In case with China, even if I go there, which would be a huge additional expense to the process that's already costly, there is a big chance that I won't be able to get the certificate. I might be able to find an agency that can get me the certificate from Cambodia but it would take months. 

 

The question is: What if I am unable to provide police clearance certificate from the countries where I lived in the past five years? Would it mean that there is no way that I can apply for a Green Card through the consular process? 

 

Maybe someone on this forum had a similar problem. Any advice or suggestion is highly appreciated. 

Start the cr1 process now. You won’t need the police clearances until you reach NVC stage (in about a year).

there are services that can help you get your Chinese police clearance certificate… a few members have posted about it before. 
type in “police clearance China” in the VJ search function to read experiences. 

[pushbrk 12,963]

The certificate from Cambodia is not available to former residents, so not required.  Start any time to get the one from China.  It won't expire because you don't live there anymore.

[Chancy 6,241]

21 hours ago, anneta17 said:

What if I am unable to provide police clearance certificate from the countries where I lived in the past five years? Would it mean that there is no way that I can apply for a Green Card through the consular process?

 

If you cannot provide a police certificate from China, then you will not be granted an immigrant visa.

 

Note also that the requirement is to provide police certificates from all countries you lived in for more than a year since turning 16 years old, not just the countries you lived in the past 5 years.  The DS-260 form requires all your residential addresses since age 16.