Korean Job Discussion Forums

[proverbs]

hello everybody.

i was wondering if there is a step by step walkthrough on obtaining an FBI CRC with instructions on having it expedited by contacting your congress person/senator.

i saw many posts on the FBI CRC, but could not find a comprehensive walkthrough.

i came back to the States a few weeks ago after a fairly long stint in Korea, and will get my FBI CRC and go back to Korea in August.

yesterday, i went down to my local police station and got my fingerprints done. but first, i went on the FBI's website, http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/submitting-an-identification-record-request-to-the-fbi. i had to print out the finger print card (FD-258) and take it to the station because the officer that was helping me said there were multiple options for fingerprinting. so i showed him the print out of the one on the FBI website, and then i had to buy the actual card at the police station for $20.

so now i have my fingerprints done and filled out the application form from the FBI website. i am planning to send it out, but i wanted to find out the best way to do it. i've read that i should contact my congress person or senator to expedite the process, but i'm not really clear on how i should do this. do i write a letter or send an email to my congress person? should i also include a return envelope with the docs that i send to the FBI?

this is what i had in mind for the process:
1. send my fingerprint card, application, and payment to the FBI with TRACKING CONFIRMATION. i saw that many people used FedEX, so i will probably do the same. i will also include a prepaid USPS priority mail envelope with tracking confirmation which they can mail back the CRC in.
2. once the package arrives at the FBI office, i send a nice letter (or email?) to my congress person explaining that i will need the CRC ASAP so i can secure my job in Korea. from the posts i read, it seems like the congress person's assistant will contact me and let me know what they can do.
3. i find my congress person's number and call them a few times a week to check on the progress.
4. hopefully, in about 2-6 weeks i receive my CRC.
5. once i have my CRC in hand, i get the document notarized. i'll probably go to the post office for this.
6. after it is notarized, i fill out the Apostille application form and send the documents with payment and a return envelope to the US Department of State. i'm still confused on where to send this to -- do i send it to the office in Washington, DC., or the state i live in, California? would one be faster than the other?


do you guys think this is the best way to go about the process? please let me know if you have any tips or advice.

THANK YOU!

[RLib]

[RLib]

Oh, also, there is confusion about whether one or two CBC's with apostilles are now required. It wouldn't be a bad idea to request two just in case.

[proverbs]

RLib, thanks for the tips! i didn't know about asking for the FBI stamp, so you saved me on that one. as for getting 2 CRC's, i think it was misinformation, so i'm just going to be ordering one.

if someone could shed some light on the expediting, it would probably help a lot of people on this forum. for the people who contacted their congress person to expedite it -- how did you do it exactly? what kind of letter did you write? would email be better? when should you call?

and for the Apostille, i guess it's probably best to send it to the DC office since it's the safer bet. i'm thinking that one way would not be too much faster than the other. also, just to clarify -- i DO NOT have to get the CRC notarized before i send it to get Apostilled in DC? however, if i send it to my state (California), i have to get it notarized first?

[Reggie]

Last year, when the FBI had taken over five months, I contacted the office of Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee through his website. There's a contact form on a page on his website where you can fill out contact information and write a letter.

I also wrote Senator Lamar Alexander and my House rep, but Senator Corker's office was the only one that replied. I finally got my FBI CRC shortly thereafter.

Today, I filled out the same form on the website of Corker's office and wish I had from the start. Even though I've only been waiting since April, I keep reading on Dave's where other people who sent theirs in May actually received theirs in May, while mine was sent in April and, according to what Cynthia with FBI customer service told me, it is "still processing." I can't find out the reason for the delay, if my fingerprints have been rejected, or what. After getting off the phone with her, I wrote Senator Corker's office.

So you're doing the right thing by contacting your Congressional representatives. Contact as many as possible to increase the chances that one of them will actually contact the FBI on your behalf.

As for the apostille, last year I was able to get mine done in person in Nashville in an hour or so. If you live reasonably close to Sacramento, perhaps going in person would be a good thing, not only to reduce the time it takes to get it completed, but to also reduce the chances of it getting lost in transit and having to repeat the entire lengthy process.

[proverbs]

Reggie, thanks for the input.

so, i will contact both my congress person AND senator to cover all my bases. for some reason, i thought i should only contact one party, but i guess it would better my chances if i contacted both.

for the Apostille, i won't be able to go in person since i am currently in Los Angeles (about an 8+ hour drive to Sacramento). so if you're not near you State's capital to bring the document in person, then it's probably best to just send it to the DC office, right? that way, i don't have to hassle with getting the CRC notarized. but on the other hand, i'll be getting my degree Apostilled too, so i might get both notarized and send it to Sacramento at the same time.