Wow, I stand corrected. After looking at some of these links it seems they really cut down the processing times by using the "channelers." I might look into doing this if I can't get the local one take care of before I head home.
Ha, wow all around. Ive actually never heard of being able to get the FBI check done in person and have never ever heard of it taking a reasonable amount of time. Still, it doesnt matter as Im not going to mess with it anyway.
Heard from the school today, they said in lieu the FBI check, the govt will accept a copy of the official non-electronic state version. Just to clarify, my state is SC and they are one of the few to offer an official background check online (SLED Catch), which I thought was pretty awesome. That's what I used initially and was told it would be fine, but now they want one that was not delivered in an email. Same system, same results, but they want it to have been applied for in person or via mail. The kicker - once I have the physical version, they said I can scan and email it to them. I just hope the physical one looks different than the electronic one.
So yes, there is a workaround and it seems to match what @neddy said.
We discussed transferring but decided there wasn't enough time between when my current contract ends and when Im set to fly back to the states. At the time I didn't care because I was just going to get the Visa while I was home, and now I'm wondering if it's still a viable option or if the FBI check will be requested either way. The school is supposed to dig into it more tomorrow and get back to me so I guess we'll see.
Wow, I definitely feel like an idiot posting this after I asked for advice on apartment hunting yesterday.
Here's the deal:
Im an American currently teaching in GZ, have a legal Z visa, residency permit, etc. I signed a contract with a school in KM to begin in March, submitted all the paperwork, including a legit criminal record check from the state in which I previously lived before coming to China. I get word a few days ago that everything passed, only to receive an email today stating
"Your documents are passed by yunnan foreign expert bureau. But when we submitted them to the exit and entry bureau, they required:
1) FBI no criminal check
2) guang Zhou local police station issued no criminal check( as you live in Guangzhou for more than 6 month)"
The GZ check is no problem, but seeing as the FBI check has been known to take a while, am I screwed? Also, Im returning home for winter break and already have my flights scheduled, though my current residency permit doesnt expire until after I return (but I was planning on getting my new Visa while home). Still, there is not nearly enough time to get all this done now, has anyone dealt with this before?
Also, I ran a search but everything I found was pretty inconclusive, I guess Im looking for stories of people who came KM and Yunnan in the last year - did you have to deal with this?
I'm moving to Kunming late next month and plan to look for an apartment once I arrive. Are Gangi.com and 58.com the best places to look? Or should I pound the pavement around the areas that appeal to me?
I'll have Chinese help so any advice is welcome, thanks!
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