Visa - Certificate of criminal records

[Attorney in BA]

If you apply for your visa at the consulate in London, and you have lived in the UK for the past 5 years, the certificate of criminal records is not required. If you have lived in any other country, the certificate from that country is required.

 

[Liam3494]

So, As Ireland is not a federal state, do the same rules apply there?

 

[ghost]

If this is true this is new, but your Argentine lawyer can't get the Apostille for the FBI report (or an exemption from it) you can he/she?

And if it is true, it is just one more indication that thing are "tightening up" at migraciones.

Even though there may not have been a change in the law.

It could simply be a change in policy.

If your lawyer is insisting on an Apostile for the FBI document? Get a new lawyer because he doesn't know the process. An FBI document will not, can not be Apostiled. When I got mine I shipped it off to the Dept Of State and got it back with a letter stating that no one will Apostile an FBI Doc. It simply is not required. I called the US Embassy and they said "we are aware of this uninformed request" come in to the Consular Section, we have a letter which we attach for immigration here in AR that explains this to them. Again..............
I went to immigration armed with the letter from the Embassy and the FBI doc.. Immigration knew that the FBI doc required no Apostile [even though the advisor did not, which is typical]. The bottomline is the FBI doc is all you need. Get the letter at the Embassy if you want some back up.

 

[citygirl]

Well, in point of fact - it can be apostilled. (I had to do it for work when we set up a company in Slovakia). The doc is sent to the secy of state in Virginia (I believe) who authorizes it. It is not usual however and it's a PITA. So if it isn't required, I would like to avoid it.

 

[emilyr]

An update from the FBI Criminal Record request FAQ site as of January 25, 2010. Now that they are DOING this...and even though it looks like a complicated process, this means Argentina COULD REQUEST an Apostille on the Criminal Record and that the Embassies no longer will provide this letter. I hope they don't start this. Has anyone encountered this in the last few months??



4. Does the FBI *apostille?
(*An apostille is a document that has been "legalized" or "authenticated"
by the issuing agency. This is a process in which various seals are
placed on the document.)
The FBI’s CJIS Division will authenticate U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 fingerprint search results for international requests by placing the FBI seal and signature of a Division official on the results, if requested at the time of submission. Documents prepared in this matter may then be sent to the U.S. Department of State by the requestor to obtain an apostille if necessary. This service is not provided to individuals requesting search results for Canadian immigration, as it is not required for this purpose. This procedure becomes effective 1/25/2010 and will apply only to documents finalized after that date. Requests to authenticate previously processed results will not be accepted. This procedure replaces the letter formerly provided by the CJIS Division that indicated the service was not provided.

 

[La Marlina]

It appears that FBI (and not migraciones) had a change in policy in January. The FBI will now authenticate it's search results. Migraciones didn't previously require the FBI results to be authenticated because the FBI refused to provide an authentication. Therefore, as the FBI has changed it's official policy, and will provide the apositle, I believe that the apositle will be required by Argentina.

The Migraciones website says:

IMPORTANTE:

• Toda documentación expedida en el extranjero deberá contar con la legalización del Consulado Argentino, sito en el país emisor del documento o Apostillada, si el país hubiera ratificado el Convenio de La Haya.


As for migraciones "tightening up".... in a related note, last week I made my latest boarder crossing in Colonia for my 90 day renewal and noticed was that there was no difference between this trip and any of the others (5 total) that I have made in the past two years. Nobody said a word to me. And, for more fun, I was traveling with a British friend making her renewal trip (3rd entry to Argentina in less than a year), and the only thing the nice migraciones man told her that he liked her eyes....

 

[emilyr]

MRAWWW!!

I don't really have anything constructive to say. I just got off the phone with the FBI and wanted to vent my frustration that it takes not 6-8 weeks to process an FBI records request but 13 weeks, and it does not even show up in the FBI Customer Service database until 10 weeks after they receive your document, so I don't even know if they can/will process my set of fingerprints, if they are up to par. You add to the 13 weeks the 1.5 weeks of mailing each way=+3 weeks, + the 20 days plus mail time it takes the US State Department to Apostille it, + the time it takes to get it translated officially here and certified in the Colegio de Traductores...and that equals...a long time. I probably wouldn´t be so annoyed if my university apostilled documents hadn't gotten lost in the mail. If they reject my fingerprints (I sent three copies just in case) after a 3 months wait, I am gonna really be annoyed!

I KNOW rationally the FBI has way more important things to do - like stopping crime - than to run my fingerprints. I KNOW there is no rush. I KNOW I should try not to sweat these details and cultivate patience, that I should be grateful that it doesn't matter when I "get legal" because fortunately I am in a country that doesn't criminalize immigration and throw me in jail if my visa process is not perfect. I should be grateful for all the patient people in UBA...and I will be! But first I want to use this forum for the great service it provides to us - a therapeutic way to just complain about those things that are annoying and frustrating to us! So thanks, forum!

 

[argsteve]

I hear you emilyr......I am about to TRY to get all the work visa stuff together.....
I might be 65 and on soc. sec when I finally get it.. but I am going to try!! I am also worried about the FBI check.. the 4-13 weeks...... BUT I am hoping this is just a range of time.. not 13 weeks and I can get it back in 4-5 weeks... hey I can hope!!! I hope the job I have been offered can wait 4-5-6 months for me to get a work visa.... no wonder everyone works under the table here!!!

 

[emilyr]

Good luck, argsteve, and thanks for sympathizing!

People here seem to be really understanding and patient about facing bureacratic hurdles - whether in the US or here. So I have faith your job offer will work out for you!

 

[citygirl]

13 weeks is SOP - I don't know anyone who has gotten it back in less than that. And in my case, after 13 weeks, they informed me they couldn't read either of the fingerprint cards I had sent in. Frustrating to say the very least.