[mickandjean]

Hi,

All systems go for us! I've just come back from Wellington where I had a week of interviews and have accepted a job to start on 3rd March.

My wife and I both submitted our UK police checks for our ITA via Royal Mail Special Delivery which arrived 21st November at the MPS Public Access Office.

We currently live in Dublin - does anyone know should we expect a notification that they have received the form, given we live outside the UK? They have not cashed the (UK) cheque I sent with the application forms, which was gong to be my method to see if they were processing the application.

This is the only outstanding piece of information we need to submit our PR application (ITA) and seems to be the most long-winded.

Many thanks

Mick and Jean

[KerryS]

No, they don't send any processing notification - the first I knew was when I received the blue form back from them.
It only takes 40 days in the UK - it's not that long compared to many other countries.

[ourquest]

I sent off for mine about a week ago; it was confusing as to where to send it...I finally worked out it had to be to the area you last lived in so I sent mine dhl to the Priory Rd police station (Humberside Police main station). Despite having been underwater as a result of flooding recently someone signed in receipt of it on Dec 10th. If you are in the UK it seems you can hand in the forms etc at any Police Station so they must go somewhere central? For me this is pure formality...I left Lincolnshire when I was 2 and have been resident outside the UK ever since!
I do understand that they are supposed to send a receipt, though, and this is gives you a timeframe for following up...legally they are required to give you an answer in 40 days (official documents do not say working days) and if you haven't heard anything 40 days after the receipt date you can contact them.
I am not a fan of sending off for processes like this to happen when it takes so long and you're not even sure if they're working on it! So I know how you feel. If I don't get this back in time I will submit ITA without it, hopefully our South African police clearances have arrived by when we need them. Here again, you just have to trust someone is working on it (or it's in the correct in-tray).
Good luck.

[mickandjean]

Everything is looking good - they cashed the cheque last week so hopefully they will be with us before Christmas, early January. Ideal timing for the ITA return.