Elderly people and people whose occupations cause fingerprints to fade often cannot provide usable fingerprints to obtain criminal background checks from the FBI in the US. The FBI provides a letter stating that despite multiple attempts, the person’s fingerprints cannot be read for the purpose of a criminal background check.
I am 77 with badly faded fingerprints~due to age and many years working in commercial kitchens with hot pots and lots of sanitizers and hot soapy water.
I was able to get an FBI criminal history in 2021 after many attempts. But at my biometric appointment in January of 2023, I was asked to submit a new criminal background history. After about 9 sets of fingerprints (both inked and electronic) failed to be approved, the FBI send me the letter. I had it apostilled and submitted it to SEF. I also submitted a State criminal background history from fingerprints that were read manually rather than read by machine as is the FBI practice. I also had the State background check apostilled and sent to SEF as an alternative.
I have had no response from SEF/AIMA since 2023.
I was advised by an immigration attorney that without a criminal background history I could not be approved for a visa, period. This attorney told me he had another client who also could not get an FBI report and who also submitted a State report which was denied by SEF. Yet a facebook acquaintence tried the same strategy for her aged mother and she was approved for family reunification.
Has anyone else had to deal with badly faded fingerprints interfering with getting a criminal background history? Did AIMA approve an alternative? This appears to be the one thing that may be interfering with approval of my GV application. Any information or help would be very much appreciated.