police checks

hels269 · 28-08-2007, 04:03 PM

HI

Just wondering how i go about getting a police check ? is this the same as the CRB (criminal records bureau) check you get when you start a new job ? I read on the web that you get forms from your local police force ? Does it not matter that I now live in Cardiff and yet spent most of my life in Wigan ? Sorry if this is a daft question.

Also I jsut sent off my application forms to my agent, is it worth getting the police checks done whilst I wait or not ? I heard that the visa is dated from the day of the police checks but that would be no good if Im made to wait for ages for the visa to be granted.

CONFUSED

Thanks for any help

Helen

Debbie Brooks · 28-08-2007, 04:55 PM

Hi Helen,
My husband an I work in a school and are often CRB checked, however, for this application we still needed to complete a Police Check.
We moved from Swindon last year to the Isle of Wight and only needed to obtain a record from Isle of Wight area. I just phoned the local Station and they posted a form to me, our district was not available on the Internet. Just to let you know we obtained a Police check last January (06) when we logged our application but was out of date so have had to obtain another one August 07. Please don't let our time scales worry you, our visa application is not a common one, but I just wanted to share our experience with you and others reading this as some of the questions are relevant to what we/are going through.
I am pleased to say after all this wait we have had our medicals and are just now waiting for the final descision. I know we are all healthy and police checks are OK so hopefully this is the final stage and the visa's will be granted soon.

Hope yours goes smoothly!!
Debs

hels269 · 29-08-2007, 09:31 AM

Hi Debbie

Thanks so much for that information, I will just go to the local police station then. Im sure they have a record of everything anyway.
I dont have any skeletons in my closet anyway so i should be ok.

I didnt know they expire though so thanks for that. I will wait a while longer until I have some sort of communication back from my agent.

Thanks for all your help
Helen

calNgary · 29-08-2007, 10:57 AM

Hiya ,your police check must be no older than 12mth and also ,once your visa is granted you have 12mth to enter Australia from the date of issue on your police check(hope that makes sense) if you got them before having your medicals.They also seem to take 30-40 days to come through ,which can be a big hold up if you wait till 'requested' by a case officer,,
Cal x

BigLes · 29-08-2007, 11:11 AM

Here's the link to get the try and get the form from the internet instead of going in to the police station.

The UK Police Service

Just find your local area force and then find the freedom of information section then the data protection section - they tell you how to go about getting you information they hold on you - and some forces have PDF copies of the form you need to fill in. Can be hard to find because their websites aren't the clearest but it will be somewhere under data protection act!

My form for the West Yorkshire police is really straight forward - name address, height date of birth etc then previousl addresses. I think you are suppose to list all previous addresses in the last 10 years like what is requested on the visa application forms - so be warned you may have to apply to greater manchester area police force if you lived in wigan in the last 10 years.

Hope this helps a little more

hels269 · 30-08-2007, 11:25 AM

Hi All

Thanks so much for all that help, its much appreciated,
I had a feeling I would have to get a few for each area I have lived.
I also lived in Oz for 14 months. eek

Thanks again

Helen

Pez1 · 31-08-2007, 12:06 AM

If it's any help I live in Hampshire and got the form from Hants Police Website, when it came back ( 40 days as Cal says) it did have a 22 year old minor offence on it from when I still lived in Manchester. So i'm pretty sure it is dealt with by a Central Agency who look into offences in the entire UK.

I should clarify it's the one and only offence I have ever had!

Hope this helps.

P

hels269 · 31-08-2007, 10:31 AM

Oh thanks P, that is good to know
i dont really want to spend 30 quid on my 3 different constabularies. I dont know how it cant be a Central Agency that deals with it, my friend is a police officer and when she catches a baddie she does a PNC check on them and finds out if there is any previous, im sure this is nationwide or crims would just move around all the time and would be classed as having no previous.

not sure what I will do for the year i was in OZ though, that could be tricky. I have a year unaccounted for !! Im sure Queensland police will assist me though.

Thanks again
Helen

BigLes · 31-08-2007, 10:45 AM

There's an Oz police check form too!!

Have a look on the DIAC website link below

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1101.pdf

Not sure when you apply for it in the visa process - whether it's when you do the police checks over here etc?? But just knew this form existed - hopefully someone else on here can advise you better?