Croz

so just following up on my post. The international authentication apparatus is "Apostille" And where I got a lot of what I saw about needing authentication for criminal background checks is from the Travel.State.Gov website.....search for "authenticate your document"....then "preparing your document for authentication certificate"....then click on "federal document". it specifically mentions the criminal background check being one that needed authentication. id like to stop searching now - but if someone needs me to prove that I saw the "dual Philippines authentication process" mentioned - I'll do the work to find it. It was also on a legitimate us govt website....and talked about the Philippines being a special case because 1.) they don't use Apostille and 2.) that their authentication process is 2 parts - specifically as I stated above. im not going to panic anymore about it unless she gets denied again and were told it has to be authenticated. I'm over this whole thing - but I really wish I found this site earlier - you all are VERY helpful. Very Sincerely / my thanks

I stopped looking for it - but in my late night search I had found some websites (state dept?? FBI??) that mentioned the Philippines not being on some "internation network" for Authentication.....and the only way the FBI criminal background check could be authenticated - was (Philippines only) a 2-step process. 1. Once you had the fbi document - you had to fill out the state dept form. You could fill out the form online and A) mail the form in for a 5+ week turnaround.....B) walk the document in - for a 7 day turnaround if you also would go pick it up (in DC)....or C). If you got fingerprints elsewhere and mailed it all in - the turnaround was I think a few months. 2. Once you received the authenticated document - you would have to schedule an appointment with a US based Philippine embassy to have them perform their authentication. This had to happen after you got the stamped?/certified? Document from the state dept. 3. Then next-day the letter to your Fiance - who would then upload the document to the cfo and schedule her interview ------- reading all of that greatly concerned me - because my Fiance has already been to the Cebu cfo twice. First time we weren't told about a police clearance. 2nd time - I assumed "background check" was what they wanted because we don't have "police clearances. This time she was specifically told fbi criminal background check - which I got done in about 2 hours once I found a post office with a working finger printing machine (went to 4 locations). My concern there is the fbi document states something to the effect of "document doesn't include state/local police charges"....but I'm hoping this doesn't get caught. My Fiance is 45 - but she's fairly innocent and I think she might not speak with great confidence....and that might be causing us an issue. We've been together for 3 years and my record is 100% without incident except for traffic tickets. This whole thing is a bit much.

I'm hoping you're right and what I've read is wrong. I'm moving forward just as you have said because it's my best chance to get her here before her medical clearance expires on Dec 9th (we literally got the embassy letter 8 days ago)....and we're already up on a visa expiration??....anyway - the State Dept form (DS-4194.....the authentication request form) has a drop-down for "document type"... and one of the options is "FBI criminal background check". That concerns me....along with what I read last night at 2:00 am when I was freaking out, but can't find right now. I was only on official websites though - this is the only "chat" I've referred to.

If you got this from a FB group - absolutely stay on FB. This poster is dead wrong. You don't need an FBI criminal record check for the sponsor for the interview with the US embassy for your Fiance - but you very well may need it with the CFO. Just finding out that I need it after being told it wasn't needed - then she went back to the CFO with a background Check and now being told it has to be an FBI criminal record report. Further - I'm reading that it has to be authenticated with the US Dept of State (5 weeks) and then has to go to the Philippine embassy. If you got this from a FB group - absolutely stay on FB. This poster is dead wrong. You don't need an FBI criminal record check for the sponsor for the interview with the US embassy for your Fiance - but you very well may need it with the CFO. Just finding out that I need it after being told it wasn't needed - then she went back to the CFO with a background Check and now being told it has to be an FBI criminal record report. Further - I'm reading that it has to be authenticated with the US Dept of State (5 weeks) and then has to go to the Philippine embassy. If you got this from a FB group - absolutely stay on FB. This poster is dead wrong. You don't need an FBI criminal record check for the sponsor for the interview with the US embassy for your Fiance - but you very well may need it with the CFO. Just finding out that I need it after being told it wasn't needed - then she went back to the CFO with a background Check and now being told it has to be an FBI criminal record report. Further - I'm reading that it has to be authenticated with the US Dept of State (5 weeks) and then has to go to the Philippine embassy.