Fingerprints/Criminal Record Check (Canadian Teachers)

After reading the contracts I went through the RCMP to get my fingerprints done. I was told it would take 3-4 weeks. I left and paid $80.00 .
I waited over 6 months for it come back. Never did. I also had to play telephone tag, but was unable to reach someone who could explain why I never got it.

After wasting $80.00 I was told by a friend who also went to Korea that she went down to the local police station on Elgin Street (Ottawa, ONT), and got her check done in less than 5 minutes for only $35 dollars.

I used the local police check for mine, and it worked. Im here teaching.


good luck

This was my experience:

I was told that doing the RCMP check remotely from Korea would take up to 120 days (versus doing it via the digital fingerprint method back in Canada). I didn't have the time to do this so I just went with a local (Calgary) police check and hoped for the best. I pointed out that there is some small print on the document that states the RCMP database is used to conduct the background check - this seemed to work.

I think this is an old thread, but I thought I'd share my experience (from a month and a bit ago).

I was in a city close to Vancouver when I got my fingerprints done.

The lady told me that there is a back log with the fingerprinting of six months. She recommended I took the digital fingerprinting which should take about four business days. I ended up doing the digital but I got it two and a half weeks later.

On the RCMP website, there is an e-mail address you can request a status update on your fingerprints. They take forever to respond though. I e-mailed them about two weeks in, and they replied to me three weeks later saying they already did my fingerprints.

My regular CBC is from the RCMP. I did it through the Commissionaires in Ontario, where I got my past 'vulnerable sector' checks from. It doesn't say RCMP on the letterhead. It reads at top: Canada Police Certificate: For Employment, Visa Applicants, Foreign Travel Work Permits. It was, however, completed by the Charlottetown Police Services (which is in fact RCMP). It also states, concerning me, that " a search of National Criminal Records repository maintained by the RCMP did not identify any record...."

I have used CBC's provided by the Commissionaires in the past. Is there any reason to fear that it won't be accepted this time because it says "Canada Police Certificate" on the letterhead rather than "RCMP"?

Yes.  The law changed in January.  It is quite possible, although not guaranteed, that they will refuse accept it unless it says RCMP in letters big enough to convince them, and if it gets refused, no amount of explaining from you will change their mind.  Or maybe you'll be lucky.  Make sure sure to point to the RCMP letters on the form when you pass it in...

So I went to Namdaemun Police Station today to get fingerprinted for a Canadian criminal background check. They say I must provide the RCMP form for them to place the fingerprints on. So I go online to the RCMP 'fingerprinting' page, hoping to download the form. But no, that would be too easy. "Form not available online. Please contact us with personal information and mailing address and it will be mailed to you." WTF!! Could this criminal background stuff get any more frustrating. After the run-around I got at police stations in Canada this is just too much. I got a "Canadian Police Check" in Canada, but because it doesn't say RCMP in huge letters on the heading it may not be accepted by kimmi. (Who knows! I can never get a straight answer in this country.) So I thought I'd cover myself with a second one directly from the RCMP...but I can't get fingerprinted without an RCMP form which has to be ordered by regular mail from friggin Ottawa.

Grrrr!

I'm pretty sure the Canadian embassy has the fingerprint forms. Just call them and check. But yeah, be prepared to wait over 6 months (mine finally came 7 months after I sent them off to Canada). One piece of good news, though. At least you can actually start mailing things to Canada this week since they forced the Canada Post workers back to work. Apparently it takes effect on Tuesday (possibly Wednesday here?).

...but I can't get fingerprinted without an RCMP form which has to be ordered by regular mail from friggin Ottawa.

Not quite. The RCMP site states that you don't need the RCMP fingerprint form. You may use the fingerprint forms from a local police force (ie. whichever Korean police station near you that does fingerprinting) as long as the form is translated and includes all the required information (name, officer's signature, station's address, etc).

