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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:21 pm Post subject: Criminal Record Check without leaving China |
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Note: This is for Canadians. If you have info on your country, add it below.
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Canadian Criminal Record Checks
Canadian citizens in China are sometimes requested to provide a Canadian criminal record check, in support of a visa application, for example. The three types of Canadian criminal record check are outlined below. Criminal record checks cannot be obtained from the Canadian Embassy or Consulates General in China, but they can usually be obtained without leaving China, with the assistance of a third party agency or appointed representative in Canada. Canadians in China are advised to clarify which type of check they require before proceeding further.
1. Certified Criminal Record Check
One is a Certified Criminal Record Check, which must be obtained through the RCMP on the basis of fingerprints. Please note the suggestion on the RCMP page to search International Fingerprinting Services on the internet, as there are now third party agencies in Canada who will digitize ink fingerprints and submit them electronically to the RCMP, which significantly reduces processing times where there is no match to an RCMP fingerprint holding.
Please note that Canadian missions in China do not have fingerprinting services, but we are aware of a limited number of local service providers in mainland China.
2. Criminal Record Check (not “certified”)
Another type is a Criminal Record Check (not "certified"), which may be obtained through local police services in Canada or third party agencies in Canada on the basis of a name and date of birth search of the Canadian Police Information Centre database. Fingerprints are only required if there is a possible match with a name and date of birth in the database. For more information, Canadians are advised to contact the local police service of their last residence in Canada, or search for third party agencies in Canada on the internet.
3. Vulnerable Sector Check
Finally, there is a Vulnerable Sector Check, which is sometimes required to work or volunteer with vulnerable members of society such as children, the elderly or persons with disabilities, in Canada.
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/china-chine/consular_services_consulaires/beijing-pekin/Canadian_Criminal_Record_Checks.aspx
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EDIT: Having read other threads on this, it seems the 2nd one is sufficient.
Re: EDIT: But for Canadians requiring the equivalent of apostilled doc's, the trend now in Beijing (?), Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia, it's the 1st. Since Canada has not signed the the Apostille Convention, the Dept of Foreign Affairs is responsible for Authentication of Doc's. According to their website, RCMP Police Checks or Official Transcripts do not need prior notarization to be authenticated and you can do this from out-of country as described. Here's the RCMP's Police Check page explaining the process from out of Canada.
Last edited by LongShiKong on Sat Nov 09, 2013 4:19 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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Don't you just love the Chenglish: 'No Criminal Record Certificate'. If they ask, politely insist: "I have no criminal record certificate".  |
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fpshangzhou
Joined: 13 Mar 2012 Posts: 280
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Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 10:32 am Post subject: |
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I'm starting to see the criminal background check requirement on multiple job adverts here for China jobs. It seems like it's getting tough just like Korea did some years back.
How about about for Americans? Can you obtain a cbc (apostilled) without having to go back home? |
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choudoufu

Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC
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Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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this is for 'merkans from the republic of texas:
here in hainan for the last RP renewal in april, the PSB requested a
statement from me declaring i had no criminal record. i wrote a
short legalish-sounding statement, signed it, and they were pleased.
what about next time? will they request something more officialish
at the last minute, when i have a week left on my RP? be prepared,
they would have said, had i ever been a scout.
i sent a letter to the county clerk where i am still legally domiciled,
and where i send my absentee ballots, requesting something, anything
really, showing i had no criniminal record within their jurisdiction,
which would be just the county (pop 1100).
one month later, i received a response consisting of 1) a statement
from the sheriff on official sheriff department letterhead stating no
records found, and 2) a "certificate of search" stating no complaints
or records from date of birth to present, signed by the district clerk,
with raised notary seal.
total cost $10 ($5 for search plus $5 for sealed certificate)
i looked into getting an official texas state criminal check done, but
fingerprints are required, and it appears they only accept prints
through one local outsourcing agency. that agency will not accept
prints by mail.
i assume this certificate will be good enough until i retire. local PSB's
have no idea what a real records check looks like. i'm guessing if
necessary i could also get police checks from the cities in china where
i've previously been registered.
if that fails, there's always the possibility of filing a FOIA for a copy
of my stasi, i mean, FBI file. |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China
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Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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Seems China's merely catching up with Korea, Japan, and Thailand in respect to...call them what you will: NCRCs/CRCs/CBCs/PRCs/BDs. Surprisingly, no one's yet insisting they include the requirement for teachers in the west: Vulnerable Sector screening. |
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JoeKing
Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 519
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Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 9:48 am Post subject: |
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choudoufu wrote: |
this is for 'merkans from the republic of texas:
here in hainan for the last RP renewal in april, the PSB requested a
statement from me declaring i had no criminal record. i wrote a
short legalish-sounding statement, signed it, and they were pleased.
