Police Clearance Certificates

[CharlesH]

Only applicants 18 and above require a PCC?

 

When is the best time to apply and how long does it usually take?

[FingersCrossed]

Hi

 

You need to time it carefully cause PCC's are only valid for 1 year. So, if you are doing a RPL then you need to get that passed before you apply for PCC. I would also make sure your english exam is completed (if you need to do that). 

If I remember correctly, my PCC's took 3 weeks.

[CazK]

Hi, in South Africa PCC's are only valid for 6 months after which you can renew it for another 6 months. However, if you need to extend again you will need to go back to the police station for fingerprints and start the process all over again. Our PCC's took 5 weeks.

 

According to the Australian website (https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/189-/Skilled-Independent-visa-(subclass-189)-document-checklist): Police certificates are required for each country each person has lived in for a cumulative period of 12 months or more, over the last 10 years, since turning 16 years of age.

 

As to the best time, that is entirely up to you. We did it earlier on in the process as we expected things to run smoothly, but point requirements for my husband's occupation changed and we are still trying to get an ITA. But our first 6 months for our PCC's are not yet over, so we can still renew if we need to.

[Spazmaz]

Our PCC's took 2 weeks. They sent us a text message when it was ready. 

 

NB: if you are applying for your wife you must include a certified copy of marriage certificate with the application form if you want her maiden name to appear on it. And write on the request form (somewhere they can see, because the form does not make provision for it) that you want her maiden name to also appear on the certificate. We did not know this and the form does not give you an option to specify this - when my PCC arrived it did not have my maiden name on it and when I queried it I was told very snarkily 'how must we know that you want your maiden surname on the certificate', and that I would have to reapply.

 

We waited until our case officer specifically asked us for it

[RedPanda]

On 23/01/2017 at 4:07 AM, CazK said:

Hi, in South Africa PCC's are only valid for 6 months after which you can renew it for another 6 months. However, if you need to extend again you will need to go back to the police station for fingerprints and start the process all over again.

 

To the best of my knowledge the last time I checked the RSA PCCs were valid for a year for the purposes of immigration? (That is certainly the latest your activation date can go.) But there might be a different requirement for when you submit your actual application? Just double check this, if it is something that will be critical for you.

[CazK]

Hi @RedPanda, the SAPS website states " After six months of the date of the original application a new application must be submitted." The point I was trying to make is that if you get your PCCs ahead of time (like we did), but then things take longer than anticipated and you only apply for your visa later, you may need to get your PCCs reissued depending 1) on how much time has lapsed since you originally got it and 2) the impact it will have on your date of entry into Australia. After you have submitted your visa application for Aus, the validity of your PCC is not a problem. Sorry if I caused some confusion.