THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Good conduct or police clearance certificates are mandatory for getting job visas in the UAE and the rule came into effect in that country from Sunday. But confusion prevails here whether the certificate has to be obtained from the regional passport office, respective district police chiefs or the city police commissioners. The regional passport officers in the state are flooded with applications for police clearance certificates. A good number of applications are also reaching district police chiefs. The certificates also should be attested by the UAE mission offices.
Sources at the UAE consulate here said that the certificate has to be issued by the police and not the regional passport offices. However, emigration sources said that usually police clearance certificates for jobs abroad are issued by the regional passport office on the basis of the police report. The reports in UAE-based media also said the police clearance certificate should be obtained from the regional passport offices that come under the ministry of external affairs.
There was also confusion among senior police officers. While a senior IPS officer at police headquarters told DC that police clearance certificate for jobs abroad has to be obtained from the police, another IPS officer said that since it was to be produced in a foreign country, the certificate has to be obtained from the regional passport office. An official at NORKA Roots said that the certificate should be issued by the district police chief.
Sources at Thiruvananthapuram regional passport office said that the rush for the certificate was so high these days that the appointments at Passport Seva Kendras for near two weeks were already booked. If the demand continues, provision for handling more applications would be made. If the applicant was holding a fresh passport, police clearance certificate could be issued in a day or two. If the passport is quite old, the certificate will be issued only after obtaining police clearance which may take at least a week. The district police chiefs used to issue police clearance certificates to individuals within a day or two in normal cases.
