Korean Job Discussion Forums

[millyfrend]

??? They didn't say they were going to forward your fbi check, it just said it's going to seal and sign it. You have to send it off. Call them.

[NYC_Gal]

Don't you people have family or friends back home to take it for the apostille? It takes 10 minutes at the NYC office, and they're usually crowded, what with the UN office workers always there with docs.

Get the fingerprints done here (multiple sets would be wise).

Send it off to the FBI with your request for the seal and stamp. Have your parents' (or person of your choice) home as the return address.

Have said person get it notarized, then apostilled. Is it that hard?

Send said person a gift of delicious gochujang or a hanbok

[mimi belle]

For fingerprints, bring copies of this form printed on regular printer paper:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/standard-fingerprint-form-fd-258

FBI record check application is $18 (money order or credit card).
Complete application, include fingerprints and payment, and request authentication when you send it in. Then wait 7-12 weeks.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks

Apostille is separate from authentication I believe. An authenticated FBI check will have an official signature and stamp, but you still need an apostille.
For an apostille, http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/
Or contact your state's office for apostille and find out if they will apostille the fbi report. (Someone on another thread said their state wont.)
Some people plan on getting an apostille from the US embassy in korea.

For your degree, you should get a notarized copy and then have that apostilled at your state office. (Maybe you can get someone at home to do it. Make sure it's a notarized copy, not the original.) For an F4, you probably need the degree. As for the criminal check, it's probably a good idea since they take so long. You might not need it but I'm not sure. If you need something sooner, you can get a state check in the meantime.

[princess]

[princess]

I also heard the US embassy will put an affadavit on the FBI check, which is as good as an apostille.

[jack_b57]

Hey, thank you for these responses. I'll sift through this and other posts and attempt to list out the specific steps in my original post of this thread.

I'm not sure if anyone else will find that useful, but for me, a step-by-step workflow (like those "for dummies" books) will be useful. And if there are errors or things to add to that post, feel free to let me know. I'm a bit of a newb on this forum, but I envision it to be a sort of wiki page that will evolve and grow.

Thanks!

[kissing-a-badger-on-crack]

[millyfrend]

Alternative Consideration: For people/teachers in South Korea, will the FBI send to South Korea? That's the trouble some students pointed out on the forum. And if they do, of course you don't want to pay FedEx, UPS back and forth. It cost too much money and time.

Step 5: Right now the website say 15 days for processing of apostille, some days, the website is updated and it say it takes 25 business days for apostille processing, just be aware.

Alternative step 5: If you're in South Korea and if time is an issue, send the FBI background check to your family member in the states or an expedited apostille agency. But someone on this forum had mentioned that they live far away from the state apostille, so its an all-day affair. But in any case, they will need to get it notarize and apostille. It is done 1-3 business days. Depending on the state and county, it may go through another step. But this way is much faster than mailing to the department of state. Any state can do the apostille because 50 U.S. states is considered as the United States in the Hague Convention of 1961. If time is not an issue and you have months and months before your deadline then it's safe to go with the steps above.

Also, if you are short for time, there are other members on this forum that stated you don't have to get a FBI background check if time is an issue. You can get a state background check if it's before January 1, 2011. State background check are done in 1-3 business days depending on the state. And if you do the apostille in the state that is 1-3 business days on the apostille.

FBI Background Check (12 weeks) + apostille department of state (15-25 business days).

vs.

State background check (1-3 business days with no record) + state apostille (1-3 business days).

So it's a few months for FBI vs a week for state. Just ask your accepting agency which one they allow you to do.

[kissing-a-badger-on-crack]

[jaybert06]

i just read this whole thread and laughed out loud.

omg! message board drama!

seriously though, you should just call the fbi office and ask. they were really friendly to me and answered my questions.

[millyfrend]

Not true. You can get it notarized. I read it on one of the posts. The guy sent his original diploma and FBI background check to the states, got it notarized and apostille by the state. He was in South Korea. It's a notary rule. But different state has different rules, so only some states can do it. But all states are under United States, so it qualify for apostille.

I'll look for the post and post it here. It's been awhile.

[jack_b57]

Thanks for these posts. I'll sift through them and attempt the slow, painful process of making sense of these regulations. (My head = still hurting). Keep any updates coming if you got 'em.

