Authorized Police Certificate Issuers for U.S. Visa Applications

The phrase “authorized agency” can be misleading when discussing criminal records for U.S. immigration. There is no single worldwide list of private background-check companies that applicants can use interchangeably. Instead, the U.S. Department of State identifies the appropriate issuing authority for police certificates country by country.

For immigrant visa processing, the correct authority might be a national police service, ministry of justice, criminal-record registry, court, government ministry, or another public authority. The exact document, procedure, fee, format, and issuing agency depend on the country.

According to the U.S. Department of State (2026), immigrant visa applicants should use the Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country resource to determine which authority can issue an acceptable police certificate. Private employment-screening companies, credit-reporting services, tenant-screening companies, and general commercial background-check vendors should not be treated as substitutes for the government document unless the official country instructions specifically say otherwise.

What “Authorized” Actually Means

For U.S. immigration purposes, an authorized issuer is effectively the authority recognized in the Department of State’s country-specific civil-document instructions.

The important issue is not whether an organization is licensed to conduct private background screening.

The issue is whether the U.S. government recognizes the document that organization issues as the required police certificate for that country.

An employer may legally use one type of background report.

A landlord may use another.

A licensing authority may request something else.

An immigrant visa case can require a completely different certificate issued under a country’s official criminal-record system.

That distinction explains why applicants should not search the internet for “best background check company for immigration” and assume the first commercial service is acceptable.

Where to Verify the Official Issuer

The Department of State’s Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country system is the central reference for identifying civil-document issuers.

After selecting a country, applicants can review the section covering Police, Court, and Prison Records.

The page may identify:

• The exact name of the police certificate
• The government office or authority that issues it
• How to request it, including whether it is available from abroad
• Fees, processing time, and required identification
• Any special annotation or version required for immigration purposes

This information can change. Applicants should check the current country page rather than relying on a blog post, forum answer, old lawyer checklist, or certificate obtained years earlier.

Why Private Background-Check Companies Are Not “Authorized Agencies”

Commercial background-screening services perform legitimate functions, but their purpose is usually different.

Private services may search:

• County or state court records for employment screening
• Sex offender registries
• Credit history
• Rental history
• Multi-state criminal databases compiled from public records

Those reports may be useful to employers or private organizations, but they do not automatically satisfy Department of State civil-document requirements.

The U.S. visa process is concerned with an official certificate issued by the authority designated for the relevant country or jurisdiction.

A polished PDF from a private screening company does not become an acceptable immigration police certificate simply because it contains criminal-history information.

Common Types of Official Issuing Authorities

The issuing authority varies by country.

Common models include:

National Police Agencies

Some countries issue criminal-history certificates through a national police service.

The certificate may require fingerprints, identity verification, a national identity number, or an online government application.

Ministries of Justice or Criminal Record Registries

Other countries maintain criminal records through a justice ministry or national criminal-record registry.

The official certificate may have a specific name that applicants must request.

Local or Regional Authorities

In some jurisdictions, local or regional authorities issue records covering the applicant’s residence or arrest history.

Country instructions determine when such documents are sufficient.

Courts

Court documents are particularly important when an applicant has an arrest or conviction.

A court record is not necessarily a substitute for a police certificate, but the Department of State can require court and prison records in addition to the police certificate.

Consulates and Embassies Abroad

Some countries allow citizens living abroad to request a police certificate through their embassy or consulate.

The Reciprocity Table normally explains whether this procedure is available.

Example: Why Country-Specific Instructions Matter

Country-specific details illustrate why the official instructions matter.

The Department of State’s current Argentina reciprocity page identifies the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia as the issuing authority for the police certificate used in immigrant visa processing.

It also specifies a particular certificate annotation related to Article 51 of the Argentine Penal Code.

An ordinary criminal-record document without the required annotation may not provide the complete information required for the visa process.

The lesson is broader than Argentina: applicants should not simply ask for “a criminal record.” They should request the exact immigration-appropriate document identified by the Department of State for their country.

How to Confirm You Are Using the Correct Authority

Before paying for a police certificate, complete these steps:

• Identify the country and the applicable rule (nationality, residence, or arrest)
• Open the Department of State Reciprocity Table for that country
• Locate the Police, Court, and Prison Records section
• Confirm the issuing authority name matches what the country page states
• Confirm any required annotation or special version
• Confirm the current fee and processing time

If the official page says the police certificate is unavailable, do not attempt to create a substitute through a private company unless instructed to do so.

