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Background check from China

 
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Voyage4life



Joined: 29 Jun 2016
Posts: 6
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 5:02 am    Post subject: Background check from China Reply with quote

Has anybody ever got a background check from China?

Did you get it in person or from outside of China?

How did you get it? What is the easiest way to obtain one?

I am currently out of China but I can ask a friend to pick it up if need be.
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voyagerksa



Joined: 29 Apr 2015
Posts: 140

PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Last edited by voyagerksa on Fri Feb 21, 2020 10:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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jaybet3



Joined: 15 Dec 2010
Posts: 140
Location: Indonesia

PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was never asked for a background check. Also, none of my references or previous employers were ever checked. Even former employers in China.

So, I think it's unlikely a potential employer would go through the effort.

Go the cheapest route if it's necessary to get one. It'll probably be just another piece of paper in your file.

In my experience, employers were more concerned about certification of your education degrees, etc.
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nimadecaomei



Joined: 22 Sep 2016
Posts: 605

PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Notice he said from not for China. It would have to come from the local police of the last residence you had in China, but they are often confused about what is being requested. If you are still on good terms, it would be most useful to ask admin at the previous school you worked for because they would know. When I asked in my previous city the police straight up said they do not do that kind of document for non-Chinese nationals Confused
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Simon in Suzhou



Joined: 09 Aug 2011
Posts: 404
Location: GZ

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 2:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Under the new standards implemented about 3 years ago, teachers who worked in China and continued to renew their contracts at the same employer did not need to get a background check or have their diploma verified. BUT as soon as you tried to change jobs all this paperwork was necessary to get a residence permit. This happened to me.

As an American i was required to have an FBI background check even though i had been in China for almost a decade. I had to make my own fingerprints on a downloadable fingerprint card from the FBI (in Guangzhou there is NO government or private body that will take fingerprints for you. I searched extensively). I mailed my fingerprints off to an approved company that applied for my background check, sent it to my family, who then mailed in to me. It took about 3 months. It can be done from China, but don't expect to get this in a couple weeks!
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Simon in Suzhou



Joined: 09 Aug 2011
Posts: 404
Location: GZ

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 2:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just realized you might be looking for a local background check FROM China. Honestly, i would be surprised if this is possible from outside China. I also got this from a Guangzhou office. It took 2 months to process. They would not even let my Chinese wife pick it up with an affidavit. I had to pick it up in person. I also found out that EACH CITY does its own background check. There is no nationwide check. So if you have worked in multiple cities you need to travel to each city to get separate checks.

I found the process a massive joke, because if any foreigner had a local crime on their record, they certainly wouldn't be still working in China.
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nimadecaomei



Joined: 22 Sep 2016
Posts: 605

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I tried to get a check in a city I was living in for nine years they just said, "we don't do that." Nothing could be done. It was not a language issue, they just said no, no, no, and no.
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Spatula City



Joined: 28 Jul 2015
Posts: 71

PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 11:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently had to do this for a job change.

I can't really say it's the same in every city in China, but because of confusion I had to do it twice and both times the officers at immigration asked for different things, possibly depending on their mood. It's stressful but I managed to get it done in six nonstop hours of running around, even with mistakes and return trips... if the closest immigration center isn't nearby, prepare for some serious rage.

So basically you need to get a reference letter from your employer, and they might also have to certify copies of your passport and visas, and provide a copy of their business license. The first time I did it I only needed a reference letter but the second time I needed the other crap... so requirements might be arbitrary and prepare for a return trip and more demands if the officer is in a bad mood. And if your school administration people aren't the best prepare for a nightmare of back and forth trips... even my school's fully competent and obliging admin didn't know WTF was going on.

So you take the paperwork from your school to the immigration office and there will be officers there who will do what they do and assuming everything is ok, hand you a piece of paper with a stamp. You then take that paper to the police station that deals with the area where you live (I think)... it won't necessarily be closest to where you live. I honestly don't know what was special about the place I went to, but sufficed to say it wasn't just a random police station. I found it by asking at another police station. Maybe it had a special foreign crimes department? It's all a blur now, but the office they took me to had English on the door. You of course need to bring your passport.

These officers will give you yet ANOTHER piece of paper that's almost the same as the one from immigration. This piece of paper shows they have checked you out on their computer... BUT it can't be used for the visa process OR past a certain amount of time. I had to do this process twice because I thought that was it and the admin at my new school didn't know either... my visa application was rejected because it wasn't the right form and it had expired.

So anyways, the final step is you then have to take that piece of paper from the special police station to a notary public and pay about 150RMB to have it notarized. The notary public will take the piece of paper given to you by the police along with copies of your passport photo page and visas, and give you a two page booklet with a seal and signature that says they saw it. THIS is what you use in the visa process. Where I was it only took half an hour but it probably depends on how busy they are.

Not sure how long the notarization lasts though so maybe try to do the China background check crap after your work cancels your work permit but before you actually leave. If you're not leaving your employer on good terms I have absolutely no idea how this would ever work. From outside China it must be impossible... I needed to present my passport at all 3 locations.
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thechangling



Joined: 11 Apr 2013
Posts: 276

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was told no foreigners can't have that so I did a statutory declaration and got it witnessed at my embassy.
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