# BI Requiring Police Clearance from Foreign Police



## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

There is a new requirement from all ExPats who are applying for their ACR Cards. In addition to all application documents to be completed, there is an additional small slip of paper issued that is not on an 'official' BI Application Form that requires the ExPat to acquire a Police Clearance document from their former place of residence in their country. There are some Local Police Departments that may refuse to do this. The only other option would be for the applicant to return to their country and submit this through the Philippine BI Embassy in their country. Would like to see comments about this.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Checklist download*



JimnNila143 said:


> There is a new requirement from all ExPats who are applying for their ACR Cards. In addition to all application documents to be completed, there is an additional small slip of paper issued that is not on an 'official' BI Application Form that requires the ExPat to acquire a Police Clearance document from their former place of residence in their country. There are some Local Police Departments that may refuse to do this. The only other option would be for the applicant to return to their country and submit this through the Philippine BI Embassy in their country. Would like to see comments about this.



I applied for my Immigrant card in the states, my controlling Philippine Consulate was out of Chicago and it was a requirement and was part of the checklist I downloaded from the Philippine Consulate website, Chicago (depends on what state you live in). Police clearance is easy to get if you still have family in the states I'm sure they can do this for you, it's $10 charge and takes 10 minutes tops if not I think the US Embassy could help you on this one.

Philippine Consulate US (Several and their forms didn't match 100% lol). Here's a consulate helper if you still need to download all the requirements for your state or area.


Embassy of the Philippines - Consulate Finder Map


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## HVACman (Jul 27, 2011)

JimnNila143 said:


> There is a new requirement from all ExPats who are applying for their ACR Cards. In addition to all application documents to be completed, there is an additional small slip of paper issued that is not on an 'official' BI Application Form that requires the ExPat to acquire a Police Clearance document from their former place of residence in their country. There are some Local Police Departments that may refuse to do this. The only other option would be for the applicant to return to their country and submit this through the Philippine BI Embassy in their country. Would like to see comments about this.


I don't see this as a bad thing if it serves to somehow discourage undesirables.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> I applied for my Immigrant card in the states, my controlling Philippine Consulate was out of Chicago and it was a requirement and was part of the checklist I downloaded from the Philippine Consulate website, Chicago (depends on what state you live in). Police clearance is easy to get if you still have family in the states I'm sure they can do this for you, it's $10 charge and takes 10 minutes tops if not I think the US Embassy could help you on this one.
> 
> Philippine Consulate US (Several and their forms didn't match 100% lol). Here's a consulate helper if you still need to download all the requirements for your state or area.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I'll tell my friend. He had a problem with his former Local Police sending the record, should have been easy for the officer said 'he didn't feel comfortable' sending this document.'


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

I was informed just about 2 hours ago from my friend that has to get police record that only US ExPats will be required to obtain this document. The US Embassy will not help, the Philippine Immigration will not help. If you are in the Philippines you may have to fly back to your former local residence to personally obtain this document and then return to the Philippines. If you are on a fixed income this can be very costly to do.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

JimnNila143 said:


> I was informed just about 2 hours ago from my friend that has to get police record that only US ExPats will be required to obtain this document. The US Embassy will not help, the Philippine Immigration will not help. If you are in the Philippines you may have to fly back to your former local residence to personally obtain this document and then return to the Philippines. If you are on a fixed income this can be very costly to do.


Like I keep saying; no matter what, you can't fix stupid!!


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## MikeynJenz (Oct 8, 2012)

So are you saying that it is only US citizens that this applies to and noone else from other countries? it seems a bit odd to only have it for one country.


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## pac (Jul 27, 2013)

JimnNila143 said:


> I was informed just about 2 hours ago from my friend that has to get police record that only US ExPats will be required to obtain this document. The US Embassy will not help, the Philippine Immigration will not help. If you are in the Philippines you may have to fly back to your former local residence to personally obtain this document and then return to the Philippines. If you are on a fixed income this can be very costly to do.


