Job Discussion Forums

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

I'm looking for the latest on criminal background checks for U.S. citizens. I work in Henan and at the very same school I work at my daughter was offered a scholarship to study Chinese. Oddly, I was never required to get a criminal background check for my Z visa but my daughter is for her X visa (maybe they'll get me too when I renew). I'm waiting for my FAO's reply, but I assume a dot com check will suffice. Around six months ago I was pointed to https://www.certifiedbackground.com/ for a background check but there is a big red sign on their website saying they are down for maintenance. Does anyone know of other sites that do basically the same thing?

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Seriously? This is not an issue for others besides me?

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

Try CrimChek. It may be just for the U.S.. You can buy your own criminal background checks (and others') from Intelius. I don't know if it's accepted, but it uses local national databases. Like Universities, states and cities rent out the databases to cut down on the request load. Many Universities use Verify for verify academic records.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

I think that you will need to wait on what your FAO says. The rules are changing as you know and it does seem that if one is requested, than an FBI background check is most likely in store for you. But, a google search reveals nothing for Henan in terms if one is required for a renewal and what type it must be.

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Yes, it is a pain in the neck to get an FBI check. I don't think the Chinese can see outside their own borders and how other countries have procedures that differ from their own.

http://lawandborder.com/police-clearance-letters-for-foreign-workers-in-china/

This is a bit dated including the comments, but gives a good overview on the subject.

If you dig around here and elsewhere you will see people bitching about it. It seems to be more from those coming to China, rather than those renewing. But some who have renewed have bitched about it, and I would expect that more will as more jurisdictions conform to this evolving requirement.

I wasn't even aware that an x visa required any sort of background check. I can't see it listed anywhere. Not sure if that bodes well for you personally or not.

Did you try searching on your present city and requirements to see if someone has had to go through this recently?

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

I agree with Jim Pellow. Ask your FAO (or call the local PSB).

I can't believe that schools are requiring FBI checks. FBI checks require finger prints, etc., and i don't think that states report non-federal crimes to the FBI. That's why so many criminals fall through the cracks and can't be caught if they move from state to state.

I submitted a local police report two years ago. That worked for me.

I Checked on CrimCheck. The new website indicates that companies use it for screening employees, but several years ago when I was stateside, I had to pay for my own Crimcheck which was sent to my prospective employer. I sent an email inquiry.

But yeah, stay on the safe side and try to find out what is accepted in your Chinese jurisdiction. If you can talk to the PSB, ask if they know what Intelius is. (It's not super accurate, but it will provide a rundown of your heinous criminal activity while you weren't at home).

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Thanks for the replies.

We're talking with my FAO tomorrow. It would seem that this is the first time for her to deal with this too. I'll report as it goes along.

An FBI check seems insane for a 19 year-old woman getting a scholarship to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. Why can't they just use the internet services like all other employers do?

I wonder why this is spreading. There are huge numbers of illegal immigrants in the PRC and they're suspicious of English teachers and college students? Aren't they targeting the wrong people?

Just blowing off steam.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Well, I think part of it is that the government(not the schools) want a national check now. In many countries this seems to be rather straightforward and quick. But not so in the US of A.

The other issue which has arisen is the check must come back clean, and somebody smart here offered that around 42% of Americans have some kind of conviction listed on the FBI check. Apparently this will disqualify an applicant regardless of how old or trivial the conviction is.

Some of this may have been driven by the couple of teachers a couple years back who were accused of immoral acts with children.

A more far flung theory relates to China trying to increase opportunities for its own college grads in fields typically held by foreign devils. As Chinese standardized testing has proven that more people in China speak English than the US, who better to fill that vacant position at Wall Street than a University of Dongwan English major?

As China keeps increasing the requirements the market will need to respond by elevating salaries and conditions, going online, and/or hiring more illegal teachers. Personally, I have observed more of the last two.

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

My FAO had a pretty good chuckle when I brought up having to have an FBI check. "No, nothing that serious."

I don't speculate. I've been querying like crazy and I can't find U.S. citizens talking about their experiences with FBI checks, or hardly anyone to give me good answers period re this criminal background business. So I deduct it can't be that big of an issue and that relatively few FBI checks are being done. I could be wrong- but that's what the data is saying.

My FAO said that (of course- why should I not know ha ha), that a dot com check would be fine. She just added that she did not know of a good agency and asked me to find one. And no, it does not have to go through any embassy or the State Department. It will go straight to the PSB.

Maybe someone can tell us which prefecture, if any, actually requires an FBI check at this writing. Or one that has in the past. I think if it's done it's because people are misinformed.

donkeydonkey · Joined: 01 Aug 2015 Posts: 73

Hi Bluetortilla,
I had to do a CBC for my latest university. I'm in central Henan. Go to FBI.gov and look for the CBC. It is listed as an Identity criminal history summary. There is a list of approved channelers. I did mine for around $100(i don't remember exactly) and I got it back in 4 days. I went to a local police station, in the U.S, to get the finger prints done and then mailed them to the channeler. Here is the link to the approved channelers:
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers
Edit: Forgot to mention that the police station charged me an additional $25 for the fingerprints

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

donkeydonkey · Joined: 01 Aug 2015 Posts: 73

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

BT:

I queried CrimChek and you are right. It does only checks for employers.
I paid for my own CBC several years ago directly to that company. Things change.

Check this one out:

http://www.backgroundchecks.com/Personal/CriminalBackgroundCheck

Good luck.