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dpenabill View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dpenabill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 2:14am
For finger prints follow the specs for the relevant agency -- I forget, are you American and thus talking about FBI certificate? If so, while I do not know the status of using digital prints (many states are set up to use digital prints) but I do not think digital prints are "scanned" versions. Authorized digital prints are available in only select locations (none within a day's drive of me); and digital prints are not accepted by all agencies . . . again, if FBI, check with FBI site for their specs.

Otherwise, official fingerprints are old-fashioned ink. Thus, if not digital I am pretty sure they must be the original ink version. I had my done by the RCMP (took awhile to get in to get them done . . . a couple or three weeks as I recall . . . since I am in Ontario and RCMP offices are relatively skeletal offices) and they have fingerprint cards that meet the FBI requirements; they automatically did two cards, gave me both, but I only sent one in to the FBI. Not just anybody can do fingerprints that will suffice, for obvious reasons (including identification of the individual being fingerprinted . . . that is, being sure the named individual is the same as the fingerprinted individual), though most police agencies can do them, and some private companies with authorization.

Hopefully, as the purchaser, you can get a refund for the money order obtained from Western Union. Ditto audball on this: Canada Post is an excellent resource for obtaining money orders in U.S. funds.   
Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions.



BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration
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Patience Tuesday View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Patience Tuesday Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 12:28pm
Thank you again, audball and dpenabill.  I'm the Canadian sponsor, but yes, the man is a US Citizen.  We are talking about the FBI certification.

I shall take myself to the post office for said US Treasury request. 

Have just made in a call to Revenue Canada for the Option C printout; I will not file until April 15 exactly (Yes, I'm one of THOSE people.  lol)  My most recent taxation year therefore shall still be 2009, and that's what was ordered today.  I don't want to 'jump the gun' however I read that I will need a letter from my employer stating my period of employment, etc, according to the checklist.  Should I wait a little while longer for that, or "git'r'dun" now? 

I do so appreciate you good folk!


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dpenabill View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dpenabill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 4:46pm
Wait. The thing is, the relevant information in the application should be current as of the date the application is signed (so long as it is signed within a reasonable time of it being submitted), so employment information should be current up to that date. This is obviously something that can change between now and nearly six months from now. Remember, the details of your employment do not matter (least not much -- there are some scenarios in which it might, but probably not yours) so even if you are unemployed as of the date of the application that should not cause any problems.

That said, obviously you can obtain the letter a reasonable time prior to the date the application is signed; how long ahead of time you actually ask the employer for the letter depends on the employer and how long (or difficult) it may be to obtain a letter. Some employers and/or their HR departments are very responsive to employee needs in this regard. Others not so much.

Note, in general: you want your documentation to be as current as possible relative to the date you sign and submit the application forms; again, this can be a bit tricky with things like the FBI certificates, even the Medical exam, given having to wait for the marriage certificate, but less tricky with other things over which you maintain more control. I think this is particularly true, as well, as to proof of the relationship: do not overlook presentation of evidence for the last couple months leading up to submitting the application -- the "continuing" nature of the relationship is just as important as its commencement and maintenance.

Edited by dpenabill - 29 Nov 2010 at 4:47pm
Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions.



BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration
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ArityMonk View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ArityMonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 5:45pm
For fingerprints, I went to Tacoma, WA for mine which is a good-sized city, and they had the digital fingerprinting for FBI. They didn't want my copy of the page, as they had their own identical version to print on. I didn't know which to expect, but if they do digital, they'll handle the printing for you. 
Married 1/22/10
Sponsorship decision made 5/20/10
AOR to Buffalo 6/16/10
PPR 10/19/10
Landed 10/29/10
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Patience Tuesday View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Patience Tuesday Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 2:23am
Thank you!  We shall wait for the letter of the employment then, and I do appreciate the eye to the 'ongoing' nature of the relationship, dpenabill.

ArityMonk, that is good news!  Thank you!  If that is the case, I don't have to worry about smudging or what have.

Another quick question
:  Taxes.  Yes, I filed last year and got a refund.  (We will be getting that Option C 2009 for the packet, as I will not have filed by time we apply for the visa) 

When I file this year I expect to need to pay, but I won't be filing until April 15, or a little before.  I may not have enough money to pay them all, even working overtime.  How big of a problem will this be?  :(

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sugahmonstah View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sugahmonstah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 2:42am
Just wanted to throw my experience in about fingerprints for the fbi clearance.
We printed a fingerprint card and used a basic stamp pad and my husband fingerprinted himself.
We sent the forms in (from canada) and got his clearance back in a couple of weeks!
Outland Sent 11/30/2010
Received Miss 12/2/2010
Sponsor approved 01/17/2011
Received Buffalo 01/26/2011
Applied for VR extension 03/14/2011
extension approved until MAY 2013!!! 05/09/2011
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Patience Tuesday View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Patience Tuesday Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 12:37pm
*That* is something that I never thought to do, but I'm a little afraid that we'd botch it big-time.  ^^

Thank you, sugahmonstah, for that suggestion! 
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audball View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote audball Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 1:17pm
hahah I was the same. I was too worried about not doing it right. So I just spent the $5 getting the police tod o it. Figured they have the experience. :P
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dpenabill View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dpenabill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Dec 2010 at 3:08am
Well hopefully sugahmonstah will report back eventually (some months from now) as to how this went.

I would generally advise against this. Foremost since even prints taken by qualified technicians are sometimes not of sufficient quality for the FBI to act on them, in which case no cert comes back and one will need to send in another set. Obviously sugahmonstah's partner passed this hurdle, but generally I think it is more of a hassle than it is worth.

But, and this is the part that I hope there will be a report as to the results eventually, the CIC page regarding police certs from U.S. says to have the fingerprints taken by a local police department or a private fingerprinting business, and further notes that photo identification will be needed. See "how to obtain a police certificate U.S.A."

Thus, while the FBI site itself does not indicate any requirements as to who actually takes the fingerprints, note that the process there is for the purpose of sending the individual a check on their own record. If the purpose is to find out about one's own record, there is no point, of course, in swapping prints.

CIC in contrast is indeed concerned that the individual named and the individual printed are indeed the same person.

I also know that in other contexts where fingerprints are required (such as security checks for certain types of licensing) "who" takes the prints is often specifically limited to law enforcement or certain authorized businesses; and again, part of the reason for this is to control quality of the prints but also to assure that the person being printed is the person named.

To what extent this is examined or a potential issue (which, however, would merely result in the brief delay inherent in having to submit an addtional cert) I have no idea. I do know, though, that a number of people have reported having to submit additional police certs during the processing of their applications (for various reasons, though many of the reports do not offer an explanation).



Edited by dpenabill - 04 Dec 2010 at 3:09am
Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions.



BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration
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