Buzz
In today's interconnected world, we are all part of a global community to some extent. While it’s comforting to assume that those around us are kind and trustworthy, reality often paints a different picture. Whether you’re a business planning to expand internationally or an individual building a cross-border relationship, there are increasing reasons to investigate what the future might hold. Fortunately, accessing international data has never been easier than it is today.
Steps
Identify the reason for conducting the background check
Consider screening potential employees to minimize the risk of fraud and deception. You want to ensure that the person you hire is exactly who they claim to be. This applies not only to their identity but also to their professional qualifications relevant to the job. You should screen the background of:
- Candidates currently residing abroad.
- Candidates with a history of living and working overseas.
- Foreign candidates applying for positions in their home country, especially if you’re establishing—or expanding—your business operations internationally.
Learn about someone you met online. Perhaps a romantic relationship is blossoming between you and someone from another country. Maybe you’ve connected with a potential international business partner online. Whatever your situation, caution is never excessive. Conducting a background check provides additional information to help you decide whether to pursue the relationship.
Be cautious if you’re preparing for a business merger or acquisition. In this area, you can’t simply accept claims made by the company being merged or acquired. While you might not need to vet a partner if the relationship between the two companies has been long-standing, for others, conducting due diligence (beyond just reviewing financial records) can help prevent potential disasters.
If you’re an employer in the United States, protect yourself from claims of "negligent hiring." Such claims can arise if an employee causes harm to others within the scope of their job. If the employer cannot demonstrate that they exercised reasonable care in assessing the employee’s suitability for the role, they may be held liable for negligent hiring.
Comply with international regulations. Similar to U.S. hiring screening regulations categorized by industry, state, and federal levels, other countries may have distinct background screening requirements and rules for how employers can seek and use information. Businesses that ignore relevant domestic regulations while implementing global screening programs risk non-compliance with those countries’ laws.
Identify the types of background checks
Learn about criminal background checks. This method is useful for individuals concerned about someone else, whether in a personal or professional relationship. Criminal background checks are especially critical for employers, as they have both a moral and legal obligation to provide a safe working environment.
- You need to know if a potential employee has a criminal history (e.g., substance abuse, dishonesty, or violent behavior).
- This check allows you to determine if a candidate is suitable for a specific job and workplace.
Understand how to verify foreign educational credentials. This is crucial when evaluating a potential candidate. This background check step involves confirming the candidate’s education, training, or foreign certifications, as well as verifying their honesty. If you’re an employer in the United States, this check protects you from negligent hiring claims.
Consider verifying a candidate’s international work experience. A candidate’s employment history is a strong indicator of their future performance. Verifying work experience can:
- Confirm job titles, duration of employment, and salary details.
- Verify reasons for leaving previous positions and rehire eligibility.
- Provide insights from former employers about the candidate’s performance.
Research international driving records. This check is essential if you’re hiring someone from another country to drive for your company or for business trips.
- The information obtained can help determine if the candidate has the appropriate driver’s license for the role (license type, status, and restrictions, if any).
- It can also reveal irresponsible behavior, including a history of substance abuse.
- It may verify necessary personal details like name and address for further background checks.
Check for domestic security-related information. If you’re an employer in the United States, this search ensures compliance with laws like the Patriot Act, designed to prevent money laundering and terrorism.
- U.S. law has expanded the industries requiring domestic security screenings based on current regulations and programs.
- Federal law mandates that all U.S. individuals and organizations ensure they do not conduct business with entities or individuals listed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or designated as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) and Blocked Persons.
Request foreign business evaluation documents. If you’re considering a business partnership with a foreign company, obtaining comprehensive information about the collaboration is almost a necessity. Some details you might consider researching include:
- Financial reports
- Legal records/Public filings
- Management and ownership/Corporate structure details
- References from business partners, banks, or suppliers
- Import and export volumes to various countries and regions.
Find information sources that meet your needs
Consider hiring an international background check company or private investigator. While you can conduct your own research, hiring a full-service company or investigator makes the process far more convenient. Online, you can find numerous companies offering international background checks, helping you locate most—if not all—of the documents mentioned in Method 2 above.
- Check the company’s website for details like the number of offices and years in operation. Search the company’s name to see if any articles or blogs mention them. Some company websites may also link to press coverage.
- Be cautious of companies or individuals claiming to have a global database for compiling detailed reports. No such comprehensive global database currently exists.
