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Hello, I was wondering if anybody here knows anything about getting a criminal records check here in China (I may need one for a visa to another country if I stay here for a year). I think I know where to go to get one, but I’m just wondering about the level of difficulty I should expect. So if anyone has done this/knows someone who has done this any info, no matter how anecdotal, would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
I had to provide criminal record checks from both my home country (UK), and country of residence prior to entering China (Canada) for my Z visa, but have never been aware of anyone having to obtain one from within China. What nationality are you? How long have you been resident here? And where are you headed to that this is necessary?
If you need certification that you do not have a criminal record in China then I am fairly sure that you get it from your local police station because that was where my (Chinese) wife got hers when she was making a UK visa application.
Interesting – is this a requirement of the Z-visa now? I don’t think I’ve ever had to supply this information. I do remember filling out forms which ask if I’ve been convicted of a crime in my home country though.
is this a requirement of the Z-visa now?
Now that I think about it again, it might have actually been my employer that insisted on this. Ironically for the hassle it was at the time to get my UK check done from Canada, I was never asked to present the documents beyond the initial request. Oh China.
A friend of mine required a police certificate from the UK prior to moving to Nanjing for a new job, but it was the employer who asked for it. They can be obtained from here: http://tinyurl.com/ojq9c8e
Also, the visa authorities here will ask for this certificate if you are thinking about going for a longer term visa in the “new” (refurbished?) categories of marriage (5 years), investment ($500k for Sichuan), or time in a senior role (4 years as DGM or GM with 3 actually spent in China). All of these will need a certificate as part of the application. I’m planning to do mine once I hit my 5 year wedding anniversary.
And just to complicate things a friend of mine from Iran has just been asked for a certificate of good behaviour whilst applying for his normal z visa here……. So much for clear rules…….
FUCKING BIG NOTE:
Criminal records check in China doesn’t equal Criminal Records Check in any other place on this fucking planet.
What I mean by that is this:
Criminal record, in general, means a court convicted you of some crime that is a felony charge by a person or crown(or federal) body. It means you did something and got arrested based on doing something that normal people shouldn’t have done, and were found guilty.
China, does discriminate the difference between criminal, court, and arrest records. The difference in most of the processing bodies? None. If you have a court record, regardless of guilt or result, means “fuck that shit”.. if you were arrested? “fuck that shit.” .. guilty, innocent? FUCK THAT SHIT. You have a .. what we call in China, “black mark”.
If you’ve a black mark in China, it’s there. Whatever you want to do, it’s there. Every time I go to apply for a fucking visa, or change, or update, or whatever, it’s there. Most of the time it’s nothing, sometimes, whatever, it’s fucking there, and the law just changed..so if you have some sort of state that causes issues with some potentially visible status that says ‘yeah I lied on what I put on my application for another country’ and you get fucking raped in the ass as a result of what you said because it wasn’t FULLY truthful, you’ve nobody to blame but yourself. Welcome to 1984. 😀
Here’s the consulate’s page about getting the record/non-record for US citizens
<span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;”>http://chengdu.usembassy-<wbr />china.org.cn/service/other-<wbr />services/criminal-record-<wbr />checks-for-u.s.-citizens</span>
Basically two methods
1. Mail a form with your name and fingerprints to the FBI along with a fee.
2. Do the same thing with your “local police” (last residence in your home country) and then get the local police report “authenticated” somehow.
I don’t think the consulate doe the authentication for this. At least they didn’t volunteer to.
And hopefully your prints aren’t in any cold case file, thus avoiding the whole butt-rape thing.
Interesting – is this a requirement of the Z-visa now? I don’t think I’ve ever had to supply this information. I do remember filling out forms which ask if I’ve been convicted of a crime in my home country though.
I believe this is one of the new post July 1, 2013 visa regulations for foreigners trying to work in China. I was asked to do it and so I’ve got to figure it out now. Was hoping the consulate would do it, but Brian just crushed my dreams of finding convenience in China.
My problem is that I haven’t been “resident” (ie. Residence Visa) anywhere since 2008. I’ve been rattling around Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, and China mostly on tourist visas – occasionally going back to the UK, but never for more than a few months.
What is the Chinese definition of “residence”? Would I need to get certificates in all the countries I frequent? – Or just the UK?
All visa companies do are help facilitate getting a visa – for a hefty charge. I once paid 7,500RMB (1,200USD) for a F-Visa (business, multiple entry) from within China. That’s through an agency. Screw the agencies. Go to a consulate and do it the right way without letting agencies screw up your immigration history. They used some business of their inside ‘guangxi’ (connections) to obtain me this business visa – then when i wanted to renew or extend – Boom! They rejected it. Screw the agencies.
All you need in apply formally with all paperwork, criminal background check (www.chinavalid.com), passports, residence cards, and just skip the stupid agencies. DO IT RIGHT. DO IT SMART!!
Interesting – is this a requirement of the Z-visa now? I don’t think I’ve ever had to supply this information. I do remember filling out forms which ask if I’ve been convicted of a crime in my home country though.
I believe this is one of the new post July 1, 2013 visa regulations for foreigners trying to work in China. I was asked to do it and so I’ve got to figure it out now. Was hoping the consulate would do it, but Brian just crushed my dreams of finding convenience in China.
I arrived from the UK last week on a Z visa and didn’t have to provide a criminal records check. Like Charlie on some forms that I filled out I did have to state that I hadn’t been convicted of a crime but that was it.
Not sure if you are able to, go to one of those sites and print out your criminal record. There are tons online. I had to do it for some job application in the states. Of course to make it ‘official’ you can go to your local popo station and get finger prints. Cost is 20 USD (in the states mind you). What do you do with the card next? Not sure.. GIve it to some Chinese dude? Regardless, it’s a good step for China to require background investigations. Not sure if this applies to all foreigners or just the ‘first world’ countries foreigners.
Just for conversation’s sake, I have not been asked for a CRC and the school claims my work permit should be done any day now. But the way things have gone so far, it would not surprise me in the least if the next email from the school says they now need a background check in order to get the permit approved.
It takes around 6 weeks to obtain one direct from the FBI (I needed one for Korea), but other expat forums have said that a authenticated letter from your local county is sufficient for China. Don’t take my word for it though, I’m a first timer who hasn’t even made it over yet.
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