FBI criminal history

[Alan Katz]

To get a Certificate of Entry to Thailand I need to supply the Royal Thai Consulate of Los Angeles with an FBI criminal history report and fingerprints. Does anyone know the website address of the form I'm supposed to fill out and submit?  My email address is <contact by personal message>

Edited May 26, 2021 by ubonjoe
removed email address (forum rule)

[Peterw42]

A criminal history etc is not usually required for a CoE,

 

See below for requirements, no mention of a police check.

https://thaiconsulatela.org/en/visa/coe/

 

FBI website has information on obtaining a criminal check if required for a visa application (OA etc)

https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks

Edited May 26, 2021 by Peterw42

[ubonjoe]

Moved to here.

[ubonjoe]

You only need a criminal back ground check to apply for certain visas. It is not required to apply for a certificate of entry.

A FBI check is not normally mandatory. It can be one done by a state agency.

From the consulate website for a OA visa.

"7. Criminal record
     – Letter of verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record
     – verification have to valid for not more than three months and
     – must be issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation only."

 

 

[Alan Katz]

I had a Thai person call the consulate in Los Angeles and she was told the criminal background check had to be obtained from the FBI, not from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This was in order to qualify for a two-month tourist visa. I am confused.

[sqwakvfr]

For a TR an FBI fingerprint criminal background history check has not been required(never know about the changing requirements at embassies/consulate).  In case you actually need onethen you have go to an FBI Channeler to accomplish ths.  A well known one is "fieldprint.com"(there are many others).   They use retail locations like Mail Box stores where your fingerprints are digitally captured and sent to the FBI.  The fee has been $50 USD. If you do not have a criminal record the turnaround time is short(in my case 30 minutes).  This is FYI just in case

[ubonjoe]

It certainly not required to apply for a normal tourist visa.

See: https://thaiconsulatela.org/en/visa/visa-type/tourist-visa-category-tr-single/

It is only required for a special tourist visa (STV).

Unable to find the STV on the consulate website. This from the embassy website. https://thaiembdc.org/2020/12/10/stv/

 

 

[Peterw42]

32 minutes ago, Alan Katz said:

I had a Thai person call the consulate in Los Angeles and she was told the criminal background check had to be obtained from the FBI, not from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This was in order to qualify for a two-month tourist visa. I am confused.

Why not call them yourself and remove any possible translation problems. Its not like they only speak Thai.

The information on the website is extensive and will answer most of your questions without the need for any phone call.

[Alan Katz]

Thanks all you guys. I should have told you it's an STV I'm filing for. And they do require an FBI criminal history check. Here's what I found: https://www.edo.cjis.gov 

 

It's easy to fill out, it takes your payment and directs you to the nearest authorized post office for fingerprinting. 

[Bangkok Basha]

https://www.fieldprint.com/ is a way to get an FBI criminal history record. It requires submission of electronic fingerprints with a turn-around of less than 48 hours in my case. I doubt it is required for a COE but it is required for a Non-O or Non-OA visa application in the U.S.

[RocketDog]

5 hours ago, Alan Katz said:

I had a Thai person call the consulate in Los Angeles and she was told the criminal background check had to be obtained from the FBI, not from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This was in order to qualify for a two-month tourist visa. I am confused.

I went through the same confusion when I gathered documents for my Non OA retirement visa in Colorado in 2016.

I don't know if things have changed, but I went to my local police department. I filled out a standard form for background check, paid the $15, and submitted it with all other documents to the Thai consulate in LA. Got my passport back with the visa in it about 10 days later.

From what I recall, I've read of others on TVF saying a local police department letter is all you need.

I believe this to be a lost in translation thing. Thailand just wants some 'official' document saying you aren't a criminal.

Good luck.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

34 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

I don't know if things have changed, but I went to my local police department. I filled out a standard form for background check, paid the $15, and submitted it with all other documents to the Thai consulate in LA. Got my passport back with the visa in it about 10 days later.

It has changed within the last few years. This from a post I did earlier.

 

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

From the consulate website for a OA visa.

"7. Criminal record
     – Letter of verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record
     – verification have to valid for not more than three months and
     – must be issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation only."

 

[Tanoshi]

3 hours ago, Alan Katz said:

Thanks all you guys. I should have told you it's an STV I'm filing for.

You are aware from Sept 30th you can't get a further 90 day stay from a STV if you enter from 3rd July.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by Tanoshi

[mvdf]

Oh finally, thank you lordy, they now criminally screen people from that country. 

Can't thank heaven enough for this de-crowding efforts. 

[Tanoshi]

14 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

You are aware from Sept 30th you can't get a further 90 day stay from a STV if you enter from 3rd July.

