Getting your FBI check in the U.S. – Regular 6-8 weeks processing time
The easiest and fastest way to get your National FBI Criminal Background Check in order to come to Korea on an E2 visa is to visit a Live Scan Location. Because Live Scan technology offers digital fingerprints, the processing time for the background check may take less than the standard 2 month time frame.
Easy steps to get your FBI check done in America
1. First download the required documents for the FBI check from the FBI Website.
- A Check list so that you don’t forget anything.
- A fingerprint card (FD-258)
- The Fingerprint card instructions
- Credit Card payment form
- Application Form
2. Go to a Live Scan center: Live Scan fingerprinting simply means that there is some office or service in your state which offers digital fingerprinting. This is the best form of fingerprinting because they are sent digitally to the government. This service also takes much better fingerprints than the traditional paper and ink method. Thus the digital prints are much more likely to be accepted than paper and ink prints. In California there is a huge list of live scan locations and hours on the Department of Justice’s Website. Simply click on this link and find the nearest location to you. Attention: Make sure you check the FBI criminal background check box on the Live Scan center’s application forms. The DOJ box only checks your history in the state.
3. Mail your documents to FBI CJIS Division: Draft a letter that asks the FBI to issue a “pre-authenticated” record check so that you can have it apostilled at the Department of State. The FBI will NOT issue a pre-authenticated check unless you specifically request it.
- Mail all required items listed above
- Applicant information form
- Original fingerprint card
- Note requesting pre-authenticated check
- Payment to the address below
Address to mail:
FBI CJIS Division – Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
If you need to inquire about the status &/or progress of your request, you can contact the CJIS Customer Service Group at 1 (304) 625-5590 when it is 4 weeks after the application date.
IMPORTANT: In order for your FBI check to be apostilled, it must be pre-authenticated by the FBI. You must write a separate note asking the FBI to issue a pre-authenticated record check. It’s absolutely crucial to include this letter/memo when you submit your request! Pre-authenticated checks come with an FBI signature and seal.
4. Apostil your FBI check when it returns: First check at the nearest Secretary of State Office in your state if they apostile FBI check. Then it is the easiest and fasted way to get Apostil the same day.
There are 3 ways to secure the Apostille authentication for an FBI check:
- Through at the nearest Secretary of the State Office in your state (1-2 days)
- Through the Department of State office (4-6 weeks) DOS Website
- Through a private company (expedited option 3-5 days) US Legalization Service Website
Note: Planet ESL does not collect a fee for referring applicants to the expedited service. We recommend it because it’s in your interests to secure your documents as soon as possible. Do NOT, for any reason what so ever, remove the staples and/or damage the Apostille certificate. Korean Immigration will automatically reject any Apostille authentication that looks like it’s been tampered with (detached, re-stapled, etc.).
5. Wait for the final apostilled documents to be mailed to your home. Once you have the notarized and apostilled national criminal background check documents you may mail them to your job in Korea. Your employer will take them to an immigration office to get processed along with your other documents.
Getting your FBI check by FBI approved Channelers – 2-3 days Processing Time
TEK/PlanetESL strongly recommends all our U.S. Teachers to process FBI check through this method currently since we have had no issues getting working visa (E-2 Visa) at Korean immigration. FBI authorized these channelers to do electronic FBI check application so that it takes only 2-3 days time. Many teachers question if this FBI check validates, however so far our teachers of PlanetESL for private language schools have had no issues getting an E-2 visa through FBI checks done by approved channelers by FBI.
*Note: EPIK/GEPIK public school programs require FBI checks done by mailing to FBI CJIS division with their own policy.
List of FBI approved channelers info: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/criminal-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers
It is up-to your decision which channeler you use, however make sure to use only the ones that are listed on FBI website from the link above.
The first step in obtaining your FBI Background Check is to contact an FBI Approved Channeler.
FBI channeler agencies we have had the results from our teachers;
National Background Check, Inc.- TEK’s Pick! With our experiences, this company has been very reliable with our teachers and their website is also very informative to follow step by step.
www.nationalbackgroundcheck.com
(877) 932-2435
Accurate Biometrics
(773) 685-5699
You will first need to contact one of these companies in order to start the process. They will instruct you on what steps you should take in order to obtain your FBI Background Check results. You will also need to request a letter signed by the Criminal Justice Information Services (Biometric Services Division) signed by the Section Chief Kimberly J. Del Greco.
