[danphone67]

Okay. Your reply helps since I've already got a PRA marketer working for me. As I understand it, I'll just bring other copies of my DD214s and proof of income with me and then have the marketer take care of the apostilles. Yes, it's going to add to the cost but nothing in this life comes for free, does it?

As for a criminal background check from the FBI, that's unnecessary due to my age (72).

Thanks for the response. Now I've an idea of what to do.

Yes, it's going to

When I sent my FBI criminal check to the US State Department, they took many months to finally open my envelope and sendcit all back because my check did not have my address printed on the check. Writing the address with a pen is not enough.

I paid the PRA for an interpol check. My unapostled FBI check plus Interpol check was sufficient.

The following year I got another FBI criminal check (for use by another country), new checks from my bank, which I sent to the US state department. It took over 3 months.

Expect the US state department to take 3 to 4 months.

I think you are screwed.
I hope you did not buy nonrefundable airline ticket.

You can always ask your PRA marketer if there is another solution. If you do not have a PRA marketer, I recommend James Biron.

Anybody who recommends a lawyer that charges big bucks to get a simple SRRV visa, a non-srressful event, because he says you are screwed is so far off the mark in this discussion that should probably pull his comments out of concern that newer expats considering this route will mistakenly be discouraged and thus be robbed of this valuable option. You are not screwed: there are no criminal concerns so no lawyer needed, it is just another visa that an unpaid PRA marketer can help you with, including getting apostiles.

 

[danphone67]

When I applied for my SRRV I just got my police report from my state and had the apostille done by the Washington Secretary of State. It worked fine, no need to bother with the FBI or US State Department.

I just got the police report from the County Sheriff of Wake Co NC. The PRA requirement is "police report" which I took to mean that I could have submitted a report bt the Cary NC Police Dept. where I had lived for 21 years but they told me to use the Sheriff's report. I had never heard at the time of people submitting an FBI clearance, I think a bit ominous since I had not been nominated by Trump 45 for a cabinet position, I just needed a Phils SRRV. At the time the Phils was not a signatory to the Apostile convention so I had to get a sort of notary from the US Embassy plus a "red-ribbon" from the DFA in Manila.