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I went one better, choudoufu, and promised to be a law abiding citizen here in China too. I wish everything was that easy here. |
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Kysorb

Joined: 30 Jul 2010 Posts: 253 Location: Beijing
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Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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I spoke with a Visa agent because i was worried about my renewal status coming up in February that i may need a CBC. They said because I am just renewing and staying in the same city (Beijing) working for the same company I won't need to get a CBC for the PSB. Only if I leave Beijing will I need them for the next application in another place. |
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mike w
Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: Beijing building site
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Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 7:50 am Post subject: |
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I can confirm the above. Since the CRC regulation was enforced, three people from my company (1 UK and 2 US) have renewed their contracts and RP's. We are in Beijing, and there was no requirement for any CRC. |
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mambawamba
Joined: 12 Jun 2012 Posts: 311
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Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 4:53 am Post subject: |
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Can see this is going to vary greatly place to place as usual.
Here in Qingdao needed a CRB to get RP on renewed contract, same company.
Check with your HR department may well differ centre to centre.
The joy.
@LongShiKong some of the International schools here ask for vulnerable sector screening (allowed to work with kids) again, differs from place to place. |
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teenoso
Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 365 Location: south china
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Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 10:01 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
"Here in Qingdao needed a CRB to get RP on renewed contract, same company. " |
This is a quote from the lawandborder site :
" A certificate is needed for individuals who have previously worked in other cities in China. But no certificate is needed for extension applications or for changing work units within Qingdao."
http://lawandborder.com/police-clearance-letters-for-foreign-workers-in-china/
I guess it depends on your 'work-unit', or maybe the official dealing with your application , or maybe phases of the moon. |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China
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Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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Has anyone with a local police dept CRC had issues when applying for a visa? It took all of 5 min's compared to the 2 wks for a prov'l or fed'l CRC, and at half the cost. |
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mambawamba
Joined: 12 Jun 2012 Posts: 311
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Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:17 am Post subject: |
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@ teenoso - guess we just got lucky with the most anally bureaucratic work unit in Qingdao, huzzar. |
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BruceLeeWannaBe
Joined: 12 Jun 2012 Posts: 210
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Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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LongShiKong wrote: |
Don't you just love the Chenglish: 'No Criminal Record Certificate'. If they ask, politely insist: "I have no criminal record certificate".  |
No criminal record check means no teaching in China. Not legally anyway. And you can't teach on an illegal visa anyway. |
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BruceLeeWannaBe
Joined: 12 Jun 2012 Posts: 210
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Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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Oh and another thing, you have to get it certified at the Chinese consulate in Canada. And before you even do that, you have to drive all the way to the capital city of your province to get it verifies. And before you even do that, you need to get a notarization from a lawyers office.
If the consulate is in a major city other than the capital city of your province, you'll probably end up on a good road trip filled with expensive hotels and such. Believe me it's alot of running around. And you can only do that within Canada. So any Canadian in China who needs a criminal record check, gotta go back to Canada to run through all those hoops. |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China
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Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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BruceLeeWannaBe wrote: |
Oh and another thing, you have to get it certified at the Chinese consulate in Canada. And before you even do that, you have to drive all the way to the capital city of your province to get it verifies. And before you even do that, you need to get a notarization from a lawyers office. |
It only makes sense. Can anyone confirm that this true for all of China now or just Beijing? While Vietnam's work permit requires notarization of one's degree and police check by your home country's Dept of Foreign Affairs and Vietnam embassy to clamp down on fake doc's, is this also the case for China? I guess the bombings along with economic and political changes are driving this. |
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