Jim, thanks for the heads up, one more for the checkllist!

pac


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*local Philippine Consulate*



pac said:


> Jim, thanks for the heads up, one more for the checkllist!
> 
> pac


Your local controlling Philippine Consulate will have a download form with all the instructions, things they need and one of them is a police clearance.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Your local controlling Philippine Consulate will have a download form with all the instructions, things they need and one of them is a police clearance.


If you are here less than 6 months, they require police clearance from your US Police Department, if you are here 6 months or more in addition you have to have NBI clearance.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Downloadable Forms from Consulate*

I had to use the Chicago Philippine Consulate, no other Philippine consulate would work with because of my address but they have a good website on what you need and I had no problems, my stuff was done, they do send you to some sort of medical spot by the their Naval peir. Here's a short cut of everything I had to fill out and instructions on what I need, including my wife, she had to fill out a form it's in this short also.

http://www.chicagopcg.com/forms/newimmigrantform.pdf


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## pac (Jul 27, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Your local controlling Philippine Consulate will have a download form with all the instructions, things they need and one of them is a police clearance.


Tks mcalleyboy, I'll check in with the local consulate 1st thing next week,

pac


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## MikeynJenz (Oct 8, 2012)

So is it just US citizens? Just i need to renew my ACR card in January.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*ACR card renewal*



MikeynJenz said:


> So is it just US citizens? Just i need to renew my ACR card in January.


Interesting.... I know that after 5 years my card was up for renewal I just didn't know that till I came in for my annual card update, all they did to me was the run around up and down the floors getting paper work they already had on me and then I had to come back for my card it took two months... lol, I never had to submit anything.

My card is coming due soon for the 10 years and I'm not sure what happens next, my US passport is due to expire in 2015.


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## MikeynJenz (Oct 8, 2012)

Sorry, my fault. I am on a non-immigrant visa so it would not apply. Ignore all my posts lol.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

MikeynJenz said:


> Sorry, my fault. I am on a non-immigrant visa so it would not apply. Ignore all my posts lol.


I'm a non-quota Immigrant. I think you need to live here at least 5 years to apply as an Immigrant.


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## MikeynJenz (Oct 8, 2012)

yes was just looking into it as my ACR card renews every year as a tourist and is up for renewal in January. Well, i will be looking to get onto an immigration visa at some point in the next couple of years so i guess it will apply to me then.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*ACR card*



MikeynJenz said:


> yes was just looking into it as my ACR card renews every year as a tourist and is up for renewal in January. Well, i will be looking to get onto an immigration visa at some point in the next couple of years so i guess it will apply to me then.


I'm thinking it should go much faster, you already have a card, the Non-quota Immigrant Visa took me less two months to get approved it could be approved even faster I guess with a little extra cash(express service) stuck in the envelope or given at the Consulate in UK.

I had to mail my stuff in but if you live next to a Philippine Consulate it would be much faster.


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## pac (Jul 27, 2013)

JimnNila143 said:


> There is a new requirement from all ExPats who are applying for their ACR Cards. In addition to all application documents to be completed, there is an additional small slip of paper issued that is not on an 'official' BI Application Form that requires the ExPat to acquire a Police Clearance document from their former place of residence in their country. There are some Local Police Departments that may refuse to do this. The only other option would be for the applicant to return to their country and submit this through the Philippine BI Embassy in their country. Would like to see comments about this.


Jim, I emailed my local phils consulate a few days ago about this and got the response today. Police check is required, and then *that* form needs to be notarized at the phils consulate of the same town as the police check! Here is an excerpt from the email, it includes a new email address for the phils side also:

<email from USA town phils consulate>
For Police Clearance Certificate, please apply 15 days before date of departure for the Philippines at this address: 
Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center
Territorial Building <snip rest of address>... 
The Police Clearance Certificate should be duly notarized by the Philippine Consulate General. You may also wish to direct your queries to the Bureau of Immigration through email: [email protected].
<END email from USA town phils consulate>

I'll apply in a couple days and update the list here with the results. Comforting to know that the phils consulate knew about it, checking from the local police side about the type of background check required, the PD folks didn't know which one would be needed although there were a ton of (incorrect) background checks I could have gotten that would have been the wrong ones (civil, traffic, notices and summons, etc). The address provided by the consulate is not a court, or police dept building at all, I would never have known to go to this data center and apply. More info soon, but appreciate the heads up on this new requirement, tks!

pac


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## valetudo (Oct 4, 2013)

Hi Noobie here. I'm a dual citizen moving back, would this still apply to me?


