Help please! Does the FBI report really expire if I leave the country??

[lejohnson]

So, at the risk of being chewed apart for asking a residency question, I would like to know if anyone has any official information or first-hand knowledge of whether the FBI report really truly becomes invalid if I travel back to the U.S.?

I have had a family emergency and need to go back to the U.S. as soon as possible, but my FBI report (which I first sent to the FBI in November) is currently at the State Department getting apostilled. I have read various times that the report will not be valid anymore if I do this, but I have never seen any official information about this, just hear-say. I would really appreciate if anyone has any conclusive information for me, so that I can decide if I will go right away or wait until all my papers are in order...

 

[citygirl]

AFAIK - yes, it would be. You would then have a period of time in the US that wouldn't be accounted for and in theory you could have committed a crime. Wish I had better news for you.

 

[Ashley]

I can second Citygirl. It invalidates the report. I had the same thing happen to me with my UK police report, I hoped they wouldn't notice but they did and I had to get it all over again!

 

[NYKate]

So, at the risk of being chewed apart for asking a residency question, I would like to know if anyone has any official information or first-hand knowledge of whether the FBI report really truly becomes invalid if I travel back to the U.S.?

I have had a family emergency and need to go back to the U.S. as soon as possible, but my FBI report (which I first sent to the FBI in November) is currently at the State Department getting apostilled. I have read various times that the report will not be valid anymore if I do this, but I have never seen any official information about this, just hear-say. I would really appreciate if anyone has any conclusive information for me, so that I can decide if I will go right away or wait until all my papers are in order...

CALL MIGRACIONES or go there to talk to an agent.
And do you have an appointment with migraciones when you get back? I had the same issue and had to travel back to the US before I could file for my residency. I went there, without an appointment, and spoke with an agent. They stated that the FBI background check document would still be valid would as long as I didn't spend longer than a set period of time in the US (I was told less than 3 weeks is okay). That is why I would advise that you speak to someone there as you don't need the stress of not knowing or thinking that you have to do this process over again. Not everything in this country is set in stone and they might give you a special allowance seeing as it is a family matter, which is exactly what they did with me.
Best of luck!

 

[windy]

Mine was from the English police ,but as i went home for a holiday the Argentine powers that be said it was all invalid as it did not cover the time i was on holiday. By the time i got all the police papers translation and apostles done again all of my Argentine papers plus visas had expired.
Frustrating is not the word.

 

[citygirl]

CALL MIGRACIONES or go there to talk to an agent.
And do you have an appointment with migraciones when you get back? I had the same issue and had to travel back to the US before I could file for my residency. I went there, without an appointment, and spoke with an agent. They stated that the FBI background check document would still be valid would as long as I didn't spend longer than a set period of time in the US (I was told less than 3 weeks is okay). That is why I would advise that you speak to someone there as you don't need the stress of not knowing or thinking that you have to do this process over again. Not everything in this country is set in stone and they might give you a special allowance seeing as it is a family matter, which is exactly what they did with me.
Best of luck!

With all respect, I certainly wouldn't advise doing that. Even if the person you talk to that day at migraciones says it's okay, there is NO GUARANTEE that when you go back after your return, they will accept it. NYKate - you got lucky. Weren't you also the one who didn't need the apostille? Which again is a legal requirement and has been for at least 2 years.

In every case I know of, they have compared the dates on the report to the dates in the passport. If your time is not accounted for on the police report, it is invalid.

 

[NYKate]

With all respect, I certainly wouldn't advise doing that. Even if the person you talk to that day at migraciones says it's okay, there is NO GUARANTEE that when you go back after your return, they will accept it. NYKate - you got lucky. Weren't you also the one who didn't need the apostille? Which again is a legal requirement and has been for at least 2 years.

In every case I know of, they have compared the dates on the report to the dates in the passport. If your time is not accounted for on the police report, it is invalid.

I don't think that luck has anything to do with having a personal issue and being scared out of my mind over the fact that it took 8 months to get the FBI background check and that it could very well be invalid because I had to go back to the US for a few days. Everything I had (literally all of my belongings were held up) was waiting on getting that one document. I do understand where you are coming from in advising caution however when I went through this same situation I spoke with an agent there who referred me to his manager, was given the managers first and last name and was told to refer to him when my appointment came up. There is absolutley NO reason why speaking to a migraciones officer would hurt and, due to the fact that this is a personal family issue people tend to be more understanding. I am sorry for those who have gotten turned away due to a gap in their FBI report however if you don't ask, you don't know. There is no reason to scare someone who is already going through a very stressful situation when there may be a possiblity of a less stressful resolution. Maybe it is a remote chance, however you don't know because you are not in their situation or the minds of the agents in migraciones. It's better to check with them.

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

As one who has been through both the US Immigration process (for my wife) and the Argentine process (for me) I highly suggest you get professional advice from Immigration and/or an immigration lawyer. As well-meaning as friends and others are to help I've had more than one instance where their "helpful" advice would have been a catastrophe.

Your case is obviously important and therefore worth paying the money to get the right information.

Just my $.02

 

[stl999]

I was in the same situation, had my immigration lawyer make a call and all was okay. I went back for 6 days and they did not invalidate my FBI report. One of my colleagues left and came back too.