For those who’ve never been overseas but may be planning to immigrate, work or travel overseas and now find they need a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), let’s look at the bottom-line answers to the question; what is the meaning of police clearance?
A South African Police Clearance Certificate lets the country you’re going to know that you are coming there without the mark against your character, which would be the case if you have a criminal record.
What is the meaning of police clearance?
Basically, the meaning of police clearance is that you’ve been cleared by the police of any criminal convictions that may be lurking in your past.
Today it’s not only countries you’re immigrating to or going to work in that want to know whether or not you have a criminal record. A vast majority of businesses also make it general practice to ask job applicants for a PCC before considering hiring them.
The growth of technology came with the increase in fraud and white collar crime, making employers a lot more wary today of employing someone merely on the strength of a CV. In many industries it is essential for a company to ask potential customers for a PCC, so as to avoid being linked with someone who might be involved in money laundering, for instance.
A certified copy of someone’s ID is essential today because of the fact that many people are getting through life using false ID books, so that you never really know if someone is who they say they are, unless you have proof, proof that can only come with a PCC.
Can you get a PCC if you have a criminal record?
There are instances in which a criminal record can be expunged in order to get a PCC, such as:
- If 10 years has lapsed from the date of your conviction for an offence
- If you haven’t been convicted of another offence and sentenced to jail during the 10 years since your first conviction
Your record can’t be expunged if:
- You’ve been convicted of sexual offences against a mentally disabled person or a child. You also won’t qualify for expungement if you’ve been found unfit to work with children.
- Should your name be listed on the National Register for Sex Offenders or National Child Protection Register, unless your name has already been removed from either of these lists.
If you do have a criminal record that can be expunged before applying for a police clearance certificate, you can work on the process taking up to 6 months all-told, until you receive your PCC.
Your first application will be for a police clearance with a criminal record, and, once Doc Assist receives confirmation that your record has been expunged, they’ll then be able to apply on your behalf for a new police clearance without a criminal record.
Contact Doc Assist for professional help with expediting the whole process of applying for and obtaining a PCC with minimal hassle, with or without a criminal record!
With a full range of document procurement services available, you’ll find that having Doc Assist on your side in the hunt for any official documentation will be invaluable!