- Speak with others who have used the services of background check companies or private investigators. This approach helps you avoid exaggerated claims and get to the truth.
- If hiring a private investigator, choose one based in the country where the person you’re investigating resides.
- Request references from the investigator or service provider. Check if they have affiliations with any companies in your country, as this makes it easier to evaluate their credibility.
- Verify with the embassy of the country where the investigator operates. Determine if local laws require private investigators to be licensed and how to confirm the credentials of the individual or company you plan to hire.
Conduct a criminal background check. Criminal records may be necessary for various reasons, but they are particularly critical for employers.
- Whether you’re conducting the check as an individual or employer, police records are the primary source for international criminal background information.
- One inherent challenge of international criminal background checks is the lack of a centralized national database. In most countries, you must search records by province or even district to determine if a criminal record exists. Additionally, most results only include events from the past two to three years.
Verify international educational credentials. There are multiple ways to validate certifications, training, or educational claims of candidates residing outside your country.
- Contact the educational institution that issued the degree or certification if possible. Most international degrees or certifications are verified by the institution’s Admissions and Records Office.
- Some schools have policies restricting access to records, except by the students themselves. If a student has changed their name or has an incorrect/lost student ID, their records may be overlooked. GPA and honors information are often not provided. Degree requirements can also vary between countries, making it challenging to assess the equivalence of international qualifications.
Verify claims about work experience. A candidate overly eager for a position might assume that a false claim about international work experience will go unnoticed. Therefore, it’s crucial to identify when a candidate misrepresents their employment history.
- If possible, confirm the candidate’s international work experience by reaching out to their previous employers. Avoid relying solely on contact details provided by the candidate, as these could also be falsified. Gather this information from an independent source.
- Understand the verification policies of previous employers and contact the appropriate department or individual who can assist with your inquiry.
- While employment verification can be helpful, don’t be surprised if some employers don’t respond. Others may reply but limit the information they disclose.
- Employment verification is a critical defense against negligent hiring claims. Even if you can only gather minimal information from a previous employer, you’ve demonstrated a good-faith effort to validate the candidate’s work history.
Validate international driving licenses. This is essential for defending against negligent hiring claims, especially for roles involving motor vehicle operation.
- Contact the motor vehicle department or licensing authority in the relevant country.
- Unfortunately, each country has its own rules and regulations for maintaining and providing records, so obtaining this information isn’t guaranteed. Additionally, issues like name changes, incorrect license numbers, or lost licenses can complicate the process.
Conduct global domestic security checks. This allows you to review various domestic and international sanctions lists. Individuals or organizations on these lists may be involved in activities like terrorism, money laundering, illegal imports, government fraud, banking violations, or drug trafficking.
- A global domestic security database includes both domestic and international sanctions lists. Examples include:
- UK Bank of England Sanctions List
- EU Terrorism Sanctions List
- US Most Wanted List
- US Department of Health and Human Services List
- Interpol Wanted List
- UN Consolidated Sanctions List
- For most databases, the results are only as current as the last update. Agencies input data at their own pace, and no list includes every individual or organization suspected of terrorism or illegal activities.
Assess a company’s stability. Many businesses now operate internationally. If you want to evaluate a foreign company—such as its credit rating, financial status, and management—several firms, like Experian, offer this service. As always, verify the credentials of the service provider before using their services.
Tips
- The cost of international background checks varies depending on the method of investigation you choose. If you opt for a company providing international background check services, the cost will include fees for the company and access to local agencies providing the information.
- You need to contact international background check companies for quotes, as prices differ by country.
- In the United States, expect international background checks to cost around $170 more than domestic checks for a comprehensive review.
- In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) cannot conduct comprehensive international background checks on your behalf. The agency does not provide background investigation services for private citizens or companies.
- The turnaround time for international background checks varies. Results may arrive in three to four days but could take months or longer, depending on the circumstances. An exception is global domestic security checks, which can be completed quickly (sometimes within a day) since the databases are pre-existing.
- When paying for international background checks, especially when dealing with overseas entities, use credit cards, debit cards, or payment services like PayPal. This way, if issues arise, you can contact the card issuer and minimize losses.
Warnings
- In the United States, federal, state, and local laws and regulations are continually evolving to govern how employers request and use criminal background checks of candidates/employees. Therefore, it is the employer’s responsibility to stay updated on these frequently changing legal requirements.
