After USCIS approves the Form I-129F petition and before a consular interview can be scheduled, the K-1 applicant must submit a police certificate. This applies to all K-1 applicants, even if you’ve never been arrested. You must show that you’re not inadmissible due to past criminal activity.
In fact, you must provide a police certificate for each country where you lived for a period of six months. The only exception is the United States if you have previously lived here or are currently living here.
The requirement extends to any K-2 children if they are 16 years or older.
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How to Obtain a Police Certificate
Depending on the country, it make take several weeks to obtain a police certificate. Start early.
STEP 1 | Determine from which countries you’ll need a police certificatesYou will need a police certificate from at least one country. However, if you’ve lived in any other countries or have been arrested in another country, you may need additional certificates. Use the table below to make a determination. If you are 16 years of age or older, you must submit a police certificate from the following locations:
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STEP 2 | Contact the police authority in each countryUse the U.S. State Department’s website to find each country where you must obtain a police certificate. Use the steps below to find the country-specific information about requesting a police report.
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What Should be Included on a Police Certificate
The K-1 applicant must submit police certificates that meet the following guidelines. The certificate must:
- Cover the entire period of the applicant’s residence in that area; and
- Be issued by the appropriate police authority; and
- Include all arrests, the reason for the arrest(s), and the disposition of each case of which there is a record.
Validity Period
Police certificates expire after one year, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the certificate was issued. If at the time of your interview the following three items are all true, you must bring a new police certificate to your visa interview:
- You are more than 16 years old;
- The police certificate was obtained more than one year ago; and
- You still live in the country that issued the certificate.
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