Getting a police certificate from abroad
Key answer
Community answers
The answers below are translated from the original Russian - the language of the community chats.
In most countries, you can request such a certificate from the Russian consulate - they don't care on what basis you're there, it takes about a week. But I don't know the specific requirements for the U.S.
Try emailing the consulate rather than looking for a window through the website. Explain the issue - they may accommodate you and find an available time. I urgently needed a power of attorney, and the website had openings only several months away; I wrote to explain the situation - they offered an appointment in two weeks.
From the date of issuance, the certificate is valid for six months. After that, you need to get a new one: either someone in Russia obtains this document for you by proxy, or you come in person.
I was told exactly that. In another country where I lived for a year and a half, I got a certificate without problems. But how to deal with the certificate from Russia - I don't understand: I can't get to the consulate, and in Russia, no one can pick it up for me by proxy.
If you need a certificate from the U.S.: there are no nuances, everything is as stated on the official website. In just a couple of minutes, I submitted my fingerprints at the post office, and the results arrived just 20 minutes after submission.
The answers are anonymized community experience from the public chats, not legal advice. Officers may decide similar cases differently.
Sources
Related on this site
Similar questions
A reference page built from community experience, not legal advice. Requirements and practice change - verify on uscis.gov.
Did this answer help?