International searches

Checkr offers several global searches for organizations hiring outside the United States (US). Depending on the location, Checkr offers a combination of criminal searches, global watchlist searches, education and employment verifications, adverse media searches, and identity document validation.

By providing both US and international checks from a single platform, Checkr provides the benefits below:

• A single source of truth: Manage background checks for all your US and international candidates in a single platform with a unified billing system.
• Automated compliance workflows: Checkr supports your compliance by requesting the appropriate information and documentation from candidates depending on the locations in the search.
• Frictionless candidate contact: Checkr emails candidates directly so that you can simply request the search and receive the results.
• Guidance and support for candidates: International background checks can be confusing and require even more documentation and personally identifiable (PII) information than in the US. Checkr allows candidates to save their progress, read their results, and dispute errors.

Available searches

Checkr offers the searches below for international candidates:

• Adverse media search: Access private databases, public sanctions lists, media sources, and other public and private record repositories in countries that restrict third-party access to criminal record information.
  The average turnaround time is 2-3 days.
• International search: Search for criminal records outside the US. If no records are found, an adverse media search happens. Additional charges might apply.
• International education verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided education or certification history outside the United States.
  The average turnaround time is 6-8 days.
• International employment verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided work history outside the United States.
  The average turnaround time is 6-8 days.
• International global watchlist search: Identify whether a candidate is on domestic or international watchlists. This search includes several international, government, and regulatory databases that identify individuals who are either prohibited from certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, or are on criminal lists.
  The average turnaround time is ~2 days.
• International identity document validation: Confirm the authenticity and validity of a candidate’s passport, national ID, or driver's license and cross-check against government databases.
  The average turnaround time is ~3-5 days, while a submitted passport is ~1-2 days.
• International motor vehicle record (IMVR): Assess the validity of a license, its class or classes, and current suspensions. IMVR provides information about whether the driver is legally eligible to drive and includes the information on a physical driver’s license. International MVR is currently available to candidates with a Canadian work location and Canadian driver’s license.
  Unless exceptions require additional input from the candidate, turnaround time is real-time, within seconds.
• International motor vehicle records with history: Expand the IMVR results to include driver history information such as convictions, violations, and conditions. International MVR is currently available to candidates with a Canadian work location and Canadian driver’s license.
  The average turnaround time varies depending on the location but ranges from hours to weeks.

Supported locations

Checkr international searches are available in all countries that allow criminal searches.

The following locations restrict employers from accessing and using criminal information. For these locations, Checkr provides an adverse media search:

• Christmas Island
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• Guadeloupe
• Guernsey and Alderney
• Hong Kong
• Iran
• Isle of Man
• Israel
• Japan
• Kiribati
• Laos
• Macao
• Mauritania
• Mayotte
• Micronesia
• Sierra Leone
• South Korea
• Syria
• Timor-Leste

Candidate experience

Candidates are generally unfamiliar with the background check process and might need to submit information that they can't easily access. Checkr’s International Candidate Portal provides step-by-step guidance through the background check process and empowers candidates to save their progress, read their results, and dispute errors in their information.

Related article:

• What is the difference between international screenings and US screenings with out-of-country history?