# Indian Police Checks for Non-Indians - is this possible?



## mmmfreecake (Jun 16, 2014)

Hi there friends,

I'm going to be applying for the RSMS (187) visa, and must obtain police clearance for anywhere I've spent more than 12 months in the past 10 years, which is Canada, the UK and India. Canada and the UK seem straightforward, but I admit I'm dreading having to deal with Indian bureaucracy.

Firstly, does anyone know if it is even possible to obtain an Indian Police Clearance if you are not an Indian citizen? I have a Canadian passport - I was just a very frequent visitor there for several years.

The VFS website (this forum won't let me post links yet) says:

_Indian Police Clearance service is available for Indian nationals only_

But then they also say:

_PCC for foreign passport holders: Application from foreign nationals will be accepted only on pre-approval basis and issuance of PCC is subject to clearance/verification from concerned authorities in India. Applicants are required to provide the details of registration done with FRRO during their stay in India._

So... can I get one or can't I?

Immi.gov.au says this:

_In some countries, police certificates are only available to citizens or to residents. Where this applies, it will be indicated in the country information. If a category, such as non-citizen or non-resident, is not listed in the country information, it generally means a certificate cannot be obtained.

If a certificate cannot be obtained, or if a country is not listed on this page, please contact your nearest Australian Immigration overseas office for further information._

Naturally, I clicked on the link for India on the immi.gov.au page, but under "non-resident non-citizens" police clearance advice, it just directs me to a web page that doesn't exist.

So I thought I might ask here, in case any of you may have attempted this particular thing already. Is it possible to do? If so, how did you do it? Also - do they take your passport for several weeks/months while doing this?

Thanks!


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## sachkunj (May 25, 2014)

Hi

If you trying to get indian pcc then i think you need to contact BLS INDIA- CANADA. they can help you with it .. Below is the link.. i recently done mine and they do keep your passport for some week ( Mine Took 14 days ) but i was keep phoning the consulate and requesting it urgent and after 3 or 4 call they managed to do it urgently.,

Police Clearance Certificate


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## mmmfreecake (Jun 16, 2014)

Thanks sachkunj!

Did you apply for the PCC with a Canadian passport?

I am looking at that link now, which seems more straightforward than the other website I was on. I am applying from Australia though, which I forgot to mention in my first post, so I hope the process is the same.

I never registered with the FRRO in India because I never stayed longer than 6 months at a time. So I don't know how they are planning to confirm when I was there and where.

What documentation did you use to prove your stay in India?


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## sachkunj (May 25, 2014)

HI, 

I applied it from canada with Indian passport. documentation for your stay may be you can attach your Indian visa copy and Indian Immigration stamp which is in your passport.


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## mmmfreecake (Jun 16, 2014)

Okay, good idea, thanks!

If anyone here has applied for Indian PCC with any type of passport other than Indian, please let me know how that worked out.


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## Sonial (May 21, 2011)

We've just gone through this process and were granted 186 yesterday. We lived in India for nearly 2 years but are uk citizens. When in Australia you must go through vfs who are useless. At the beginning of march vfs changed their website to say non Indians must get a verification letter, they unfortunately didn't tell India this. We spent 5 weeks going in circles. Our CO asked us to keep a log to prove we tried to get the PCC. We noted all emails and phone calls to vfs, Indian high commission in Australia and the police/ FRRO in India. We asked to do a stat dec and eventually filled in the forms. We also involved our local senators office because it was all so ridiculous. In the end I think they accepted the stat decs. Our CO was inexperienced and said she didn't know there was an issue getting a PCC not sure what planet she was living on.

Good luck and if you need more help please ask

Sonia


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## mmmfreecake (Jun 16, 2014)

Aughhhhhh. Well this sounds like a delightful process.

Thanks Sonial - that sounds horrible and stressful, but it's encouraging to know you got the visa anyway.

Did you apply from within Australia or within the UK?

Who is supposed to give you the verification letter?

I suppose I will just request the PCC from VFS, document the whole ridiculous process as I go, and hope for the best!

Thanks soooo much for sharing your experience though - at least if it's a complete nightmare, I'll know I'm not alone.


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## Sonial (May 21, 2011)

We applied from within Australia.

