Anyone who has applied or will be applying for an Australian visa has probably seen the police check requirement outlined on the Department of Home Affairs website. A police check is an official document provided by a government agency or the police to disclose any criminal convictions an applicant may have. Police checks include arrests and convictions and may also include criminal proceedings. By law, the Australian government must refuse or cancel your visa if it is determined that you have been sentenced to prison for a year or longer and have been convicted or proven to have engaged in any sexually based crime involving a minor.
The Department of Home Affairs may use a police check as a requirement to help determine whether an applicant can pass the character test. The character test is used to determine if you will be an upstanding resident while in Australia, if you are likely to engage in criminal activity, and if you will present a danger to Australia's national interest and/or communities. To complete a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check in Australia as a foreign resident, you will need a scanned copy of your current Australian visa, either a current passport from your home country, an Australian driver’s licence or Australian proof of age card. In addition to this, you will also need at least two of the following: certificate/document of identity issued by DFAT, driver’s licence or identity card from your home country, Medicare card, an academic transcript from an Australian university, a debit card, or a credit card.
For an Australian visa, you will need a police check from every country, including Australia, that you have lived in for more than 12 months during the last ten years. This is to help determine whether you pass the character test requirement.
An international police check is the same as an Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, except it will detail your criminal history from another country you have previously lived in. These are needed for foreign nationals who apply for certain visas. Because there are so many suppliers and not all of them are approved by the Australian government, it may be difficult to obtain one by yourself. It may also be difficult to have correspondence when you are getting a police check from a country where you do not live.
CrimCheck alleviates this confusing process due to our agreements with various court systems to supply international police checks. With our long list of sources, we can promptly get the appropriate police checks to ensure you have the correct documentation and your visa application is not delayed.
A 485 visa is a graduate study visa that allows foreign nationals who have completed study at an Australian university to live and work in Australia. Depending on the course type and degree level, graduates on this visa can stay between 18 months and four years. To apply for this visa, graduates need to lodge an Australian Federal Police (AFP) check before applying.
Unless you have a criminal history in another country, you will only need an AFP check. For a 485 visa, you must apply for a National Police check and not a state police check. This requirement may confuse those who are unfamiliar with police checks. This is why going with CrimCheck, who are experts in the field of criminal history checks, may be the best option to make sure there are no mistakes and your application does not get denied.
A partnership visa is a route to permanent residency that requires a foreign national to be married to, engaged to be married to, or in a de-facto relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. They may ask for a police check for both the applicant and their spouse for this visa. If asked, you will need a police check from every country you’ve lived in for more than 12 months.
As with any visa application that requires a police check, to the average person, it can be a confusing and tedious task knowing which check to get and which agencies to get them from. CrimCheck can help with this as we have a great wealth of knowledge and experience regarding these matters.
To apply for a police check, you must fill out the form supplied by the AFP. This will require information such as residential history, other names you’ve been known by, and other personal information. Next, you will need some copies of the identity documents that are required. Lastly, either mail or send off your application electronically.
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CrimCheck is a non-profit organisation that offers both Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks and international police checks with a quick and easy process that is completely remote. With our years of expertise and our long list of contacts both domestically and internationally, we offer a simple process that ensures you have the correct police checks from approved governmental bodies.
If you are a business that needs police checks for all your employees, CrimCheck has experience in Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks for entire organisations. Through our many sources, we can give international police checks from various court systems around the world for employees coming from overseas. To learn more, check the CrimCheck website that details all our services.
"I have been using CrimCheck for some years now and I have had nothing but great service from the system and staff. I would recommend CrimCheck to anyone wanting an efficient, user-friendly service."
Andrea, St. Luke's Anglicare
