People living abroad may often need criminal background checks done from their home country when applying for visa, work, volunteering etc. But the process has been complicated by new technology.
In the past applicants would simply get a set of ink fingerprints done on standard fingerprinting cards and mail them to the RCMP for certification. The process took a long time to complete, but at least it was possible.
Today the RCMP no longer accepts ink based fingerprint submissions. This is the result of digital fingerprinting technology that replaced the old ink and roll method. But digital fingerprinting submissions are not possible from outside Canada since the systems we use are specific to Canada alone. So what is someone to do if they need this service but are unable to fly home?
The solution is digital card scanning.
At the National Pardon Centre we maintain card scanning technology that allows us to digitize ink based fingerprints and submit them to the RCMP on a client’s behalf.
The process is simple and much faster than it would have been with the old ink and roll method. But it starts out the same.
You will need to find a place (a police station, private security firm or an embassy for example) to do your fingerprints. You will have them taken using the traditional ink and roll method. Once they are done you send them to us. We scan them. Our systems digitize them. Then we forward the digitized format to the RCMP civil fingerprinting division in Ottawa.
When they are received the submissions will be processed in the same way they are for people living in Canada doing Live Scan fingerprinting.
Once the submission has been processed the RCMP can either mail you the results directly or you can have them mailed to us where we will forward them to you by registered mail.
It’s that simple.
If you have any questions on this service please feel free to contact me.
For more information on this service please see International Fingerprinting Services on this website.
Michael Ashby
mashby@nationalpardon.org
514-842-2411 x 227