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## pac (Jul 27, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Your local controlling Philippine Consulate will have a download form with all the instructions, things they need and one of them is a police clearance.


mcalleyboy, this was good advice. my local phils consulate knew about the background check and gave me the location of the "secret" department where i could get the clearance. "Secret" because it is not a courthouse, nor a police department. I've been here 40 yrs on both sides of the law<g> so know just about every state and federal building in town...but never been to this one. At this mystery dept where there are no signs on the building, very little signage on doors or anything but a few little hand made signs and arrows direct you down hallways and thru doors to a small room with the 'background check' window. Didn't see a soul all the way into that little room in back, or on the way out.

At the window you type in stuff on a terminal and keyboard and hit print, then a laser printer kicks out your stuff somewhere in the back room. Still no people in sight, one little bell with a taped clapper that did nada for 15 minutes with tiny thuds so whacked the bell with my keyring and that finally summons a real person. She said standard police check printout $20. One on letterhead and notarized for phils reqm'ts, $30. Ponied up the $30 and was told one week and they will mail it to me. I felt like I was on multiple video cams the whole time I was in that building but didn't see a soul until the lady came at the bell. A little *spook*y in that building. 

We'll find out if this will qualify for the ACR card.

pac


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Police clearance location*

These police clearance spots seem to be anywhere but in the police station the Fargo, ND building was all by itself on a corner, had very little or nothing to do with the police station, they also accept bullets there, I carried concealed but sold my weapon before coming here and needed to get rid of my bullets and they accepted them, they just wanted my name and address on the box and that was it, they were very happy to receive several boxes of 9mm.

It's only $10 in ND to get this and it takes only minutes. I got my card and went back for a couple years and before I left I got the report again just in case, I was gone for two years and boy did they charge me an arm and a leg, you have to keep your I-Card updated even when you leave the country, it's only 310 peso's a year but if your card is not updated within the first 60 days of the year, it turns into 5,000 peso's per year plus, yea... I showed the lady my passport, they didn't even want to look at she replied that my wife has to come in every year with my card and update it, boy.... what a heck of deal they got going... this is all found in small print on the PBI under the ACR card area, takes a while to find that.


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## pac (Jul 27, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> These police clearance spots seem to be anywhere but in the police station the Fargo, ND building was all by itself on a corner, had very little or nothing to do with the police station, they also accept bullets there, I carried concealed but sold my weapon before coming here and needed to get rid of my bullets and they accepted them, they just wanted my name and address on the box and that was it, they were very happy to receive several boxes of 9mm.
> 
> It's only $10 in ND to get this and it takes only minutes. I got my card and went back for a couple years and before I left I got the report again just in case, I was gone for two years and boy did they charge me an arm and a leg, you have to keep your I-Card updated even when you leave the country, it's only 310 peso's a year but if your card is not updated within the first 60 days of the year, it turns into 5,000 peso's per year plus, yea... I showed the lady my passport, they didn't even want to look at she replied that my wife has to come in every year with my card and update it, boy.... what a heck of deal they got going... this is all found in small print on the PBI under the ACR card area, takes a while to find that.


wow, mcalleyboy, that jump from 310p to 5,000p is worth knowing about, tks!

Nice of you to give up your 9mm ammo to the good guys, heaven knows we need it!


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*BI Requiring Police Clearance*



valetudo said:


> Hi Noobie here. I'm a dual citizen moving back, would this still apply to me?


When you return to the Philippines you will return as a Balikbayan Status Filipino. Yes, you will need to obtain Barangay and NBI clearance as well as obtain a Postal Photo ID. Because you are a dual citizen you can still retain that status. If you own property in the US you can retain it. Also if you own property here in the Philippines you can retain it as well, if you don't own any property here, there should be no problem acquiring it because of your dual citizenship status. If fact, you would probably have less of a problem with this as you are a Philippine-born US Citizen returning to your home country.


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