"Certain police authorities have special procedures for obstaining police certificates/clearances. They are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RMCP) [err... that name doesn't match that acronym.. isn't it RCMP?] and the Royal Hong Kong Police (RHKP). Do not request a police certificate from Hong Kong, the United States or Canada until you are instructed to do so by a visa office."
Suuuure, NOW I realize that the third sentence contains an extra element that the second one does not: the United States. I read RCMP and RHKP and skipped right past the rest of it, thinking it didn't apply since I was neither in Canada nor Hong Kong. Oh well. So I sent in something that wasn't necessary. Worst that will happen is that I will have to do it again, because the certificate is only good for six months - it's already expired, in fact - so by the time they want to assess me, they'll need another. Good thing I've been hanging on to that other set of fingerprints I had done at the same time.
Suuuure, NOW I realize that the third sentence contains an extra element that the second one does not: the United States. I read RCMP and RHKP and skipped right past the rest of it, thinking it didn't apply since I was neither in Canada nor Hong Kong. Oh well. So I sent in something that wasn't necessary. Worst that will happen is that I will have to do it again, because the certificate is only good for six months - it's already expired, in fact - so by the time they want to assess me, they'll need another. Good thing I've been hanging on to that other set of fingerprints I had done at the same time.