Nobody sets out to obtain an FBI background check. They set out to move, work, marry, study or obtain residency somewhere, and this turns up on a checklist along the way. The right first question is never “is the FBI report better than a state one” — it is which jurisdiction the requesting authority actually wants a record from.
They Told Me I Need an FBI Background Check. What Happens Next?
The full sequence through to authentication by the U.S. Department of State — and the misconception we hear most often, that having the FBI report notarized is the same as having it authenticated. It is not.
My Checklist Says “Police Clearance.” Does That Mean an FBI Check?
Sometimes it means more than one document — an FBI report plus a police certificate from another country you lived in. Questions to put to the immigration authority, attorney or university before you get fingerprinted.
Thailand: State Record or FBI?
A worked example of the choice, including the detail most applicants miss — a California DOJ record needs a wet signature requested from DOJ within days of the Live Scan, or you receive a printout that cannot be apostilled.
FBI Fingerprinting for Immigration and Travel
Where fingerprinting fits for applicants working to immigration and travel deadlines, and why timing drives the choice of submission method.