Police UK

Constable1

Hi all,

Sorry to post a non-Garda recruitment message here, but I'm guessing there might be more informed people here than on the general emergency services forum.

I'm looking at applying to one of the forces in the England and have a question about vetting/residency. Now I've done my research and contacted some forces to clarify, but even though the 3 year residency rule seems to be applied strictly by some, others are more flexible and have a few exceptions like travel/study abroad etc. I had been living in the UK in 2019, but (due to Covid) back in Ireland for now, so it's messed up my continuous residency status.

Does anyone here have any knowledge or experience of this? Also, I get the impression that being able to carry out checks in countries where they have close working relationships might help, so I'm thinking that most forces in England have good contacts with AGS? I'm just trying to get an idea of the reality of how this is all approached, rather than a 'copy and paste' official reply from a recruitment adviser.

Thanks for any insight.

mrmanor

Constable1 wrote: »

Hi all,

Sorry to post a non-Garda recruitment message here, but I'm guessing there might be more informed people here than on the general emergency services forum.

I'm looking at applying to one of the forces in the England and have a question about vetting/residency. Now I've done my research and contacted some forces to clarify, but even though the 3 year residency rule seems to be applied strictly by some, others are more flexible and have a few exceptions like travel/study abroad etc. I had been living in the UK in 2019, but (due to Covid) back in Ireland for now, so it's messed up my continuous residency status.

Does anyone here have any knowledge or experience of this? Also, I get the impression that being able to carry out checks in countries where they have close working relationships might help, so I'm thinking that most forces in England have good contacts with AGS? I'm just trying to get an idea of the reality of how this is all approached, rather than a 'copy and paste' official reply from a recruitment adviser.

Thanks for any insight.

I’m in the Met. It is indeed very much force dependent. The Met are incredibly stringent ( as well as having the London residency rule) and some forces allows for exceptions... usually for members of the armed forces. The College of Policing introduced the 3 year rule and as part of the national standardisation programme all forces are adopting the same polices and recruitment requirements.

When you apply for the job you’ll go through an initial sift phase which will automatically screen you out if your listed address's do not add up to 3 or more years in the UK. With regard to vetting itself, it’s a pain in the add. It’ll usually take 2-3 months for UK citizens and 3-4 months for Irish citizens. They do check thoroughly so always be honest.

Are you studying or planning to return to work in the UK? If so, why not join as a special. Gain the experience and transfer over. I’m more than happy to chat with you further about it all and can ask around if I’m not sure myself.

Peppa Cig

Does 3 year rule apply to UK citizens returning to UK after living abroad?

mrmanor

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Does 3 year rule apply to UK citizens returning to UK after living abroad?

Yes unfortunately so, the rule is in place for vetting measures.

Constable1

Thanks very much mrmanor...great information.

mrmanor wrote: »

The College of Policing introduced the 3 year rule and as part of the national standardisation programme all forces are adopting the same polices and recruitment requirements.

I've read through their vetting guideline document and, yes, it's very clear on the 3 year rule, but then make references to possible exemptions. But most forces don't seem to want to get into complicating things for themselves and keep it simple...fair enough.

mrmanor wrote: »

When you apply for the job you’ll go through an initial sift phase which will automatically screen you out if your listed address's do not add up to 3 or more years in the UK.

This is very useful to know. I presume the forces that allow for exemptions for less than 3 years also decide whether an applicants residency is sufficient at this stage too. Even those forces probably make an individual judgement on this...I'd rather find out at the first hurdle than later on at the vetting stage.

mrmanor wrote: »

Are you studying or planning to return to work in the UK? If so, why not join as a special. Gain the experience and transfer over. I’m more than happy to chat with you further about it all and can ask around if I’m not sure myself.

Much appreciated. I'll PM you.

Constable1

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Does 3 year rule apply to UK citizens returning to UK after living abroad?

Yes, as mrmanor said, but it could depend on for how long. The College of Policing's vetting guidelines and some forces list travelling/studying abroad for a period up to 12 months as a factor which can be considered...depends on the force though.

Longstand14

Constable1 wrote: »

Hi all,

Sorry to post a non-Garda recruitment message here, but I'm guessing there might be more informed people here than on the general emergency services forum.

I'm looking at applying to one of the forces in the England and have a question about vetting/residency. Now I've done my research and contacted some forces to clarify, but even though the 3 year residency rule seems to be applied strictly by some, others are more flexible and have a few exceptions like travel/study abroad etc. I had been living in the UK in 2019, but (due to Covid) back in Ireland for now, so it's messed up my continuous residency status.

Does anyone here have any knowledge or experience of this? Also, I get the impression that being able to carry out checks in countries where they have close working relationships might help, so I'm thinking that most forces in England have good contacts with AGS? I'm just trying to get an idea of the reality of how this is all approached, rather than a 'copy and paste' official reply from a recruitment adviser.

Thanks for any insight.

The Met as mentioned are quite reluctant to give an exemption on the 3 year residency rule.

However, Thames Valley Police will consider applicants with a minimum of 12 months UK residency.

Constable1

Longstand14 wrote: »

The Met as mentioned are quite reluctant to give an exemption on the 3 year residency rule.

However, Thames Valley Police will consider applicants with a minimum of 12 months UK residency.

Thanks. Yes I've already checked TVP out...seems to significantly diverge from most others.