What are RCMP Accredited Fingerprints?
A recent trend in the pardon and waiver industry is for newer companies to claim that they use RCMP accredited fingerprints in order to help you get a Canadian pardon or a US entry waiver. So I would like to clarify what this means because it is simply a gimmick used to get the words RCMP accredited into their marketing material.
Although this is relatively harmless (trust me, there are worse practices in this industry) it is misleading. So let’s take a closer look because the more information you have the easier it will be to make the right choices.
Accreditation Refers to the Company, NOT the Fingerprints
An RCMP Accreditation refers to the private company that provides NON-CRIMINAL fingerprinting services. In most major cities the police stopped providing this service several years ago. But since the public requires fingerprinting for various reasons, the solution was to outsource it to the private sector.
In order to provide fingerprinting services companies must undergo the CCRTIS accreditation procedures and prove the ability to provide digital fingerprinting solutions. Once a company has completed this process it is then “RCMP Accredited”.
For more information:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/accreditation-private-fingerprinting-companies
The reason some companies are claiming to use RCMP Accredited fingerprints is simply that they cannot claim to be RCMP Accredited themselves. Why? Because they are not. It’s that simple. But since the wording sounds very official it can trick some people into thinking that the company is associated with the RCMP.
In other words, companies can be accredited; fingerprints cannot. If a company is not accredited it does not deal with fingerprints directly.
Your Fingerprints Must be CERTIFIED by the RCMP
When an accredited company takes your fingerprints those prints are then forwarded electronically to the RCMP for certification. During the certification process the good people at the RCMP Civil Fingerprinting Division in Ottawa will compare your prints to what they have on file in CPIC. If a match is made your criminal record will be returned to you. If no match is made a letter indicating as much will be returned. Again, those results are “Certified” by the RCMP, not “Accredited”.
Need an Accredited Company to Certify Your Fingerprints?
If you need a set of fingerprints taken then you’re in luck. The National Pardon Centre was one of the first three Accredited Companies in Canada to provide electronic fingerprinting solutions. We are a Direct Connect client maintaining our own server connected to Civil Fingerprinting.
So whether you need certified fingerprints for immigration, for a background check, or simply because you’ve hired a company that is not RCMP accredited, the National Pardon Centre is here to help.
Michael Ashby
514.842.2411 x 227
mashby@nationalpardon.org