HO caseworker vetting - do I strictly need an overseas police check for a 8-month uni exchange?

Hi everyone,

I’ve accepted a provisional offer for a Home Office caseworker role. I'm a UK citizen, but I completed a university study-abroad year in America within the required window. I was physically there for about 8 months.

The guidance says: "If you have lived abroad for a period of more than six months... you need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check."

Has anyone had a similar experience? If you had to get one for a similar timeframe, how long did it realistically delay your start date? Do you think its worth contacting and getting a police check proactively?

Thanks!