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huoguojiggae2017 · Joined: 13 Jul 2017 Posts: 57

After being told I needed to get a Chinese consulate to authenticate my diploma, I did it. Then, I was told I needed to get a TEFL, so I did that last month. Now, I am being told I have 3 months to get a criminal background check. I am from the USA.

I am being told by the recruiter it doesn't have to be a FBI check, meaning I don't need to get fingerprints. Is this possible or does someone know if the rule is absolute that everyone needs fingerprints like a bachelor's degree?

If it depends on location, fine. Then, my next question is do I get a state criminal check or just a local one in my hometown?

Any help in this would be appreciated. Please don't send links but post your latest personal understanding of the situation. Thank you in advance.

The bear · Joined: 16 Aug 2015 Posts: 483

huoguojiggae2017 · Joined: 13 Jul 2017 Posts: 57

When I was in Beijing my employers went to another place I thought than the PSB. Then, when I went to get my residence permit, we would all go together and apply for my residence permit.

Now, in other areas it seems like the PSB is the ONLY place to go to.

You stated, "If the employer/PSB will accept a local one, do that is my advice."

So, my school should be asking the PSB, not some other entity? They are uploading my documents to a site and that group has a different name. Perhaps they are connected with the PSB? However, PSB is the ONLY people we need to deal with at this stage as it pertains to the criminal background check?

huoguojiggae2017 · Joined: 13 Jul 2017 Posts: 57

Another question is, they keep referring to "China Embassy", which leads me to http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ in Washington DC.

Does a local police check really have to go to DC and get authenticated there? If it needs to get authenticated, can I send it to New York consulate instead? How about the Chinese consulate in Chicago?

Would any consulate do, or does it specifically have to be DC or another one?

The bear · Joined: 16 Aug 2015 Posts: 483

huoguojiggae2017 · Joined: 13 Jul 2017 Posts: 57

The bear · Joined: 16 Aug 2015 Posts: 483

I've only ever know the PSB deal with FEC/RP issues. Nowhere else.

And with the new system, FECs are now being integrated/changed into some sort of card. So FECs aren't being issued in some areas, they're going to a card system and have been doing since April the 1st this year. So depending on where you are, could be that you're going to get one.

Modernist · Joined: 03 Jan 2016 Posts: 72 Location: Routing

You're thinking of the FEB, the Foreign Expert Bureau. They're the ones who verify all the documents and supposedly issue FECs (Foreign Expert Certificates). The FECs are required in order for the EEA (Entry-Exit Administration) of the PSB (Public Security Bureau) to issue the Residence Permit based on a previously issued Z visa (from outside the PRC) or a transferred permit from another jurisdiction inside the PRC.

Anyway, as far as I know, they can accept all sorts of checks at the moment. The bear is right that FBI checks are wasted on them, as they take forever to get but are useless if they are not authenticated (as federal documents, they may ONLY be authenticated at the DC Chinese embassy, too).

I got a state level check myself, and had it authenticated at the closest Chinese consulate. Local checks may not be as easy to authenticate, as the Chinese seem to like to find reasons to say no to documents if they can find any excuse whatsoever (and you'll need a state level certification of the check before the consulate will take it, anyway). I used a name level check, in my state you don't need fingerprints for those. However, I saw that soon, my state will stop issuing paper records for these requests, only digital ones. Of course China will never accept that, so who knows what I'll have to do next time...

Remember that if you use the consulates, they have districts that are their areas, and the check must be from a state in their area or they won't authenticate it.

huoguojiggae2017 · Joined: 13 Jul 2017 Posts: 57

nimadecaomei · Joined: 22 Sep 2016 Posts: 605

I know in California no matter local or state you need fingerprints. Also, the local one often will send the prints to the state anyway, who will then check against fingerprint records. I recently did the California state one. Cost $32, minus the cost of fingerprinting, shipping my fingerprints from China to the US etc. Took about two weeks for the results. Not sure all states would be the same though.

nimadecaomei · Joined: 22 Sep 2016 Posts: 605

tin man · Joined: 18 Jun 2010 Posts: 137

I am in TX. My school asked for an authenticated degree as well as a police check. Again, both needed to be authenticated. The police check was a simple process and cost me $20 and they notarized it at the police station. I gave both documents to the agent for authentication and it has been submitted by the school to the local authorities. No feedback as of yet