What This Page Does Not Cover

The question of who issues a certificate is separate from the question of whether the applicant needs one.

For immigrant visa cases, Department of State rules generally require police certificates based on age and residence history.

Applicants age 16 or older can need certificates from:

• Their current country of residence
• Their country of nationality, if different
• Any country where they lived 12 months or more since age 16
• Any country where they were arrested

The detailed thresholds and preparation steps are explained in how to obtain a police certificate for a U.S. visa.

What About U.S.-Based Background Checks?

This is a common source of unnecessary expense.

The Department of State’s general immigrant visa instructions state that present and former residents of the United States should not obtain U.S. police certificates merely to document the period they lived in the United States.

This does not mean criminal history in the United States is irrelevant.

Applicants must still answer visa questions truthfully, and arrests or convictions can require court records or other evidence.

But the normal foreign-police-certificate requirement does not mean every applicant should order an FBI Identity History Summary or state background check for U.S. residence.

If NVC, USCIS, an embassy, or a consulate specifically requests a U.S. record, follow that specific instruction.

FBI Identity History Summary: What It Is For

The FBI can provide an Identity History Summary reflecting information associated with fingerprints submitted to the FBI.

That service has legitimate uses, including allowing individuals to review their own federal criminal-history information.

It is not automatically the civil document required from a foreign country for an immigrant visa.

Likewise:

• State police background checks are not automatically acceptable substitutes for a foreign police certificate
• Employment-focused screening reports are not designed to meet immigration civil-document standards
• Tenant or credit-screening services have no bearing on immigration police-certificate requirements

Always start with the visa process requirement, not with the product name used by a background-check provider.

How to Tell If a Certificate You Already Have Is Acceptable

An acceptable certificate should match the country-specific instructions.

Check:

• Issuing authority name
• Document title
• Coverage period
• Required annotations
• Validity period (generally two years for most immigrant visa purposes)

If any of these elements are unclear, compare the certificate directly against the current Department of State instructions before uploading it or taking it to the interview.

When a Certificate Is Not Available

The Reciprocity Table can identify certain documents as unavailable.

When the Department of State officially considers a civil document unavailable, the applicant should follow the corresponding NVC or embassy instructions.

That is different from a document being inconvenient, expensive, delayed, or difficult for one applicant to obtain.

If the document is normally available but an applicant cannot obtain it, the case may require an explanation and supporting evidence showing the attempts made.

Do not manufacture a replacement through a commercial screening service unless the U.S. government specifically accepts that alternative.

Special Note on Arrests and Convictions

Applicants who have been arrested should pay particular attention to the document requirements.

Department of State guidance can require a police certificate from the place of arrest regardless of how long the applicant lived there.

A conviction can also trigger requirements for certified court and prison records.

Those records can become important in determining whether an immigration ground of inadmissibility applies.

A criminal record does not produce the same immigration consequence in every case. The result can depend on the offense, statute, sentence, age, number of convictions, immigration category, and availability of a waiver.

This is an area where legal advice can be important.

Translations of Police Certificates

Police certificates and related civil documents may need translations.

For NVC processing, documents not in English or the official language of the country from which the applicant is applying generally require a certified translation.

The translation certification should confirm both the accuracy of the translation and the translator’s competence.

Do not discard the original-language certificate after creating the translation.

For immigrant visa interviews, applicants may also need originals or certified copies of civil documents that were previously submitted electronically.

Review the broader U.S. visa required documents checklist before the interview.

Quick Reference: Signs You May Have the Wrong Document

Recheck your certificate if:

• It was issued by a private company rather than a government authority
• It does not match the document name listed on the country’s reciprocity page
• It is missing a required annotation
• It is more than two years old and you have returned to that country since
• It only covers employment-screening purposes rather than immigration civil-document purposes

Before submitting the document:

• Confirm the issuing authority against the current Department of State country page
• Confirm the certificate covers the correct period and information
• Attach a certified translation if the certificate is not in English or the official local language

For U.S. immigration, the safest definition of an “authorized agency” is the authority recognized by the Department of State for the country and document involved. That approach avoids the costly mistake of submitting a perfectly legitimate private background report that is nevertheless the wrong document for the visa case.