Criminal Background Check: Or...you know what you did.
- nerdplusinternet
- Aug 13, 2019
- 4 min read
For this post, I'll give more details about how to obtain your background check. I can speak on this with the most accuracy from an American applicant perspective, so I'll stick to that. Steps will vary for applicants from other countries. (For instance, Canadian applicants also need to have this document validated by their consulate.)
Background Check: Or... FBI time.
**As a note for EPIK hopefuls, EPIK outright mentions that if you have any felonies or misdemeanors, then you will not be considered for a position. Other employers don't specifically state this, but honestly a lot of them are the same way.**
Now, on to the fun part. Go to your local police department to have your fingerprints professionally taken on the FBI fingerprint form linked at the end of this post. (If the police officers have their own form, just make sure that it's the FBI's FD - 258 form. Then mail it to the following address:
FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
If you feel so bold, then nicely ask the officers to fingerprint you on two separate forms, just in case one set is more usable than the other. Or just in case you want an extra copy so that you can skip this step next time you need a criminal background check. (The FBI will tell you to re-submit fingerprints if it is not up to their standards, which will delay the process. )
If you're an American citizen outside of the US, then I'm fairly certain that you can have a local police station help you out, as long as the officer writes their name in English. I had to request another FBI background check while I was living in South Korea and I was able to get a local police station there to help me. Then I submitted the form to the FBI. (It seems that they don't really care where the prints come from, just as long as they're taken correctly and belong to you.)
Time: Or... stuff happened...help...
This process takes about 2-4 weeks from the time they receive your mail submission for just the background check part. It costs about $20 for the background check itself plus $8 for the apostille from the State Department (Pay with a money order or check and NOT cash.) Factor in that it will also take some time to receive your apostilled background check from the state department. Additionally, processing times do vary, for better or worse, so keep that in mind. HOWEVER, If you are low on time, then you can use an FBI approved channeler listed on the official FBI website. Also, the FBI now accepts electronic submissions, which means that you can receive your background check in 3-5 business days from the time they receive your submission. (More information on that is linked in the last link below.)
Using this method, you still go to the police to have your fingerprints taken, but you mail the completed fingerprint sheet to a channeler instead. After receiving your background check, you can then send that to an apostille service. This allows you to have an apostilled criminal background check in as soon as one to two weeks. This will also allow you to lose about $100-$120+ depending on the postal service and shipping method you select...
As for me personally, I was short on time; so, I sent my fingerprints to Accurate Biometrics and requested the electronic retrieval option. Then I emailed the PDF to Monument Visa as my apostille service. Later, they mailed me my national level criminal background check with the apostille seal.
Accurate Biometrics does provide physical copies if requested, online retrieval, or both. Keep in mind that you can only access the link they provide ONCE. Your record is deleted after you access it or after a certain period of time, whichever comes first. Therefore, after you click, be prepared to save the PDF file. As for prices, within the United States,Accurate Biometrics charges $50-$70 for your FBI criminal background check and results retrieval, depending on which retrieval option you select. (Electronic is the cheapest.) Monument visa charges $55 per document you wish to have apostilled. They also will apostille your drivers license, if you want to drive in South Korea, and notarize and apostille your diplomas. (To have them ship to you Internationally, the price varies.)
Accurate Biometrics also allows you to live scan your fingerprints to them at fingerprint collection kiosks in the US or at certain fingerprint locations. This means that you can have your fingerprints sent and retrieved almost instantly, if you do this within normal business hours.
Links: Or... the world of clicking awaits.
Example Background Checks (Last Section)
FBI Background Check Quick Overview
End of the Post: Or...shameless plug time!
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I'll see you next time with more information about how to legally avoid paying Korean taxes with the certificate of residence!
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