[millyfrend]

Jack_b57, you said you're in South Korea. You have a few options.

FBI Fingerprints - Taking your Prints
------------------------------------------------
1. Take your fingerprints at the local police station, prefer on a FD-258 fingerprint card. It looks like this: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/standard-fingerprint-form-fd-258

Normally, they provide this card at the police station or the only way to get it is to buy in bulk. Of course you don't want to do that. If they don't have it, you can use the link provided above, print that out and take your prints on that. It will be accepted. Why the cardstock, fingerprints show better on heavier paper.

Note: Make sure when do your prints you can see your prints. If it looks like this
http://www.infoaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/fingerprint.jpg you're good.
If it looks like this http://ronkayela.com/fingerprints.JPG I wouldn't send it in. It will only get rejected, so do another fingerprint. Rule of thumb is if you can see your prints, the FBI operator or machine checking your prints can see it as well. Last thing you want is wait 12 weeks to get a rejection letter from the FBI.

You can actually take your prints yourself, but I wouldn't recommend it nor does the FBI "If possible, have your fingerprints taken by a fingerprinting technician. This service may be available at a law enforcement agency." Some things you may want to go cheap on, but this is not one of them. Have the professionals do it 'cause you don't want a rejection letter.

FBI Background Check Application
--------------------------
2. Filling out your FBI background check application http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/background_checks

Note: Expediting FBI Background Check trick. It works for some and doesn't work for other. On the envelope, write the date you need it by. Give them at least 2-3 weeks of a due date. Say it's for job application and they may expedited the process. Remember that it takes 7-12 weeks. If you do that, they may process it in 2-4 weeks.

Example, what to write on the envelope beneath the FBI address: *Please process by 11/30/2010. Reason: Job application

Important note: Cash, personal checks, or business checks WILL NOT be accepted. Fill out order form with credit card information on the form or get a money order for $18. Add additional $18 if you want multiple copies.

Return or Forward your FBI Background Check + Apostille. USE FedEx or UPS. Include a forward or return FedEx Label with your FBI Background Check application. It's best to track these kind of things.
------------------------------
3A. If you need an apostille and not in a rush.
On the application, note that you will use the FBI Background Check and you will need it apostille. Then they sign and seal it, so it can be apostille at the Federal level. At the Feds, they will check the name on their system; matching the signature of the guy/gal who signed your FBI background check. The DoS will take 15-25 business days for the apostille.
http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/

Apostille
15-25 business days, they update the processing time daily. When they are busy, they won't process until 25 business days.

3B. Option 2
Since you are in South Korea, for faster processing of time and cost effective way, (you don't want the FBI to send to South Korea and you send it back to the states - that will cost over $100+ for FedEx --- total of 3 FedEx, 1 from FBI to receive the background check, 1 to DOS for apostille and 1 return back to you),

Time Crunch For the FBI Background check, you can forward that to your family in the states or an apostille agency. They can take care of the apostille for your FBI Background check. They take it to a notary and then have it apostille at the state level, that takes 1-3 business days.

Summary...
1. FBI Background Check 7-12 weeks. Make sure you can see your prints
2. Fill out FBI Background Check Application
3a. Apostille at DOS 15-25 business days
3b. Send it to your family or apostille agency in the state for apostille, for faster processing 1-3 business days.

A guy posted this a while back on this forum...so you can contact greasylake for reference

greasylake
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 6:46 am Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

$175 may seem like a lot to some people, especially if time is not a problem, and you have people back home to do the leg work for you. But if you are in Korea, time is an issue, and you don't have people back home to do ALL of your leg work for you, then www.apostillepros.com is well worth the money. For a diploma, they can get an apostilled copy of your diploma in you hands in a week. And by a week, I mean from first contact with them, to when it is in your hands. I dealt with them, and they are very professional. It is actually $240 because of the overseas Fed-Ex charge, but again, if you are in a time pinch, it is well worth it.
Yes, I was in Korea. I had an agency take care of it. It cost me $240, which included international fed-x, but but it was done very promptly. Yes, it was accepted by immigration.

[princess]

Maybe...MAYBE it does work for some...but the FBI website says " the fBI does not expedite applications".

[jack_b57]