Some companies will e-mail you this letter which is not acceptable. You can’t just use a regular paper to print out and use for Apostile authentication. You must have the FBI result printed out on a security paper. We recommend you to request FBI channeler to send the FBI result on a security to you by mail.
Note: If you make a copy of the original, the copy will display the words “Copy Unauthorized” in reverse. Please send the original copy you received from the Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Apostile Expedite Agencies that we have had our teachers used;
These Apostile Expedite agencies do apostile on your degree and FBI check, but it needs separate fees and individual apostile on each.
US Legalization
https://www.uslegalization.com/
(410) 349 – 4900
Apostile FBI
http://www.apostillefbi.com/
1-202-738-1412
US Authentication
http://www.usauthentication.com/
1-800-893-5807
*Example of FBI check
*Example of Apostile
This is so helpful and it gives the best idea for internet readers for background check.
Hello there,
Thank you for helpful advice about obtaining an Apostilled copy of a Federal criminal record check.
I am a naturalized Koren American already in Korea, living with my family.
I am planning to teach English to elementary students at home.
What would be the best and quickest way for me to get an Apostilled copy of the FBI record check if I would like to expedite the process ASAP?
Do you know any channeller who works with both FBI and DOS?
I would really appreciate it if you can give me your valuable advice.
Thank you again,
Julia
FBI Check through FBI channeler & Apostile Expedite
Hi Julia,
Currently the quickest way is getting FBI check through FBI channeler as I posted here. I actually have been looking for a channeler where can do FBI and Apostile, so far I have no luck to find it until last week. However, if you can have FBI result mailed to some one back home and send the result to Apostile Expedite Agency, you can have everything done in a month.
Here are the Apostile expedite agencies we recommend to our teachers,
These Apostile Expedite agencies do apostile on your degree and FBI check, but it needs separate fees and individual apostile on each.
US Legalization
https://www.uslegalization.com/
US Authentication
http://www.usauthentication.com/index.php/
J.
If one has a prior arrest record(s) does that automatically disqualify him/her from obtaining a teaching position? Even if the offense was expunged? By “having no criminal record” do you mean that a person has to have absolutely no arrest record in the past and present? A lot of us are confused on this particular subject.
We have had a number of applicants inquiring with the same issue. For the last 2 years, all applicants with any arrest record on FBI check has been rejected by Korean immigration. I know it is pity Korean immigration has a strict policy on any arrest record. You can also inquire Korean immigration directly here at http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/index.do
Sorry but do you think you can explain further as to what you mean by being “rejected by Korean immigration?” Are you saying that Korean Immigration will not allow you to consider or hire anyone with an arrest record and that they have authority over whom you hire? My peers and I don’t really know much about Korea and its immigration policies, so if you could clarify what you mean we’d appreciate it.
Thanks for your feedback.
Hi, I have been looking on the internet recently and have been reading confilicting things about using F.B.I. channelers. I talked to one recruiter recently who said that channeler checks were being rejected even with an apostille. Has something changed recently? I am wondering because I just got my background check back. I went through National Background Check to get my background check done. Could you let me know? If it has changed I will go and get the slow check done A.S.A.P.
As far as we have experiences, so far nothing has been changed. Our teachers’ FBI check done by channelers have worked fine so far with us. Good luck with yours.
Hi everyone.. I was worried about using a channeling agency because I couldn’t seem to find any definitive word on what was acceptable by Korean immigration. I heard generally positive things about NBCI and Accurate Biometrics so I decided to give it a shot. I went with NBCI (Accurate Biometrics is roughly the same price though) and they returned my FBI check on the official blue paper with FBI seal, watermark, and section chief signature. This is what Korean immigration is checking for. I also used an apostille expediting agency (I think it was US Legalization ). I sent a set of fingerprints directly to the FBI (as a backup) and that check came back to me 9 weeks after my NBCI check had already been apostilled!! Furthermore, the document I received from the FBI was identical to the one I received from NBCI. Korean immigration approved my NBCI check no problem.
So do yourself a favor and use one of the approved channelers: NBCI or Accurate Biometrics. You will save yourself time AND money. A channeling agency + expedited apostille might cost an extra hundred bucks but save you upwards of $4000 in pay that you might miss out on while waiting for the FBI.