Police Clearance Certificates

[UK2USAA 1]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but I've seen conflicting guidance online!
I was born in South Africa, where I lived until I left for the United Kingdom when I was 6 years old, and acquired British Citizenship a few years thereafter. I have resided in the United Kingdom ever since. I presume I've retained South African citizenship, and would be dual-national, though I only hold a current British passport. I haven't been back to South Africa since I left.
I've now had my I-130 approved and it's moved to the NVC, where I'll need to upload the civic documents. I'll of course need a UK Police Clearance Certificate, but do I also need one for South Africa?
South Africa would be considerably more difficult as their police website which you need to apply through doesn't appear to have been working recently.
If anyone knows definitively, how additional nationalities, while under 16 are treated, are treated it would be hugely appreciated!

[pushbrk 14,333]

1 hour ago, UK2USAA said:

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but I've seen conflicting guidance online!
I was born in South Africa, where I lived until I left for the United Kingdom when I was 6 years old, and acquired British Citizenship a few years thereafter. I have resided in the United Kingdom ever since. I presume I've retained South African citizenship, and would be dual-national, though I only hold a current British passport. I haven't been back to South Africa since I left.
I've now had my I-130 approved and it's moved to the NVC, where I'll need to upload the civic documents. I'll of course need a UK Police Clearance Certificate, but do I also need one for South Africa?
South Africa would be considerably more difficult as their police website which you need to apply through doesn't appear to have been working recently.
If anyone knows definitively, how additional nationalities, while under 16 are treated, are treated it would be hugely appreciated!

The police certificate instruction clearly state they are needed for countries you lived for at least six months after turning age 16.  Those are the official instructions. No need to pay attention to any conflicting advice you see "online".

 

[UK2USAA 1]

Thank you so much for replying so fast! 😄

This sounds very encouraging then. Just to be sure, regardless of nationalities, they're only requiring police clearance certificates for countries that one lived in over the age of 16?
In my case that was only the UK the whole time. So no South African certificate required even if I'm a citizen there still, as I've not been in the country at all since I was 6 years old 🙏

[Crazy Cat 46,256]

@pushbrk How do you interpret this? I'm not sure this has always been phrased like this.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html

 

Edited Friday at 04:43 PM by Crazy Cat

[Crazy Cat 46,256]

This is the full chart for police certificates:

 

[pushbrk 14,333]

6 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

@pushbrk How do you interpret this? I'm not sure this has always been phrased like this.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html

 

I would interpret it literally, as always, but perhaps this is a recent change. I don't think it is being followed though.  Comes as news to me.  Actually makes no sense either.

 

Edited Friday at 10:48 PM by pushbrk

[Crazy Cat 46,256]

7 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

I would interpret it literally, as always, but perhaps this is a recent change. I don't think it is being followed though.  Comes as news to me.  Actually makes no sense either.

 

I don't remember this being worded like that in the past either.   The wording suggests, to me, a person who was taken out of their birth country at 7 months old requires a police certificate.....odd. 

[pushbrk 14,333]

28 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

I don't remember this being worded like that in the past either.   The wording suggests, to me, a person who was taken out of their birth country at 7 months old requires a police certificate.....odd. 

In practice, such a thing would never be required.  It makes no sense at all.  Sometimes wording changes are not properly vetted.  It's always critical to use the country specific information found here.  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country.html

 

There are even cases where reports are not available to non-citizens who are no longer living in certain countries, and other places where they are not required because they are unreliable.  I can't imagine NVC or a Consular Officer will ultimately require a police report for somebody who has not been in their own country since before becoming 16 years of age.  I say "ultimately" because such a thing could possibly be requested, and then with communication, the request dropped.

 

[UK2USAA 1]

Thank you so much for all the replies! Tthis has ended up quite the rollercoaster! I did subsequently find and try their Public Inquiry form, but despite explaining it very much as above received only the following "advice" back:

"Greetings,
Unfortunately, the National Visa Center cannot help with your email inquiry because we do not have enough information.
Please visit our IV Helpful Hints page, which address common inquiries received at NVC. Additional information regarding the immigrant visa process can be found at https://travel.state.gov.

Customer Service Representative I

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

National Visa Center 

LDRM"

I did also find the attached guidance from PDFs from the US Embassies in Israel, and Malaysia, with other wording variants. More in keeping with how I'd assume it would logically be followed, namely the certificates only being required for countries in which one has lived in post-16 years old.
I can't find anything about a deliberate policy change at least, but it's hard to be sure if these are deliberately different older wordings, country specific, or they've just not vetted wording changes on the main travel.state.gov site as you suggest.

I certainly agree it'd make no sense to request! Given the timescales to get a South African police certificate for early childhood, it looks like it's probably best to proceed with the British one covering my whole life after 6 years old, and dealing with any requests should they arise?

[TBoneTX 49,263]

5 hours ago, UK2USAA said:

it's probably best to proceed with the British one covering my whole life after 6 years old, and dealing with any requests should they arise

This.  Good thinking.

[frange24 19]

If you left your country of origin (South Africa) after turning 6, you don't need a South African police certificate.

Age 16, is the baseline to provide a police certificate for immigration purposes wherever you live for, at least, 6 months after turning 16.

 

[Crazy Cat 46,256]

36 minutes ago, frange24 said:

If you left your country of origin (South Africa) after turning 6, you don't need a South African police certificate.

Age 16, is the baseline to provide a police certificate for immigration purposes wherever you live for, at least, 6 months after turning 16.

 

Can you explain this? :

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Crazy Cat