FBI Background Check while living in Argentina

[rstanf]

Hello everyone,

I am currently working on obtaining my permanent residency via marriage in CABA with my Argentine partner. I have been living here for 1 year on an expired tourist visa, and would like to avoid leaving the country until I have obtained legal residence, as I would not like to risk being denied re-entry at the border. I have also read that leaving the country while applying for permanent residency is not advised, as it can complicate or nullify some of the required documents.

I have a few questions about the process of obtaining my apostilled FBI Background Check while living here in CABA. I am planning to electronically submit my request for the FBI Background Check, but does the paper with my fingerprints need to be mailed to the FBI directly? If so, does anybody have any advise on how I can send this from CABA to the FBI in a timely manner? Are there any reliable 3rd party mailing services, or can I mail it myself and pay for it to be expedited? I have never mailed something abroad before, so I'm unsure how long it would take for it to arrive to the FBI.

Next, would I need to have the apostilled background check mailed back to me in CABA before I can have it translated? Would it be possible to have a family member in the U.S. receive the FBI background check, then have them send it to a 3rd party apostille service [e.g. Monument Visa], and then have that 3rd party service ship the document + apostille back to me in CABA? Has anybody else completed this process from Argentina [and if so, how]?

Thanks.

 

[darksider415]

Hello everyone,

I am currently working on obtaining my permanent residency via marriage in CABA with my Argentine partner. I have been living here for 1 year on an expired tourist visa, and would like to avoid leaving the country until I have obtained legal residence, as I would not like to risk being denied re-entry at the border. I have also read that leaving the country while applying for permanent residency is not advised, as it can complicate or nullify some of the required documents.

I have a few questions about the process of obtaining my apostilled FBI Background Check while living here in CABA. I am planning to electronically submit my request for the FBI Background Check, but does the paper with my fingerprints need to be mailed to the FBI directly? If so, does anybody have any advise on how I can send this from CABA to the FBI in a timely manner? Are there any reliable 3rd party mailing services, or can I mail it myself and pay for it to be expedited? I have never mailed something abroad before, so I'm unsure how long it would take for it to arrive to the FBI.

Next, would I need to have the apostilled background check mailed back to me in CABA before I can have it translated? Would it be possible to have a family member in the U.S. receive the FBI background check, then have them send it to a 3rd party apostille service [e.g. Monument Visa], and then have that 3rd party service ship the document + apostille back to me in CABA? Has anybody else completed this process from Argentina [and if so, how]?

Thanks.

I used Monument Visa to handle mine, apostille and all, without stepping foot outside Argentina. Went to the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia for the ink fingerprints, sent them to Monument via DHL and they handled the rest/sent it back, since they're an FBI channeler too.

DHL is your best bet for it to get there quickly and reliably, but it's expensive.

 

[skolka]

I used Monument Visa too and shipped everything via DHL. No issues. The apostille took about 7 weeks to get back. I heard DHL may not be shipping to the United States now. Plus if government shutdown takes place expect much longer wait. Don't pay for it to be translated in the United States, has to be done in Argentina by certified translater

 

[rstanf]

I used Monument Visa too and shipped everything via DHL. No issues. The apostille took about 7 weeks to get back. I heard DHL may not be shipping to the United States now. Plus if government shutdown takes place expect much longer wait. Don't pay for it to be translated in the United States, has to be done in Argentina by certified translater

Thanks, I paid for my background check to be processed through Monument Visa and have an appointment this week with the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia for my fingerprints. I didn't even think about how the shutdown will effect the background check/apostille processing though... ugh!!! I will have to see after getting my fingerprints which companies are accepting shipments to the US. It looks like I chose a very unfortunate time to start this process.

 

[darksider415]

Thanks, I paid for my background check to be processed through Monument Visa and have an appointment this week with the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia for my fingerprints. I didn't even think about how the shutdown will effect the background check/apostille processing though... ugh!!! I will have to see after getting my fingerprints which companies are accepting shipments to the US. It looks like I chose a very unfortunate time to start this process.

You should be able to do it through DHL or FedEx. There's also a UPS office at Cabildo y Virrey Loreto, if you prefer them for whatever reason.

 

[Fooze]

I used Monument Visa to handle mine, apostille and all, without stepping foot outside Argentina. Went to the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia for the ink fingerprints, sent them to Monument via DHL and they handled the rest/sent it back, since they're an FBI channeler too.

DHL is your best bet for it to get there quickly and reliably, but it's expensive.

Can I jump in here and ask you what steps you followed to do this?

I'm looking at the Monument site and it doesn't look like you can request the background check and apostille all at once. Did you get the PDF background check first and then use that to place the order for the apostille? I just want to make sure I'm not missing something. Don't want to end up having to do it twice.

 

[darksider415]

Can I jump in here and ask you what steps you followed to do this?

I'm looking at the Monument site and it doesn't look like you can request the background check and apostille all at once. Did you get the PDF background check first and then use that to place the order for the apostille? I just want to make sure I'm not missing something. Don't want to end up having to do it twice.

Yep, I did the PDF background check by mailing the cards to them, then used that to get the apostille. They make it easy, truly. Good folks over there, and they're very quick

 

[Fooze]

Great. Thanks for the clarification, I appreciate it.

 

[BobbyHank]

Thanks for the info on Monument Visa. FYI, I just returned from the USA, re: shutdown, I visited a post office for prints a few days before leaving thinking that with the shut down etc.. that I’d have the background waiting in my mail box when I return in January. Ironically I received the BC in my email inbox roughly 40 hours after getting printed! Now I have a digital copy, which will likely expire by the time I get to the states and back again. Summary, the shutdown didn’t slow anything down on BG checks!

 

[nikad]

After you get your apostilled documents, for citizenship is it ok to get it translated by sworn translator and legalized by colegio de traductores publicos all with digital signatures or you are required to have the paper documents, with wet signatures, etc? (January it is all closed and cannot find updated information on this)