I've never used the RCMP's fingerprint form--always the Korean form--and have never had a problem. I'm currently waiting for my fourth (and damn well better be my last) RCMP CBC.

The embassy in Seoul will have the fingerprint forms couriered to your place the next day (I did it twice) with a form explaining everything in Korean for you to give the police station. I wouldn't go to the one in Insadong...a cop there was rough with me and shouted a lot. His coworkers apologized when he left the room.

My RCMP check was done in 2 or 3 weeks (in May). Apparently it only takes a really long if your name and birthdate are the same as a convicted criminal on file.

I got my CRC in January 2011...from my experience this took 3 days and $35, I did it in person through the local Wpg P.D. in Canada. I understood this as the police run my name through a national database to check for a criminal & vulnerabe persons record, no body asked for my finger print, because my name identifies me. (might a finger print only be done for the FBI?-- I believe the FBI CRC's take several months)...no body in Korea asked for my finger print either, but I did need to give 2 copies of the CRC in my application, first to the embassy for my E2 and then one for my application....so I was lucky I had an extra copy, was not expecting the second would be needed....hope this helps.

Does anyone know How to get a Nation Wide Criminal Record Check in Canada?

I live in Ottawa. When I went to my local police station they said the only place that does fingerprint CRC is the head office downtown. Then the head office downtown told me the only place to get it done with the commissionaires. However, they told me the Ottawa police check that they do is national and what I needed. So I paid for it and got the check on the spot. My recruiter said because it didn't say RCMP it wasn't good enough.

I then went to the nearest Commissionaires and they were able to issue me the proper RCMP level check (without fingerprints) withing 3 days. Ottawa has such a high volume of request that my CRC was actually issued in PEI.

The only time I got fingerprinted was in Korea. I didn't have to do it for my application forms to get in with EPIK. I just went into a community police centre and was out in about 15 minutes with my record check in hand.

Hello,

I had my original copy notarized; as it also has the embossing from the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police).  I believe the OPP runs their Criminal Reference check through the RCMP now also.  I know that a friend who sent his notarized copy was told that he needed to send the original and have it notarized and therefore had to pay to have it notarized again and resend it.  That being said another friend send a notarized copy and it was accepted.  We all came through EPIK.  I would recommend contacting your coordinator and seeing what they say.

Best of luck.

I got my police check done in vancouver, and i got the original from them.  I had it notarized and took it to the korean consulate office, which they stamped and sent it to Epik. I had no problems.

That's weird. I got an original from the RCMP and the people at the Korean embassy just took the back copy. Didn't need to be notarized or anything.

RCMP take a very long time to process! It took them 3 months to process mine. From what I've heard that is pretty average waiting time.

I got mycriminal check in Ontario - they gave me the original -  the notary i went to refused to notarize the original, so i made copies and got THEM all notarized (keeping one for myself just in case) and then had to send the Original plus a notarized copy to EPIK and i didnt need fingerprints. I had no problems either!

You shouldn't have to go to the RCMP for a record check. All local police departments are plugged into CPIC so any of them should be able to get you a record check. Mine was $45 and took an hour (Toronto).

I'm not from Canada but had a similar problem with my FBI background and the stupid apostille process. My recruiter (who is a total incompetent) mis-informed me of the process to get my apostille completed and told me to send the document to a state institution that would not provide the apostille unless the document had been notarized at a county clerks/court office because this state institution does not have federal fingerprints on file. He however neglected this ever so important step so 3 weeks after I sent it i found out that it did not receive the backup it needed. Which means a delay in payments and other things for me. I was able to find a department in Guam that could provide the verification but it's been such a hassle and the alternative would be to send it back to my home country to the department I should have sent it to the first time, but was told not to do so by my recruiter. The best advice is to look up the information for yourself if your recruiter is anything like mine he's just looking for a payday and could care less about you once you arrive.

I'm from Vancouver! Got a 2 original police certificates from the local department. Notarization wasn't a problem either! If anything, the lawyer asked why the police department gave me two original copies ...