US PCC/ Police clearance certificate from FBI, USA
I have applied for Permanent Residency in Canada/ Australia and I have been asked to provide US PCC. Why? The need and importance of this police clearance certificate has been explained by the Canadian Immigration Authority in
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/results-by-topic.asp?st=4.7 The webpage enlists many questions relevant to the topic.
The most commonly asked question is why is the PCC Certificate needed? It is important to understand that any country who would wish to grant permanent residency to an individual, would like to ascertain that the applicant has a record free background. Therefore, countries require the applicants to provide a Police clearance certificate. If you have lived in the US or more than 180 days, then it is likely that you are asked to provide a PCC from US also known as FBI pcc or FBI Background check. This police clearance report contains information about the arrest data (if any). Similarly, if you are applying for an Australian PR, then the police clearance report may be required if you have stayed in the US. In addition to the FBI Check, if you are applying for Australia PR, an applicant may also be required to provide a State Police Clearance. A State Police Clearance is issued by the Australian state where the applicant has resided during the stay in the US.
Can a US PCC or a background check may also be required if I have applied for Permanent Residency to a country other than Canada or Australia? Yes, a police check is a mandatory requirement if you are wishing to migrate permanently. For more details you can refer to the website below:-
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/police-certificates/about.html
I am not the primary applicant in our application for Permanent Residency application. My spouse is the primary applicant. Would I still be required to produce the clearance certificate?
Yes. Any person who is a part of the application and is above the age of 18 years would be required to produce a US pcc certificate if they fulfil the stay requirement.