That just isn't going to happen.

 

If you only wanted 90 days, then apply for the standard tourist Visa = 60 days.

Then extend for 30 days = 90.

No criminal record check.

No Health Insurance.

Covid cover for only 60 days.

 

If you wanted to stay longer than 90 days you need to find an alternative.

[DBath]

You may have gotten what you need already but just in case, here are a few additional tips (I recently had to do this from Thailand for my Spain residency application:

 

1. I went thru an agent (or channeler) back in the states to help - Nat'l Background Check, Inc. (NBCI), they were great and were also willing to accept my FD-258 electronically. Here is a complete list of FBI approved channelers:

https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers-for-departmental-order-submissions - I believe another advantage of using a channeler is they can greatly reduce the turnaround time from dealing directly with the FBI yourself.

 

2. For the FD-258 FBI Finger Print Card you can print it out - use cardboard paper, not that thin stuff - and take to any police station, then send a hi-res photocopy to NBCI (they will accept this, but not all channelers are willing to). I found this method to be fairly convenient, if you decide not to go to one of the finger print gathering stations your channeler directs you to. Whichever channeler you choose, be sure to ask them if they will accept your electronically submitted fingerprints (on the FD-258 card), should you decide to go that route.

 

3. When finished, the channeler can mail forward your criminal certificate to your home address. You can also choose to have access to a portal-printable copy that the FBI provides with a link that expires after 24 hours from the time of opening. It only took a day or two as I recall to get back my certificate.

Hope this helps, you can DM me here if you need me to clarify anything.

 

Former Colorado Native

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by DBath

[DBath]

39 minutes ago, mvdf said:

Oh finally, thank you lordy, they now criminally screen people from that country. 

Can't thank heaven enough for this de-crowding efforts. 

Yes...now if only they would do the same for those wretched Europeans...

Edited May 26, 2021 by DBath

[sqwakvfr]

One last point.  Fingerprint cards slow down the process.  I have not submitted an actual fingerprint card.  in over 15 years.  This was to get my Security Clearance with the State Department.  Since then I have only submitted digital fingerprints.  Digital Fingerprints speed up the process tremendously.  For my last OA I used a company called “applicantservices.com” based in Orange County Ca.  Turnaround time from submission of digital fingerprints to criminal background history report on FBI letterhead with an official signature was 1 hour.  Cost was $47.  Good luck on the STV.  

[GroveHillWanderer]

4 hours ago, Alan Katz said:

Thanks all you guys. I should have told you it's an STV I'm filing for.

Is there any particular reason why you're going for the STV? 

 

As others have pointed out, its requirements are much more burdensome and it will cost you a bunch more.

 

And, as @Tanoshipointed out, a normal tourist visa with an extension will give you the same length of stay.

Edited May 26, 2021 by GroveHillWanderer

[steve3245]

i am hoping to go to thailand when it opens up to tourists and to stay for 3 months or more, i may have to do a border run after 10-12 weeks or so . i have a criminal record for weed possession , what would be my options ?

 

also ,  if in the future i apply for the retirement 1 year visa , will the criminal record cause me problems ?

 

thanks

 

 

[Tanoshi]

4 hours ago, steve3245 said:

i am hoping to go to thailand when it opens up to tourists and to stay for 3 months or more, i may have to do a border run after 10-12 weeks or so . i have a criminal record for weed possession , what would be my options ?

Criminal record checks are only required for certain Visa types, STV, Non O-A, Non O-X. They are not required for VE, TV, or Non O entries.

In my opinion land borders won't be opening anytime this year.

 

4 hours ago, steve3245 said:

also ,  if in the future i apply for the retirement 1 year visa , will the criminal record cause me problems ?

 

No, no criminal record check required to apply for the 1 year extension (a permit, not a Visa) at a local Immigration office.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Tanoshi

[RocketDog]

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It has changed within the last few years. This from a post I did earlier.

 

 

As I remember that's what the requirements said in 2017 too. I called State police and they told me to go to local police. They said they don't do that, the locals did. I contacted the FBI and they said they had no record for me and wouldn't unless I had done a federal offense. So they wouldn't give me a letter.

 

Anyhoo, it worked for me.

I doubt the American FBI has changed their policy so I forsee problems, at least for Americans.

 

[steve3245]

10 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Criminal record checks are only required for certain Visa types, STV, Non O-A, Non O-X. They are not required for VE, TV, or Non O entries.

In my opinion land borders won't be opening anytime this year.

 

No, no criminal record check required to apply for the 1 year extension (a permit, not a Visa) at a local Immigration office.

thank you Tanoshi for the reply