Parent residence visa - police certificate

[unar]

Hi all,

I have been away for a long time...now back with more questions. Hope everyone is doing well. We are still living in Wellington, quite happy.

I am applying a resident visa for my dad and we've hit a snag. My dad is a naturalised US citizen from China. He moved out of China in 1990s and recently moved back in 2019. Got stuck during covid, and he is still living there. We got a police certificate for him from China. The certificate states from 2019 to 2023 because that is the period of his recent residency. We have FBI certificate from the US as well.

Immigration just got back to me saying they need a Chinese certificate from his whole time in China, meaning need one his whole life time in China, from birth to time moved away. We are very confused about this. The website said "police certificate for any country lived in for longer than 12 months in the last ten years". I guess we mis-interrepted it as "police certificate covering the last 10 years in the country you lived in in the last 10 year". Unfortunately, we are not sure if it is possible to get that from China, since my dad has moved away so long ago and had given up Chinese citizenship.

Has anybody had similar experience? How did you interpret the rule? If my dad find out it is not possible to obtain that information, what are our options? I told him, if getting pre1990 certificate is not possible, to get an official letter saying it is not possible and why. Ran out of ideas.

Thanks for all your help again
-Una

[Kelerei]

I told him, if getting pre1990 certificate is not possible, to get an official letter saying it is not possible and why.

This is the one part of your question that I can answer: A5.10.1 has the procedure to be followed if police certificates are unavailable.

[unar]

Thanks.