The verification letter is supposed to be obtained from the FRRO where you registered in India if you don't have the registration document (which you didn't because you weren't there longer than 6 months at a time and weren't required to register).

I don't believe it will be possible for you to get a PCC from vfs because you fall down the cracks of their process being a non-Indian and not having the FRRO registration document. My advice would be to try to find out how to get one (without actually applying for one), keep a log of your efforts and when you get fed up of trying then go for a stat dec with your CO. if you send in an application you will probably be waiting months and get lost in the system. The other way will be a matter of weeks.

Sonia


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## mmmfreecake (Jun 16, 2014)

Yeah, I emailed VFS to ask what to do, this is what they told me:

"You need to provide the FRRO details or if the stay is less than 6 months then you need to provide the police report from the local police station in India to apply for PCC in Australia.

As per the rules laid by Consulate/High Commission of India, other nationals apart from Indian national applying for PCC, the applications will be sent for preapproval to High Commission or Consulate General of India. Once the application is been approved then only the application will be accepted for further processing."

That seems INSANE. I lived in about 3 different places in Mumbai, which I assume all have their own local police stations. Then I travelled around the country to various places, no way I could get police letters from those. Then I spent 3 months in a Kashmiri mountain village which definitely did not have a police station.

This seems like a terribly inefficient process. I'm waiting for an email back from them now to clarify exactly how many police stations they'd like me to try and obtain letters from. (I feel like getting any Indian police station to give me a letter or a report is going to be an absolute nightmare.)

Thanks so much for your help - at least I know not to expect too much!


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## Sonial (May 21, 2011)

You'll probably find your query is dealt with by Satbeer. Once he gets sick of your questions he'll start to send you nonsense replies which are then just copied to subsequent emails. Phone calls are a bit better, but you'll still not get any joy. The local police stations won't know what you're asking for.

I am going to provide feedback to the vfs on their service. Maybe if enough people do so then they'll review their requirements. Unfortunately it seems like only australia have this ridiculous method of getting PCCs. If I'd have been in the uk it would not have been an issue.

Let me know how you get on

Sonia


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## mmmfreecake (Jun 16, 2014)

Haha - you're right! I just went back and checked that email and it's from Satbeer.

I'll let you know what happens - thanks again!!


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## edithclara (Apr 10, 2013)

In May 2014 my colleague (non-India passport holder) living in Australia asked his friend in India to ask the local Indian authorities if he could apply for a Police clearance on his behalf (as has been done without problems for his Taiwan police clearance). The friend was told that my colleague must return to India and apply in person. My colleague then called the local authorities in India and asked if his friend could apply on his behalf. My colleague was again told that he must return to India and apply in person. My colleague has an India Police Clearance which was issued 18/12/12. Since that time he has only returned to India once for 1 month. He has provided this information with his 186 application. If Immigration will not accept the 18/12/12 PCC, he will beg.... My impression from the vfs website is that it's extremely unlikely that a non-Indian passport holder will be able to get a PCC through vfs. Seems the local authorities in India have their rules to follow...


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## Becky26 (Jun 18, 2013)

*Indian PCC application procedure= Nightmare!*

Sorry for barging in like this, just wanted to say that you are not alone in this complicated procedure. Not sure if this will make you feel any better but getting a PCC for Indian passport holders is just as much of a pain in the behind as it is for the non citizens. Every office has its own rules and their own document checklist 

I need to apply for a PCC (Indian passport holder) for my partner visa application as the one that I provided (issued by VFS India in Australia, Brisbane) at the time of application last July expired and the case officer requested for a new one to finalize my file. 
My passport office told me to get my passport re-issued to update my address (yes, Indian passport have address column that makes our life a living hell every time we move) and to add my husband's name 

So I had to surrender my perfectly fine passport which had 7 years on it to apply for re-issue which will allow me to apply for the PCC with updated information. FML!! Been a nightmare, submitted my re-issue application on July 16, 2014 and till now there is no sign of the passport. Been waiting for 13 months for this visa...arrrghhh

Don't know when this hellish experience will end.
Good Luck to you!

Kind Regards,
Becky


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## edithclara (Apr 10, 2013)

Wow, certainly tests your patience!


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## edithclara (Apr 10, 2013)

Does anyone know where to get the Personal Particulars form from the VFS website that is mentioned in the checklist for an India PCC.
Thanks very much


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