When do I need to provide a police certificate:
You will require a police certificate, if applying for either a temporary visa and/or a permanent green card.
- If you have ever been arrested and/or
- convicted and/or
- admitted to a past element of a crime and/or
- have had a previous visa denied and/or
- have done something in your past that has violated U.S. immigration laws, such as unlawful employment or overstaying your permitted period of time inside the United States
Police certificates are issued in any country where you have been residing since the age of 16. For example, if you have been a resident of Germany, the UK, and Ireland, you must provide three separate police certificates for each of these countries.
A police certificate reveals if you have ever been arrested and/or convicted in the country that issues the police certificate
You should not go to a consulate interview without a police certificate when one is required because if you do, it will either trigger delays in the adjudication of your case and/or an officer may deny your application outright, until you come back when you actually have your police certificate.
