Getting Your FBI Criminal Background Check while Abroad isn't Impossible

If you're going to teach abroad, then you're going to need to get a background check. There's no getting around this. But does that mean you'll need to make the long flight home? Not necessarily.

Here is how I got an FBI background check while living abroad, got it authenticated by the U.S. Secretary of State, and then certified by the Chinese Consulate, all without leaving China.

Some places in China will never explicitly state whether they need a local criminal check, a state-level background check, or an FBI background check. Different provinces have different requirements and the institutions asking may not even be clear on the local laws.

I went for the FBI background check because it’s the best I could provide after 3 years in China. It’s also said to be your best bet / safest option no matter which province in China you plan to work in.

Here's how to get your report:

1
First, you’ll need to get your fingerprints checked by the FBI. To accomplish this, sign up with an FBI handler. I went with National Background Check. An FBI handler will be able to get your prints processed much quicker (a week) than if you mail your prints directly (months). If you’ve ever heard an anecdote from someone saying that it took months to get their fingerprints processed, it’s because they were probably trying to save money by not going through an FBI handler.
2
Download the print card templates from the NBC website and print them. I got the cards printed on thick paper at a Chinese print shop.
3
Take your fingerprints yourself on two cards. In case you're wondering, yes, you can take the fingerprints on your own, the FBI just prefer that you get a professional to do it because some people do a lousy job. You might want to practice on some spare cards before taking them for real.

I went to an apostille in a local Chinese city, but they refused to take my fingerprints as I asked. So I took my fingerprints myself with their inkless pads. I took two sets (two cards). You don’t need inkless pads, to get your FBI background check, but they’re great for clear prints. You can try to order them off Taobao, or just use normal black ink pads. You don't need to go to a Chinese apostille, they will be hopelessly confused by what you're trying to do and unhelpful.

4
Write a relative or friend's address and cell phone number stateside on the documents and then mail the materials to National Background Check via UPS. Why do you need a friends address and cell? To receive your background check electronically, you need a U.S. cell phone number that can receive texts. So, if you have someone in the U.S. who can help you, that’s key.
5
After you get a notification from NBC, get in touch with the person whose phone number you’re using and tell them to stand by as you sign in to the platform to download the pdf. After they send you the key, you can sign in and get it. I used Skype to coordinate this.
6
After that, you should have the fbi background check as a PDF, but because China isn’t part of the Hague convention, it’s worthless unless you have it approved by the U.S. Dept of State and certified by the Chinese consulate. Luckily, there are many, many different agencies that handle this. I used the company Elite Documents.

7
Sign up with Elite Documents, send them your FBI pdf and the code to open it. Electronically send your photo passport page. Print and sign two more forms and send them with your signature to the company via UPS.
8
Receive your materials in the mail a couple weeks later. You'll have your FBI background check with a seal and signature from the U.S. Department of State, as well as a certificate with a holographic seal from the Chinese embassy, verifying the authenticity. Make sure to keep the documents attached to the metal ring in the upper left corner.

How much does it cost?

I had to pay a fee of $50.00 to the FBI handler “National Background Check.”
To send my fingerprints via international shipping through UPS was a fee of $58.18.
After electronically acquiring my record from the FBI, sending it along with signed documents to “Elite Documents” was a UPS fee of $76.96.
The agency fee of “Elite Documents” was $309.00.

So in total, the cost was $494.14

After you have these documents prepared, you'll have everything you need to teach in other countries.